DB4 & DB4 Convertible - Aston Martin

DB4

Aston Martin started work on the DB4 in 1956, at the same time as the DB Mark III. The key people involved in the development of the DB4 were General Manager John Wyer, Chassis Designer Harold Beach, and Engine Designer Tadek Marek. Every major component in the DB4 was new. The four-seater body was designed by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, using their 'Superleggera' construction method in which aluminium panels are fixed to a tubular frame built onto a substantial platform chassis.

Tadek Marek's new 3.7 litre, six-cylinder twin overhead camshaft, all alloy engine first ran in 1956 and was raced in the DBR2 in 1957.

A New Era

The new car was shown at the London Motor show in 1958, sharing a stand with the DB Mark III which was to continue in production for almost a year. The DB4 was the first production car capable of 0-100-0 mph in under 30 sec. claiming to reach the 100 mph mark in 21 seconds. The iconic DB4 heralded a new era for Aston Martin and put the company back in competition with other high performance sports car manufacturers.

A DB4 convertible was announced at the London Motor Show in 1961. Throughout its production life the DB4 range was gradually developed, adding a GT version and some significant model year changes (often referred to as series 2, 3, 4 and 5) before finally being replaced by the DB5.

Specifications

Price New:: £ 3,976 (Saloon), £ 4,194 (Convertible)
Engine:: DOHC Straight six, 3670 cc, 240 bhp @ 5000 rpm
240 lbs-ft @ 4200 rpm
Transmission:: 4-speed manual with optional overdrive or optional Borg-Warner 3-speed automatic
Suspension:: Front: Telescopic shock absorbers
Rear: Lever arm shock absorbers
Brakes:: Dunlop Servo assisted brakes with front and rear solid discs
Dimensions (LxWxH):: 4480 x 1676 x 1321 mm (Saloon), 4480 x 1676 x 1323 mm (Convertible)
Weight:: 1308 kg
Top Speed:: 140 mph
0 – 60 mph:: 9 sec

Specialist Support & Expertise

In 1972, David Brown took the decision to sell Aston Martin to a Birmingham based consortium named Company Developments. Bringing to an end a period of iconic association which helped to create many of the marque's most famous heritage models.

In another deal transacted at the same time, the sole manufacturing rights for Aston Martin Parts unique for Feltham factory built models, from the DB1 through to the DB4, were purchased by Aston Service Dorset - a nominated supplier of Feltham and DB4 unique parts. In addtion they purchased the original build records for cars of this era.

While some DB4 parts carry over to the DB5 and are supported by our Aston Martin Heritage Specialists, Aston Service Dorset offer an efficient parts service for those items unique to the DB4.