Description
Kelham Hall | Newark, Nottinghamshire Viewing: Tues 22nd September 2026 from 12pm Auction: Weds 23rd September 2026 12pm Location: Kelham Hall Main Street, Newark, Nottinghamshire NG23 5QX Registration No: 550 HYTChassis No: DB4/ 973/ RMOT: Exempt The sole DB4 ‘Series IV’ Vantage of the forty-five made to be factory-finished in Roman Purple In single ownership from 1970 to 2021 and since part of two marque collections Maintained and refurbished over the years by H. R. Owen, R. S. Williams, Aston Service Dorset, Jonathan Wardle and Project Heaven Recently subject to light fettling including an engine tune-up and detailing “The best all round car, however, is probably the Series IV Vantage with the Special Series engine, before the car put on weight to become the Series V. It has all the merits of the early car, but its engine by now is almost bomb-proof.”—Robert Edwards, Aston Martin: Ever the Thoroughbred There is a case to be made for the Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Vantage being among the marque’s best kept secrets. Notable as the first Aston Martin design on which the word ‘Vantage’ was used to signify a distinct model (rather than a state of engine tune), it was only in production between March and October, 1962. Sharing the same eponymous visage as the later DB4 Series V Vantage and DB5 complete with faired-in headlamps, seven-bar grille and reprofiled bonnet scoop, the DB4 Series IV Vantage was some 3½ inches shorter, 1½ inches lower and several hundred pounds lighter than either of its successors. An altogether nimbler and more engaging machine, it offered a driving experience that some ranked second only to the DB4 GT. In comparison to a standard DB4 Series IV, the Vantage boasted not just alluring James Bond-esque styling but also a significantly reworked ‘Special Series’ engine. As well as an extra (third) SU carburettor and boxed plenum chamber, the unit benefited from an improved inlet manifold, higher compression ratio (9:1), revised distributor advance curve, special pistons, larger inlet and exhaust valves and hotter plugs. Utilising the same ‘big sump’ bottom-end as its lesser siblings, the enhanced 3, 670cc DOHC straight-six was credited with developing some 266bhp and 255lb. ft. of torque (an increase of 26bhp and 15lb. ft. respectively). Bringing a welcome extra dose of performance, it was allied to four-speed all-synchromesh manual transmission. True to Aston Martin tradition, an ‘ordinary’ DB4 Series IV could be ordered with a Special Series powerplant (just as five DB4 Series IV Vantages received the ‘twin plug’ GT motor). Based around a steel platform chassis equipped with independent coil and wishbone front suspension, a trailing arm located ‘live’ rear axle and four-wheel disc brakes, the svelte four-seater was bodied using Carrozzeria Touring’s patented ‘Superleggera’ technique whereby its hand-crafted aluminium panels were affixed to a latticework superstructure of small diameter steel tubing. Proving as exclusive as it was expensive, the DB4 Series IV Vantage accounted for just forty-five sales during its eight months on the assembly lines (chassis DB4/ 951/ R to DB4/ 995/ R). Interestingly, DB4 GT production amounted to seventy-five cars (albeit split across Series I to V). Although often confused with its less wieldy siblings, the DB4 Series IV Vantage has long been appreciated by the cognoscenti. While any one of the surviving DB4 Series IV Vantages is an extremely rare and covetable machine, perhaps none is more suited to the discriminating enthusiast than ‘550 HYT’, the sole example of the forty-five to be finished by the factory in Roman Purple, an appealingly exotic colour which provided a foretaste of the soon-to-be-Swinging Sixties. More famously, perhaps, it would be the colour chosen for the DB5 which belonged to Lady Brown, wife of Aston Martin’s then-owner Sir David. Our DB4’s original, patinated Blue Grey Connolly interior is a delightful counterpart to the deep purple paint. Chassis DB4/ 973/ R was registered on June 1st, 1962, as ‘PPA 2’, with “non-standard equipment” including electric windows, a heated rear screen and chrome wheels. The first owner was H. Lotery & Co. of London, W8, a tailoring business which was then Britain’s largest supplier of military uniforms. The firm dabbled in financial services, and the car was purchased through its subsidiary, the Wilburton Investment Trust, from the well-known dealership Brooklands of Bond Street. Factory records provide great insight into 973/ R’s early maintenance requirements, and a slight mishap in 1967 prompted some paintwork repairs and fitment of a new grille. The Webasto sunroof was most likely acquired during the mid-1960s, though it is not recorded exactly when. Two other owners took possession in this time, one of whom was L. Ash of Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire. The second was James Alexander McCall, who owned the car by September, 1969, and inhabited a mid-terrace council house in...
