BOLD RIDE
Over the years, coachbuilder Zagato has crafted some of the most beautiful rolling works of art the world has ever seen. Zagato’s cars are as much sculptures as the are automobiles, and this 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is perhaps one of the most spectacular examples out there.
In 1962, Zagato was called upon by Aston Martin to create an “official” limited run of re-bodied cars from the Italian design house. For the job, Zagato turned to the company’s chief stylist, Ercole Spada. Not only did Spada build a car that many weep when first seeing, but he made the car perform better than ever.
The DB4 GT had already been lightened by the factory by almost 200 pounds, but Spada wanted more. The stylist was able to shave an additional 100 pounds off the DB4 GT by using lightweight aluminum in the body and Perspex to replace the car’s glass.
In addition to the weight savings, Zagato went about improving the car’s actual performance by adding new pistons, which gave the engine 314 horsepower and a top speed of 154 miles per hour. This meant the DB4 GT Zagato was one of the fastest cars of its time, and directly competed against the now lusted after Ferrari 250 GTO.
Only 19 of these DB4 GT Zagatos were ever built, and they currently hold a market value that’s more than the GDP of some nations. The current auction estimate for this pristine 1962 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is over $16 million, but with a car that looks like it was sculpted by Da Vinci, and history such as this, that number could go much higher.
This DB4 GT Zagato though will have a new home just in time for Christmas when RM Sotheby’s auctions it off Dec. 10. You can head on over to their site for more details or to register to bid on this priceless piece of art.
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