Footnotes

• Two years after the introduction of the DB2/4 MkII came the DB MkIII, 551 of which, mainly saloons, were made between March 1957 and July 1959. Externally the most obvious change was the adoption of a DB3S-style grille, establishing the 'hallmark' look of subsequent Aston Martins, which had been drawn up by Tickford designer, Bert Thickpenny. This restyled nose give the car a more imposing look, while the interior boasted a redesigned dashboard with instruments grouped in a cowled panel ahead of the driver.
  
  The 3.0-litre engine benefited from an extensive redesign by Tadek Marek (newly arrived from Austin) and featured, among other improvements, a stiffer block, stronger crankshaft, and a new cylinder head with bigger valves. 162bhp was available with the single-pipe exhaust system, 178bhp with the optional twin-pipe version. Elsewhere there were improvements to both clutch and gearbox; Laycock overdrive became available and front disc brakes were standard rather than optional after the first 100 cars had been built, commencing at chassis '1401'. Despite the inevitable weight increase, the MkIII was faster than any of its predecessors with a top speed of 120mph.
  
  Its accompanying copy guarantee form reveals that chassis number '1612' was originally finished in Desert White with blue/grey Connolly hide trim. The car was sold new via agent J Blake to its first owner, a Mr Caunce of Lancashire. The registration was 'OWM 999' (subsequently 'YFY 333' and now 'OWM 999' again). Also on file is a copy old buff logbook and copy old V5. Issued in July 1969, the former lists four owners, the last of whom is a Mr Baker, the previous keeper; his acquisition is undated but must have been in the 1970s.
  
  The current vendor purchased 'OWM 999' in 2003 and has used the car only sparingly over the course of the last 15 or so years. In that time, general maintenance and replacement of the odd spare part has largely been undertaken by the vendor at his home. More recently, due to its owner's advancing years and a recent spell of ill health, the Aston has not seen active use and has only occasionally been started and polished; we would recommend that a thorough check of the engine and running gear is undertaken before returning it to the road.
  
  A candidate for sympathetic restoration or to use 'as is', the car is offered with a history file containing assorted correspondence; a quantity of tax discs and MoTs (most recent expired July 2012); an original instruction book; photocopied literature; a current V5C; and a substantial quantity of invoices.