Aston Martin DB4
The Aston Martin DB4 was arguably a turning point for the automaker. This vehicle marked when Aston Martin officially became a super-sports-car specialist. Between 1958 and 1962, there were five series number designations for the DB4. The DB4 had excellent engineering and a hefty chassis to back it up. It used an all-new engine, a 3.0-liter DOHC with 240 bhp. This essentially doubled the power from its predecessor, the DB2. The 3.7-liter engine in the Aston Martin DB4 was created by Tadek Market. It had first run in 1956, racing in the DBR2 a year later. The DB4 was the very first production car that was able to go from 0 to 100 mph and back to 0 mph in less than 30 seconds. It could reach 100 mph in only 21 seconds.
The body is what truly brought the DB4 attention. Touring designed this Aston Martin, including hand-crafted bodywork that included aluminum panels on steel tubes for lightweight strength. Looking between the various “series” of the DB4, you will notice a few key changes. Series II added window frames and the Series IV switched from an eggcrate grille to a barred one. Series III also featured taillights made up of three smaller lamps set onto a plate with chrome backing. Before this, the taillamps were single-piece units. The Series V taillights are similar with a recessed feel. Additionally, the Series V has a longer, taller body, increasing the interior space. This series also had more aerodynamic styling in the front.
The drophead coupe’s production began in 1961 in the form of a conventional roadster that offered a hardtop separately. The open-topped DB4 was the result of efforts from Touring of Milan. It was only produced for two years and due to high prices, Aston Martin and Touring of Milan only made 70 dropheads. About half of these used each the standard engine with the 240 bhp and the Vantage with 266 bhp. Another noteworthy DB4, the GT version, lasted from 1959 to 1961. This model stands out with the chop in the wheelbase, lower curb weight, and engine output of 302 bhp.
For those who do not have any limits in terms of spending, the DB4 GT Zagato is the vehicle to search for. Zagato only produced 19 GTs, each with 314 bhp and a gorgeous body. Those vehicles were among the quickest in the world when produced, reaching 150 mph or taking 6.1 seconds to hit 60 mph.
