1967 Aston Martin DB6 Volante

Chassis No. DBVC/3626/R
Engine No. 400/3096

The DB6 stands as the final and most refined expression of Aston Martin's elegant grand tourers of the 1960s. Built on the foundation laid by its predecessor, the DB5, the DB6 was shaped by a design brief calling for improved aerodynamics alongside greater cabin space: the roofline was raised by 25 mm for improved rear headroom, and the wheelbase lengthened by 95 mm to afford rear passengers newfound legroom. At its heart, the DB6 inherited the DB5's celebrated 4.0-liter twin-overhead-camshaft inline-six, developing 282 horsepower, the work of engineer Tadek Marek under the leadership of the legendary David Brown, who would step down from the helm of the company shortly thereafter.

Unveiled at the 1966 London Motor Show, the DB6 Volante gave the model its open-top expression, replacing the outgoing ''Short-Chassis'' Volante, itself built upon the final run of DB5 chassis, with a true, purpose-built four-seat convertible. Only 140 examples of the DB6 Volante Mark I were ever built, making it one of the rarest and most coveted open-top Astons of its era.

Delivered new in February 1967 to Redlands, West Chiltington, Sussex, England, the Volante was supplied to W. G. Gooda, a prominent figure in the insurance industry, through British luxury motor retailer H.R. Owen. Elegantly finished in Silver Birch over a Black Connolly leather interior with a Black hood and cover, this right-hand-drive manual example was specified from the factory with chrome wheels, three-eared hub caps, a power-operated aerial, and seven pints of antifreeze. Ahead of the warranty period commencing, and presumably at the owner's request, the car was further fitted with a Motorola radio and twin speakers, fog and spot lamps beneath the bumpers, a pair of racing mirrors, and a badge bar. Beyond this information of its early history, a copy of the original build sheet on file meticulously documents the servicing of the car received from Aston Martin up to at least 4,745 miles, as recorded therein.

The current owner acquired the car in 2008 through German Aston Martin specialist Michael Olu Brinkert, having been in the hands of the previous owner since 1995. At the time of its 2008 acquisition, the car had only just benefited from a bare-metal repaint with aluminum repairs carried out by Mitchell Motors of Wiltshire. Beyond regular servicing and routine maintenance, the extensive file of invoices and inspection reports accompanying the car, dating back to 1991, records a restoration undertaken in 1995 by Newlands Motors in Sussex, where the car was originally delivered new and has likely remained for close to three decades, as well as a significant mechanical restoration carried out in 2004 by Robin Lackford Motor Engineering.

Under current ownership, the car has continued to benefit from equally regular and meticulous care, with invoices on file totaling over €50.000, carried out primarily by the German specialists Stefan Reischuck and Norbert Lahme, as well as by Aston Engineering in the UK. Highlights include dry-ice blasting of the chassis underside in 2021, restoration of the front suspension in 2022, rebuild of the rear axle in 2023, refurbishment of the rear brake calipers in 2024, and, in 2011, renewal of the propshaft and exhaust system alongside an overhaul of the hood mechanism. Most recently, the car benefited from servicing at Oldtimer-Pflege to obtain its valid German technical inspection in 2025.

That each successive owner, across nearly six decades, has chosen to maintain this matching-numbers DB6 Volante to such a consistently high standard speaks volumes about the regard in which it has always been held, and the enduring appeal it continues to command among discerning collectors of Aston Martin's finest 1960s grand tourer.