1961 ASTON MARTIN DB4 GT
--Black Pearl with Red leather interior, Grey carpeting, 4-speed manual gearbox, Rare 1 of 75 DB4 GTs, only 1 of 30 in Left Hand Drive, Superb no expense spared restoration, 2nd in class at Pebble Beach Concours, Documented ownership history from new, Complete with books, tools, and fully documented restoration receipts.
Aston Martin’s intent was to take the DB4 GT racing. The GT featured a shorter chassis than a standard DB4 Coupe. This resulted in shorter doors, roof and new window glass. The bulkhead was moved to still accommodate storage behind the front seats as the trunk was utilized primarily for racing specification with a 30-gallon fuel tank and a spare wheel. The fuel tank was placed in the trunk for better weight distribution and to improve handling. Additional cosmetic differences between the DB4 GT and the standard DB4 included the headlights, the GT utilized Perspex headlamp covers for better aerodynamics. These would later become prevalent on the DB4 Vantage, the DB5 and DB6 models. Aston removed just shy of 200 pounds of weight from the standard DB4 to make the GT much lighter for competition spec. The standard DB4 3.7 Liter 6-cylinder was vastly revised and uprated including a twin-spark-plug cylinder head fed by three twin-barrel Weber 45 DCOE carburetors.
In the autumn of 1961, John Sconfienza purchased the Aston off the dealership floor in San Francisco. On his way home to Montana, he entered his GT in the National Speed Trials at Bonneville Salt Flats, recording a top speed of over 134 mph and winning his class. Aston Martin Factory Service manager Reg Parnell read of Mr. Sconfienza’s exploit in the AMOC newsletter and promptly suspended his warranty.
This GT lived a quiet life until being acquired by Nick Candee in 1983. Mr. Candee, an avid AMOC USA member, took part in many speed events over the next 16 years, including Lime Rock, Road America, Road Atlanta and Watkins Glen. Candee sold his beloved GT to Christopher Greendale in 2000, who restored it in non-period colors – Avocado Green over Pumpkin Trim – as “neither a race nor a concours car”. Greendale then sold the GT to David Evans in 2002, who then refinished the GT in Silver.
The GT was then sold via Aston Martin of New England to its most recent custodian, a very well-known and respected collector. Upon delivery, the DB4 GT was treated to a complete nut-and-bolt concours quality restoration with the thought to show on the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours lawn. An invitation was received to compete in the 2007 Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance. The fully documented restoration was carried out by Sports Leicht Restorations (SLR) of Pinehurst, North Carolina. President, Bjorn Nordemo, researched all original elements of the GT, and worked with Richard Williams as Heritage specialists to get every feature correct on this GT.
After considering returning the GT to its original color of Fiesta Red, it was discussed and decided with various Aston Martin aficionados to paint the car in a period DB4 GT color of Black Pearl (actually a very Dark Grey), a strikingly elegant metallic color that shows all of the DB4 GT body lines in superb detail. The interior was trimmed in Red leather, which creates what is without a doubt a very elegant, but also sport GT.
The results of the restoration were honored with Second in Class at Pebble.
This is an opportunity to acquire a superbly restored, rare, original Left-Hand-Drive DB4 GT with all original books, extensive service and restoration records and as well as the original tool kit. This GT has enjoyed no expense spared maintenance since restoration. It is in exceptional condition throughout, well-known in Aston Martin circles and is certainly a welcomed addition to any collection for show or immediate road use.
