In the late 50s and early 60s, the Italians had the Gran Turismo market pretty well tied up, and rightly so.
In 1958, Aston Martin felt they could challenge the Italians at their own game, introducing the Aston Martin DB4.
They used their engineering prowess and cheekily fitted a Carrozzeria Touring short aluminium body and an aluminium straight six-cylinder 3670 cc engine, making it the most thorough, in all respects, the best Gran Turismo of the lot.
To continue this success, Aston built the DB4 GT ‘Lightweight’.
It was produced between 1959 and 1963, and only 75 of these cars were initially built.
The Lightweight was 200 lbs lighter than the DB4; Aston achieved this by using thinner aluminium body panels, lightweight plexiglass windows, removing the rear seats and fitting a parcel shelf.
The engine produced 302bhp (the DB4 produced 240bhp), a top speed of 153mph; it also became the first car to go from a standstill to 100mph and back to zero in under 20 seconds.
The DB4 GT Lightweight was built for both competition and road use.
Stirling Moss drove it to its debut victory at Goodwood on Easter Monday, 1960.
The DB4 had some high-profile owners, including Sir Paul McCartney, Prince Bertil of Sweden, Dudley Moore, Peter Sellers, Rowan Atkinson, Anthony Hopkins and Andrew Lloyd Webber, to name but a few.
With its impeccable pedigree, the Aston Martin DB4 GT Lightweight is a rare and historically significant sports car.
