To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' London event, 24 October
2019.
Estimate:
£550,000 - £650,000
- One of just 140 DB6 Mk I Volantes ever produced
- Original right-hand-drive, London-delivery example
- Restored by Aston Martin Works at a cost in excess of
£100,000
The image of the quintessential British gentleman is exemplified no
more fittingly than with Aston Martin's iconic DB series of sports
cars, produced during David Brown's ownership. The last of the
series, the DB6, drove better, looked better, and even held more
people�truly the best of the line.
Production of the new Aston Martin DB6 was heralded by a display at
the London Motor Show in October 1965, with its open-top version
debuting in 1966. Though latterly called the 'DB6 Volante', the
convertible version of the DB6 followed the nomenclature of the
DB5-based Short Chassis Volante, simply designated 'Volante'. With
following models, the term would become Aston Martin's signature
term for its convertible variants.
According to the build sheet on file, chassis DBVC/3677/R was
supplied new in March 1968 via H R Owen Ltd to Mr J Fenton, Esq, of
London N6. Finished in metallic Chrome Aluminium coachwork with
black Connolly leather interior and black carpet, the Volante was
highly optioned. Mr Fenton equipped his new Volante with the ZF
five-speed manual transmission, alongside the optional extras of
chrome road wheels, three-ear spinners, power-operated aerial,
front seat belts, Marchal quart-iodine spot lamps, Fiamm horns, a
Wasso steering lock, a Blaupunkt New Yorker radio, and a tonneau
cover.
By the late 1970s/early 1980s, the Volante was owned by a Mrs J
Rubeck of Redhill, Surrey. In the early 1990s the car was acquired
by Mr J L M Fruytier of Amsterdam, Netherlands, and during his
ownership it was serviced and maintained by marque specialist
Desmond Smail of Olney, Buckinghamshire, as evidenced by numerous
bills on file. Following two more owners, the current vendor
purchased the Volante in 2006.
Throughout the current ownership, the DB6 has benefitted from a
no-expense-spared approach to its maintenance, which has been
entrusted to Aston Martin Works and respected marque specialists R
S Williams Ltd. In 2012, chassis DBVC/3677/R underwent a major body
refurbishment at Aston Martin Works. Works carried out included
completely stripping down the body and removing the interior, hood,
glass, and doors. Repairs were then made to the chassis, sills, and
doors, with replacement panels fabricated and fresh metal welded in
wherever necessary. The completed body was then resprayed silver
and the interior fully retrimmed in 'last of the roll' original
oil-based Connolly leather.
In April 2014, '3677/R' was sent to R S Williams for servicing and
routine maintenance, which included an overhaul of the front
suspension and fitting a service/exchange upper water radiator.
Several RSW upgrades were fitted at the same time, including front
road springs, horns and horn bracket, cooling modifications, and
throttle bell-crank lever. Having covered under 2,000 miles since
the 2012 restoration, this beautiful DB6 Volante remains in
generally excellent condition and has recently been serviced by
RSW.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/lf19.