Aston barn find of the year
An Aston Martin DBS that racked up most of its 30,565 miles below 40mph has been discovered in a barn after being abandoned for 30 years.
The 1968 car was unearthed in Jersey – where the maximum speed limit is 40mph – after its owner, a Mr Pasqua, died. He had driven the car into his barn (well, more of a vast lock-up) in 1986 after first falling ill and it sat there until being recovered earlier this month. It is being sold in a Silverstone Auctions’ sale this Friday, 20 May.
Mr Pasqua’s barn was clearly not the most water-tight judging by the condition of the DBS. Though very original – the Mink Bronze paintwork and red Connolly interior look unmolested – the car has clearly suffered from corrosion and is in need of a full restoration. The car’s mechanical condition is unknown, though the original 3995cc six-cylinder twin-cam engine and Borg Warner automatic gearbox appear intact so the car is fundamentally complete.
The original factory build sheet confirms it was delivered on 5 November 1968 to its first owner in Surrey, according to the auctioneers. Factory options apparently included Motorola Radio, power assisted steering, fog and spot lamps, and air conditioning. It was purchased by Mr Pasqua and registered in Jersey in April 1970.
Aston Martin launched the aluminiumbodied four-seater DBS at the 1967 Motor Show. It was styled by William Towns and was longer, wider and more luxurious than the DB6 it replaced. It also handled better thanks to a independent suspension: wishbone and coil springs at the front, De Dion with Watts linkage at the rear. Production continued until 1972.