DP199/1 was in fact the prototype for the upcoming DB4GT, a lighter, shorter and more powerful version of the DB4 saloon especially designed for gentleman racers.

DP199/1 was built on a shortened DB4 chassis with a wheelbase of 7′ 9”, about 5 inches shorter than the regular saloon. Weight saving was achieved with the use of thinner gauge aluminium panels, Plexiglass side windows and the deletion of the bumpers, rear seats and some interior trim. Of particular interest are the cowled headlights, a feature that continued to be used through the DB4 Vantage, the DB5 right the way through to the DB6 Mark II. 

This image above of DP199/1 at the 1959 Le Mans 1959 24 hour race has been kindly provided by the Aston Martin Heritage Trust. The car was restored during the 1990’a by Works Service and was part of a private collection for a long while until it was sold by RM Sotherby’s during their Monterey Car Week sale in 2017.

Specification for the show car included

• Deep air dam with 5 bar polished grille and integrated daytime driving / fog lights.
• Side skirts with carbon inserts.
• Rear apron with carbon diffuser with unique rear exhaust tips.
• 20 inch polished wheels with 255/35 tyres front and 285/30 to the rear.
• Also black painted wheels are available.
• Performance suspension that drops the car by 25mm.
• Much enhanced interior with Alcantara and a silver finish carbonfibre.
• Brembo braking system.

Full specification of the DB11 Volante Henley Regatta as follows

• White Stone coachwork
• Black hood with Obsidian Black Rokona headlining
• Dark anodised brake calipers
• smoked tail lights
• exterior carbon fibre detailing
• dark exhaust finishers and bonnet meshes
• Red Oxide leather with Chancellor Red on the seats and door panels. Madagascar Orange contrast stitching
• forged gloss black diamond turned wheels

The Henley Royal Regatta DB11 Volante was offered for sale at £199,995.

These period press images show all four types of Vanquish Zagato cars, all in the launch colour of Lava Red.

Quite a surprise to see this Vanquish Zagato Shooting Brake in the Q showroom on Park Avenue, New York during May 2024.

The revised DB9 Volante became available from the second quarter of 2008 with a price in the UK of £122,950. These photos were taken of cars at the Geneva Salon 2008 and 2009.

Early in 2010, the Volante, previously denied the Sports Pack option could be specified with a new Premium Sports Pack which consisted of an Adaptive Damping System as first seen on the DBS.

By the time that the 2009MY DB9 entered production, the world was just in the grip of a significant recession that badly affected the general new car market and Aston Martin in particular. Also the DB9 Volante had competition from within the range from the more powerful DBS Volante thus sales and production of the DB9 was in somewhat of a decline. The DB9 of this era are thus quite scarce and downright rare has hens teeth with the six speed manual gearbox.

Although this car is something of a one off, the

Six speed manual transmission was an option for the 2011MY but it appears that only two examples were ever built. Both were sold in the USA.

The stunning luxury super saloon revives the Lagonda ethos of ‘the finest of fast cars’ is to be built using lengthened VH architecture from the existing Rapide S and will be offered exclusively in the Middle East, apparently as a result of ‘specific market demand’.

The new car, perhaps surprisingly, has drawn inspiration from the William Towns-designed ‘wedge’ Lagonda (1976 – 1990) and features many of the same cutting edge engineering techniques seen in current Aston Martin sports cars such as the use of carbon fibre in the body panels. These carbonfibre reinforced panels (CFRP) are ideal for cars with short production runs and will use an Aston Martin patented coating to achieve a flawless and highly polished surface.

The engine will almost certainly be the current AM29 spec V12 already being used in the Rapide S and Vanquish. This should allow the new Lagonda to reach a top speed of around 190 mph; 175 has already been recorded during testing in Oman. The Lagonda has a wheel base of 3189 mm with is an increase of 200 mm over the Rapide thus offering rear seat passengers a significant increase in legroom, perhaps as spacious as a Rolls Ghost or S-class Mercedes.

The return of the Lagonda marque and the as yet formally un-named  ‘Project Comet’ follows in the wake of other specialist projects such as the One-77, V12 Zagato and the 2013 CC100 Speedster Concept, a car already regarded as the ultimate Q by Aston Martin car.

It will be hand-built by the finest craftsmen and women at Aston Martin’s modern manufacturing facilities in Gaydon, Warwickshire in a dedicated building previously used for building the One-77 and V12 Zagato.

The first official photos of ‘Project Comet’ were of the Jet Black preproduction car whilst undergoing hot weather testing in Oman during late summer 2014.

The new super saloon will be offered for sale by invitation only to discerning customers who are seeking the ultimate in luxury and personalisation. AM have not revelled the potential asking price but have stated that it will be ‘commensurate with the car’s exclusivity, quality and luxurious nature.’ Or using my vocabulary, this is a classic example of ‘if you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it’. It is understood that solid gold switchgear will be a suitably expensive option.

The Lagonda 2015MY ‘Super Saloon’ shows best the direct influence of the 1976 William Towns ‘wedge’ Lagonda in this side view

Deliveries are anticipated to begin in early 2015 and should be completed before the end of the year. Production is anticipated to be no more than 200 or so examples.

The specific details of the DB9 Morning Frost are below

• Touchtronic 2 gearbox
• Standard exhaust
• 19 inch 10 spoke silver diamond turned wheels
• Silver brake calipers
• Clear tail lamps
• Magnum mesh bonnet, side strake grilles, lower front and rear grilles
• Standard tail pipes
• Metallic bronze leather leather interior with fine Bitter Chocolate stitch and perforated seat inners (coupe and Volante)
• Metallic bronze leather headlining with centre stitch (coupe only)
• Brown or Black hood with Ivory headlining (Volante only)
• Full width Piano Black facia, door handles and door cappings
• Standard Instrument surround and graphics
• Metallic bronze leather steering wheel and gearshift paddles
• Glass corporate switches
• Standard tread plates with ‘Morning Frost’ model name inserts

This particular example was photographed at the 2011 Geneva Salon