‘£203K FOR A DB4 IN PIECES’
Bidder buys an Aston barn find for show car money
A 1959 Aston Martin DB4 Series I that spent more than half its life abandoned, made £203,100 at Bonhams’ Beaulieu Autojumble sale on 3 September – and it doesn’t even have its original engine.
The DB4 went to an anonymous European bidder, and it’s unknown whether it will be returning to the road.
This one is the 78th DB4 out of only 149 Series Is made, and the original engine had been replaced by a Jaguar unit by the time the previous owner bought it in 1986. He began the process of swapping the engine for a period 3.7-litre Aston unit and restoring the suspension and brakes, but abandoned the job when work took him overseas.
Engine, disassembled running gear and stripped interior came with the car, ready to be fitted by the ambitious bidder.
One Bonhams expert says: ‘We would estimate that the restoration would cost around an additional £150,000-£200,000 with the finished article being worth between £400,000 and £600,000.’
The biggest mark-up goes to the seller. Hopefully this won’t encourage too many Aston Martin owners to squirrel their cars away.