1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage

Chassis no. DB6/2628/R
Engine no. 400/2583/V

Vantage 3,995 CC DOHC inline six-cylinder engine, triple Weber twin-choke carburetors, 325 bhp at 5,750 RPM, five-speed ZF manual gearbox, independent coil spring front suspension with double wishbones and anti-roll bar, de Dion rear axle with trailing arms, Watts linkage and coil springs, four-wheel power-assisted hydraulic disc brakes; wheelbase: 101.7”

Top-specification, original Vantage model
Accompanied by copy of factory production and service record
Excellent color combination and presentation
Very well equipped with factory options and features
One of the finest Grand Touring vehicles ever produced

Introduced at the October 1965 London Motor Show, the new DB6 was the latest in Aston Martin’s long-running line of fast and luxurious Grand Touring automobiles. As with its predecessors, the DB6 was the product of careful evolution and ranks high among the most glamorous automobiles ever created today. Cloaked in handsomely updated aluminum bodywork, the DB6 retained the platform-type chassis design and Superleggera (Superlight) body-construction principles devised by Italy’s Carrozzeria Touring, with updates yielding greater structural rigidity. While bearing a familial resemblance to the prior DB5, the DB6 retained the gorgeous, covered headlamps of the DB4GT and DB5, a revised roofline and rear windows. A new, aero-efficient Kamm tail and integrated spoiler, based on wind-tunnel experience gained at MIRA for Aston’s early-1960s ‘Project’ Le Mans racing cars, delivered greater high-speed stability.

Of equal importance to buyers, the DB6 featured heightened passenger comfort with greater headroom and useful rear seating, rendering the DB6 a true Grand Tourer capable of seating up to four. Comprehensive standard features, including rich Connolly leather upholstery, belied the impressive performance of the DB6 and its lusty 4.0-litre DOHC inline six-cylinder powerplant. Delivering 282 horsepower in basic form, the ultimate DB6 featured the higher-performance ‘Vantage’ specification, rated 325 horsepower with three twin-choke Weber carburetors and a higher compression cylinder head. So equipped, magazine road testers reported 148-mph maximum speeds and acceleration from 0-100 mph in just 15 seconds. Harnessing that breathtaking performance was a five-speed ZF gearbox and four-wheel disc brakes – both standard DB6 equipment, with power steering now optional.
As few as 1,575 DB6 Coupes were produced along two distinct series between September 1966 and November 1970. Many were owned new by the era’s business, entertainment, and social icons, including Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and Paul (later Sir Paul) McCartney, who is reputed to have recorded the original lyrics to “Hey Jude” on a reel-to-reel tape recorder mounted inside his DB6. Other famous DB6 owners included legendary actor Peter Sellers, and Twiggy, arguably the world’s first supermodel.
This highly desirable 1966 Aston Martin DB6 is an original U.K.-delivered, right-hand drive model, numbered DB6/2628/R. Accompanied by a copy of its factory chassis record, supplied by Aston Martin Works Service, 2628/R is an original 325-horsepower Vantage that left the factory with Silver Birch paint over Dark Blue Connolly leather upholstery. In addition to the triple-Weber Vantage powerplant, 2628/R was equipped with factory “Non-Standard” equipment including a 3.73:1 limited-sip differential, chrome wire-spoke wheels with 3-ear hub caps, a heated rear window, Fiamm horns with change-over switch, a Motorola radio, and power antenna. According to the factory chassis record, 2628/R was sold new to Simonds & Son of Bristol by Plough Motors. Subsequent owners on the factory paperwork are Mr. G.G. Ford and John Cochrane & Sons. Factory records detail comprehensive Aston Martin ‘Works’ service through February 1970 and 36,151 recorded miles.
Most recently, the DB6 was acquired out of the Netherlands in 2013 and refurbished in the U.K. before being sold to Florida in 2014. Power is provided by the numbers-matching, Vantage-specification DOHC 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine (400/2583/V), equipped with triple Weber carburetors and paired with a proper 5-speed manual transmission. Finished in Metallic Silver over newer black leather upholstery and Wilton wool carpeting, this first-series 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage is an investment-grade example of the DB6 Vantage that is eminently ready to savor with each and every drive!