David Brown Automotive Debuts New Car with Vintage Looks [w/video]

 by George Kennedy 

@ BOLD RIDE                          

It is the best of both worlds. Imagine a car that has modern, reliable mechanical components and running gear, but has the classic lines for which people toss down hundreds of thousands of dollars. One British businessman seeks to do exactly that, by delivering modern cars with a vintage appearance.

David Brown Automotive has created a vehicle called the Speedback GT. Its exterior design takes inspiration from the iconic Aston Martin DB5 and DB6 coupes, but it runs on a modern Jaguar XKR platform. That means is features the 510 horsepower supercharged 5.0-liter V8, while still looking like a set piece from Mad Men.




The exterior design work was done by Alan Mobberley, who also did a good deal of design work on all three generations of the Land Rover Discovery (the predecessor to the LR4). He claims there are also design elements pulled from Ferrari and Maserati.



If you remember, the DB in DB5 stands for David Brown (1904-1993), who was a British entrepreneur that bought Aston Martin after WWII and is credited with saving the brand.

To commemorate his efforts, Aston Martin named its premier coupes using his initials. The David Brown of the new David Brown Automotive though, has no relation, but has sought to capture the essence of those iconic cars nonetheless.


Brown assures the public that his cars will not compete with Astons or Jags, as they will be produced in small numbers (50 cars a year), and be far more expensive. The Speedback GT will make its debut at the Top Marques auto show in Monaco on April 17.