1968 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage
Subject to a recent extensive body renovation by Adrian Johnson

Registration No: PRH 75F
Chassis No: DB6/3371/R
MOT: Exempt

• An original Vantage specification car
• Subject to extensive renovation work by Aston Martin specialist Adrian Johnson and supplied with bills for over £100,000 during the vendor's ownership
• Repainted and trimmed in the attractive colour scheme of Metallic Grey over a Red Leather interior

Unveiled at the 1965 London Motor Show, the DB6 was the first Aston Martin model to be engineered following the company's move from Feltham to Newport Pagnell. Although a direct development of the DB5, with a similar visage, the newcomer enjoyed notably better high-speed stability thanks to the provision of a Kamm tail, and superior interior space courtesy of a 3.7-inch longer wheelbase and taller roofline. Grafted over a sheet steel platform chassis, the four-seater's hand-finished aluminium panels helped contribute to a claimed kerb weight of 3,232lbs that was actually only 17lbs heavier than its predecessor. Praised by the contemporary motoring press for its poise, the DB6 employed all-round coil-sprung suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering. Powered by the famous Tadek Marek-designed 3,995cc DOHC straight-six engine, the model boasted some 325bhp and 288lb ft of torque in uprated Vantage tune and could be had with five-speed ZF manual or three-speed Borg-Warner automatic transmission. A contemporary road test found a manual DB6 Vantage to be capable of 0-60mph in 6.3 seconds and 150mph. A total of 1,327 Mk. I Saloons were produced between October, 1965, and the Mk. II's July, 1969, arrival.

This splendid example of a genuine RHD, home-market DB6 Vantage was built on 23rd January, 1968, finished in Olive with Natural trim and Fawn carpet and headlining, and registered ‘GVG 929F’. Originally supplied to S. Rogers, Esq., of Chelmsford, Essex, viâ Botwoods Ltd., it was built to a high specification including power-assisted steering, a heated rear screen, chrome wheels, a power aerial, three-ear wheel spinners, two lap-and-diagonal seatbelts, Avon whitewall tyres, a 3.73 limited-slip differential, a Bray immersion heater, front and rear overriders and Fiamm horns. Curiously, the build sheet records that the power steering was removed in March, 1968, and the rear axle was exchanged for unit M69/19 in November, 1969. After Rogers, the second and third owners were A. C. Le Fort of Mill Hill, London NW7, and S. Flack of St. Mary’s Plant Hire, London N19.

Now registered ‘PRH 75F’ and finished in Metallic Grey with a Red interior, the DB6 has benefitted from an extensive, no-expense-spared programme of works completed during the present ownership, which started in 2017. Prior to that, it had resided for a time in France, and invoices from 2014 and 2015 chart the interior refurbishment by Carrosserie Lecoq of Paris. However, one of the first jobs completed in the vendor’s ownership was the supply and trimming of seats with Mk. II-specification headrests, the work being entrusted to highly-respected Aston Martin specialist Post Vintage for £10,660. Post Vintage completed further work during 2018, including the removal of the fuel tank and carburettors for refurbishment by their respective specialists.

In addition to those improvements, the vendor commissioned a major renovation of the front-end bodywork, for which he took the car back to the workshops of Adrian Johnson (as Post Vintage was renamed circa 2020). Reaching a total of £74,861, the work included the complete stripping of the front-end, and the installation of new sill, footwell and inner wing sections, plus new outriggers. The front chassis legs were straightened and new grille tubes were made. The bonnet was stripped to the bare metal to receive some new metalwork, and the entire front end of the car was repainted. Before the Aston was returned to the vendor, Adrian Johnson installed a new wiring loom, brake pipes and servos, heater motors and more. The whole process was photographically documented.

Since 2018, the vendor has been able to enjoy ‘PRH 75F’ largely untroubled, and it has required only a little attention, though it returned to Adrian Johnson in 2020 to have new inlet and exhaust valves installed for a total of £5,720, plus some smaller jobs including the creation of a new stainless-steel exhaust pipe. Such servicing and minor fettling as it has needed since has been entrusted to Jasmine Porschalink, a local Porsche specialist. The most recent work took place in September, 2024, that consisting of an ignition service and handbrake repairs. Not including the body and upholstery renovation, the DB6 comes with invoices on file exceeding £36,000.

A lovely car for fast-paced Continental touring or more leisurely use with the Aston Martin Owners’ Club, ‘PRH 75F’ is sold with an extensive history file including the current V5C, an original DB6 Instruction Book, a copy of the original build sheet, a British Motor Industry Heritage Trust certificate, French registration documents, some MOT certificates, numerous invoices dating back to 2014, photographs of the 2018 bodywork renovation, and a copy of an original DB6 road test from the July, 1966, issue of Car and Driver.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430