1967 Aston Martin DB6 Sports Saloon

3,995cc DOHC Inline 6-Cylinder Engine
Triple SU Carburetors
282bhp at 5,500rpm
3-Speed BorgWarner Automatic Transmission
Independent Front with Live Rear Axle Suspension
4-Wheel Disc Brakes

*Delivered new to Washington, D.C.
*Original left-hand drive, highly optioned example
*Documented by copies of its factory build records
*Beautifully presented British motoring

THE ASTON MARTIN DB6

"Stage by stage, as the DB has become dominant in the Aston Martin strain, the successive cars have changed their image. Today the aim is to offer the maximum of luxury and refinement as well as the ultimate in road performance. The minor barbarities of so many great sports cars of the past are no longer acceptable – at least in the hand built models now leaving Newport Pagnell. Obviously such a car as the DB6 is expensive and exclusive but the value matches the price.' – Autocar, 1966.

As one might imagine, Autocar found much to commend in the DB6 Vantage, remaking on the car's much improved handling, outstanding adhesion and exceptionally good braking figures. A mean maximum speed of 148mph was achieved, while the standing quarter-mile time of 14.5 seconds was the fastest the magazine had recorded for a four-seater. At 120mph the Aston was as effortlessly relaxed as other powerful cars at 80mph. "For high-speed open-road touring this Vantage DB6 is practically ideal," enthused Autocar's scribe, and few would disagree.

The 4.0-liter DOHC engine remained unchanged in standard triple-SU carburetor form but the Vantage specification unit with 9.4:1 compression ratio now developed a mighty 325bhp. A ZF five-speed manual gearbox was carried over from the latter, 'Selectaride' driver-adjustable damping was standard, and for the first time there was optional power-assisted steering available. Saloon production totaled 1,327 units, including seven shooting brake conversions by Harold Radford.

THE MOTORCAR OFFERED

According to copies of factory build records, this DB6 was ordered new by Peter J Nee, III of Washington, D.C. Mr. Nee was quite particular in the ordering of his new Aston, taking time to create a unique machine. Finished in Olive over Natural Connolly hides, options included BorgWarner automatic transmission, 3.54:1 limited slip differential, CoolAir air conditioning, power steering and aerial, chrome wheels, rear window defroster, Britax three-point seatbelts for all passengers, Bosch Koln radio, Fiamm horns with changeover switch, and 12 pints of antifreeze to weather the hot summers. Built at the end of January 1967 and dispatched on the fourth of April, no delivery date is specified in the records, but it is likely the car arrived in the Capitol in the late spring of 1967.

The early history of the car beyond that is unknown. The next recorded history of the car is that it was owned by John Kenneth Narney of Stafford, Virginia just south of D.C. in by October 1987. Narney would keep the DB6 until it was acquired by the present owner in May 2009. Today the car presents quite honestly, with what appears to be an original and well-preserved interior. The exterior was repainted in cream many, many moons ago and shows its age and wear. Various old parking stickers from the Department of Defense and Mary Washington Hospital speak to its long-term presence in the south D.C. area. Mechanically, the car has been on static display since purchase, so after 14 years of limited use, mechanical recommissioning is recommended before driving it to lobby your local politicians.