Footnotes

• The culmination of Aston-Martin’s long-running line of 'DB' six-cylinder sports saloons, the DB6 was introduced in 1965 at the London Motor Show. Although recognisably related to the Touring-styled DB4 of 1958, the DB6 abandoned the Superleggera body structure of its predecessors in favour of a conventional steel fabrication. The wheelbase was now 4” longer than before, resulting in an extensive re-style with more-raked windscreen, raised roofline and re-shaped rear quarter windows. Opening front quarter lights made a re-appearance, but the major change was at the rear where a Kamm-style tail with spoiler improved the aerodynamics, greatly enhancing stability at high speeds.
  ‘The tail lip halves the aerodynamic lift around maximum speed and brings in its train greater headroom and more luggage space,’ revealed Motor magazine, concluding that the DB6 was one of the finest sports cars it had tested. ‘The DB6 with its longer wheelbase and better headroom makes an Aston Martin available to the far wider four-seater market, and the design is in every way superior to the previous model. A purist might have though that the longer wheelbase would affect the near-perfect balance of the DB5, but if anything the DB6 is better.’
  The Tadek Marek-designed six-cylinder engine had been enlarged to 3,995cc for the preceding DB5, and remained unchanged. Power output on triple SU carburettors was 282bhp, rising to 325bhp in Vantage specification. Borg-Warner automatic transmission was offered alongside the standard ZF five-speed gearbox, and for the first time there was optional power-assisted steering. Introduced in July 1969, the DB6 Mk2 incorporated many components shared with the new DBS, most obviously the latter’s wider wheels that necessitated flaring the front and rear wheelarches. All Mk2 Vantages came with the highest (325bhp) ‘C’ state of tune, while all cars benefited from power-assisted steering as standard. Production lasted until November 1970, during which time 240 DB6 Mk2s were manufactured, only 71 of which were to Vantage specification while fewer than half of these had the five-speed manual gearbox.
  Last-of-the-line models are always sought after by discerning collectors, and few are more highly prized that the final flowering of the glorious ‘David Brown’ six-cylinder series, considered by many to be the last of the ‘real’ Aston Martins. This fine example of the DB6 Mk2 Vantage has the desirable five-speed manual gearbox and a factory fitted Webasto sunroof, and retains its lovely original Woburn Sand interior. During the early 1990s a replacement block was fitted by the factory - the original had a very small crack between two cylinders where the liners seal at their lower end, a not uncommon fault.
  ‘BJD 136H’ was formerly the property of one of motor sports most charismatic characters, the late Innes Ireland. An ex-Team Lotus Formula 1 driver and many-time Le Mans competitor, Innes was intimately involved with Aston Martin throughout the firm’s racing heyday and assisted with the development of the DB6. Innes owned two DB6s finished in this distinctive Burnt Almond livery: this particular car and a second that he had converted into a shooting brake.
  The Aston has recently had its triple Weber carburettors tuned by racing specialists on the rolling road and is a wonderfully responsive car to drive. It comes with an extensive history file, dating back to the time of its delivery, containing invoices and correspondence between Innes, the Aston Martin factory and others. Offered with Swansea V5 registration document, this lovely DB6 represents a unique opportunity to acquire a thoroughbred sports car once owned by one of the stars of motor racing’s 1960s golden age.