Which would get you out of bed quicker? A strong coffee or a pristine 1959 Aston Martin DB4 GT?
| Aston Martin | Engine | Power | Torque | 0-100kph | Top speed | Weight | Price when new |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB4 GT (1959) | Inline 6cyl, 3670cc | 302bhp @ 6,000rpm | 240lb ft @ 5,000rpm | 6.1sec | 246kph | 1269kg (238bhp/ton) | $5590 |
PetroliciousCo is back with its ‘Morning Coffee’ mini-series, which asks its viewers whether a strong coffee or a drive in a classic sports car would get them out of bed quicker in the morning. Given the series has already taken a look at both the Ferrari 288 GTO and a 1965 Alpine A110 Tour de France, the answer won’t surprise you too much. Now Aston Martin has decided to get in on the action with a 1959 DB4 GT.
Apt really, given that 25 ‘continuation’ DB4 GTs were recently announced, each of which will be produced – using traditional build and design methods – out of Aston’s former factory in Newport Pagnell, and will cost over $1 million each.
There is more to the DB4 GT though than an eye-watering price tag. Starting from scratch with the DB4 in 19656 – so called after Aston owner ‘David Brown’ – a ‘Superleggera’ aluminium body style was handmade by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan and mounted to a steel tube frame. Though technically a development to the preceding DB Mark III, the DB4 set in place benchmark construction and performance that would carry through to the iconic DB5 and DB6 series that followed.
When the DB4 made its debut at the 1958 London Motor Show, a new 240bhp 3.7-litre sic-cylinder underneath meant 0-100kph in nine seconds – hardly shabby pre-1960s – and a 225kph top speed, thanks also to a (comparatively) lightweight build. The high output, low weight variant DB4 GT ‘lightweight’ though took this further, scything 85kg out of the kerb weight as well as an upgraded six-cylinder – power now up to 302bhp – meant 0-100kph plummeted to 6.1 seconds. And if you want to know how that sounds, skip the first 30 seconds of the above video (it does drag a bit) and jump to 1m. THAT British soundtrack would definitely get us out of bed faster than any Italian espresso…
