Description
This car is Lot 135 to be auctioned by Bonhams|Cars at The Goodwood Auction on Saturday September 13th, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Public Viewing:
Available Friday September 12 from 09:00 until 17:00, Saturday September 13 from 09:00 at The Goodwood Revival.
Lot 135
The Factory Approved, one of two R S Williams built, and single-owner since
1960-2000 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction III Coupé
Registration no. not UK registered
Chassis no. DB4/ 424/ R
One of only two factory-approved and R. S. Williams-built examples
Acquired direct from RSW by the present owner in 2000
Uprated 4. 2-litre engine
Beautifully presented
Circa 45, 000 miles since Sanction III
Of the many models in Aston Martin's 112-year history, and of the DB series of six-cylinder cars in particular, the DB4GT Zagato is arguably the best loved and most respected, as well as one of the most sought after of all 1960s Grand Touring cars. The original collaboration between Aston Martin and Carrozzeria Zagato of Milan resulted in a production run of only 19 constructed between 1961 and 1963, although the factory did in fact set aside 23 chassis numbers. This was during the high tide of Gran Turismo competition when the FIA World Championship was centred specifically upon such cars. It is an indication of the affection felt for these beautiful Aston Martins is that all 19 are still in existence, residing in the world's leading collections.
The DB4GT Zagato was hugely successful in period, leading the British motor industry's response to the Italian Ferrari 250 GT SWBs and GTOs. While none other than Stirling Moss had won races in a regular Aston Martin DB4GT, Aston Martin went a step further in developing the lightweight DB4GT Zagato, gloriously clothed in hand-beaten thin-gauge aluminium by the Milanese craftsmen of Italy's Carrozzeria Zagato. The result was a rarefied competition-cum-connoisseur's car: one that could win both in concours and on the race-track. Today these automotive works of art grace the finest collections, generating market prices to match. At Goodwood in 2018 Bonhams sold such an example for £10. 1 million.
The DB4GT Zagato made its racing debut at the Goodwood Easter meeting in 1961 in the capable hands of Stirling Moss, who brought the car home in third place. Two months later two DB4GT Zagatos, registered '1 VEV' and '2 VEV' and destined to become the most famous of them all, were entered at Le Mans by John Ogier's Essex Racing Stable. Regrettably this attempt at a second Le Mans victory for Aston Martin ended in less than three hours, both cars retiring with gasket trouble. The Tourist Trophy at Goodwood in September of that year proved far more successful when the two cars, driven by Roy Salvadori, one Aston Martin's Le Mans-winning drivers of 1959, and the legendary Jim Clark, came home third and fourth, scooping the Team Prize.
Almost 30 years later a factory-approved project was launched to revive this iconic model in collaboration with the original coachbuilders, Carrozzeria Zagato of Milan. The project was instigated in 1987 by the company's then joint chairmen, Victor Gauntlett and Peter Livanos, who commissioned the renowned Aston Martin specialist Richard Williams to uprate four DB4 rolling chassis to DB4GT specification. Williams was involved with the running of Aston Martin's World Sportscar Team at the time and so the project was delayed for a year. When the Milton Keynes factory closed it was possible to devote the required attention to the four cars, which after completion were shipped to Italy to be fitted with Zagato's stunningly beautiful, hand-crafted '4GTZ' bodywork in the original style. They were then returned to Williams, himself the owner of one of the original 19, who fitted the interiors and completed the cars at his new premises in Cobham, Surrey. This limited-edition 1989-1991 foursome was entitled 'Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II'.
Subsequently Williams, upon learning that Zagato had two spare bodies from the Sanction II project, approached Walter Hayes (who had replaced Gauntlett as Aston Martin Chairman) seeking permission to utilise these Zagato bodies and build a further two sister cars. Factory permission was granted and two chassis, 'DB4/ 344/ R' and 'DB4/ 424/ R', were completed in 2000 to be known as the 'Sanction III'.
Their technical specification matched that of the Sanction II, offering improved suspension and braking compared to the original 1960 production and a 4. 2-litre engine, breathing through three Weber 50 DCOE carburettors producing 352bhp and 330lb/ ft torque. As such, the engine in 424/ R is not the original, being modified with a GT specification twin-plug head and replacement block with increased capacity. Like the Sanction IIs, the III is recognised by the Aston Martin Owners' Club (AMOC) and is also listed on the Zagato registry.
The example offered here, '424/ R', is a one-owner car since completion to DB4GT Zagato Sanction III, having been acquired directly from R. S. Williams and remaining within the same family ever since. Accompanying the car are three 'RSW' lever arch files commencing with correspondence from Richard Williams to the current owner outlining the programme and exploring whether he wished to become '424/ R's first custodian upon completion.
This file record, which details the most comprehensive care and maintenance programme - often encompassing an annual visit to R. S. Williams - is as impressive as the car itself. This Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction III not only presents beautifully but also drives impeccably, as Bonhams can testify; hardly surprising as, quite unusually for this ultra-sophisticated class of Gran Turismo motor car, it was acquired to be driven and since completion has now covered a little over 45, 000 miles since 2000.
Bonhams is pleased to recommend this factory-approved Sanction III with impeccable provenance that drives as well as it looks.
Please note that this vehicle is from outside the UK. Our customs agents, CARS UK, will manage all post sale customs administration. A fee of £350+VAT will be charged on the buyer's invoice to administer both import or export customs movements. If the buyer also chooses to ship with CARS UK, this will be quoted separately. If this vehicle is to remain in the UK, it will be subject to Import VAT at the reduced rate of 5% on the hammer price. This vehicle will not be available for immediate collection after the sale and will only be released on completion of customs clearance formalities. If you have any questions regarding customs clearance, please contact the Bonhams Motorcar Department.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams|Cars website for all pertinent auction information.
