The whole story and history behind the Aston Martin DB4GT

The Aston Martin DB4GT is one of the most legendary cars in Aston Martin history, a direct rival to Ferrari’s finest of the late 1950s and early 1960s, and a bridge between Aston Martin Road cars and its Le Mans–winning racers. Let’s go through the whole story and history behind the DB4GT.

Origins: From DB4 to DB4GT

• In 1958, Aston Martin launched the DB4, designed by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan using their patented Superleggera lightweight construction.

• It was a luxurious grand tourer but heavier and more refined than a true racing car.

• At the time, Ferrari dominated sports car racing with the 250 GT Berlinetta, and Aston Martin wanted a car that could compete on track while still being road legal.

The answer was the DB4GT, introduced in 1959 at the London Motor Show, as a high-performance, lightweight evolution of the DB4.

Technical Highlights

• Engine: 3.7-liter inline-six (designed by Tadek Marek), with a twin-plug head and triple Weber carburettors.

• Power: 302 hp (compared to ~240 hp in the standard DB4).

• Performance:

• 0–60 mph: ~6.1 seconds (astonishing for 1959).

• Top speed: ~153 mph.

• Chassis & Body:

• Wheelbase shortened by 5 inches (for agility).

• Body made of thinner-gauge aluminium panels, reducing weight by about 200 lbs.

• Lightweight glass and stripped-down fittings (though still luxurious by race car standards).

• Brakes: Girling disc brakes all around.

• Transmission: 4-speed manual.

It was lighter, faster, and sharper than the DB4 — very much a Ferrari rival.

Design

• Styled by Touring of Milan, the DB4GT kept the elegant DB4 look but with tweaks:

• Covered headlights (later used on the DB5 and DB6).

• Flared rear arches to cover wider tires.

• Thinner bumpers (or none, on competition cars).

• It looked sleeker and more aggressive while retaining Aston’s trademark elegance.

Racing Pedigree

The DB4GT was conceived as a dual-purpose GT/racing car.

• Debut: September 1959 at Silverstone, driven by Stirling Moss, who promptly won the race in the prototype.

• It competed against the Ferrari 250 GT SWB and later the 250 GTO in endurance racing.

• While it never dominated Ferrari, the DB4GT scored notable successes in GT racing and cemented Aston’s reputation as a builder of world-class competition cars.

Variants & Special Versions

The DB4GT spawned several legendary variants:

1. Standard DB4GT (1959–1963)

1. About 75 built (including Zagato and Bertone specials).

1. Road-legal but highly tuned.

1. DB4GT Zagato (1960–1963)

1. Aston partnered with Zagato of Milan to create a lighter, more aerodynamic version.

1. Just 19 built originally (plus later sanctioned continuation cars).

1. More powerful (~314 hp) and 100+ kg lighter.

1. Today one of the most valuable Aston Martins ever (over $10 million at auction).

1. DB4GT Bertone “Jet” (1961)

1. A one-off designed by Bertone, styled by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro.

1. Futuristic, fastback body.

Historical Importance

The DB4GT marked a turning point for Aston Martin:

• It brought Aston into direct rivalry with Ferrari’s racing GTs.

• It was the basis for the DB4GT Zagato, which became an icon of design and racing.

• It introduced styling cues (covered headlights, aggressive stance) that influenced the DB5, James Bond’s car.

While Ferrari’s 250 SWB and GTO overshadowed it in racing, the DB4GT gave Aston credibility as a serious motorsport contender beyond endurance prototypes (like the DBR1 that won Le Mans in 1959).

Collectability & Value

• Only ~75 DB4GTs were ever built, making it rarer than the standard DB4 or DB5.

• Values today:

• Standard DB4GT: $3–5 million at auction.

• DB4GT Zagato: $10–15 million+, depending on history.

• DB4GT Bertone Jet: priceless one-off, sold for over $4.9 million in 2013.

Aston Martin even built a continuation series (2017–2019) of 25 brand-new DB4GT “tool room copies,” hand-built at Newport Pagnell to the original specs, sold for over £1.5 million each.

Legacy

The Aston Martin DB4GT is remembered as:

1. The most hardcore, lightweight evolution of the DB4.

1. The link between road-going Aston GTs and pure racing cars.

1. The father of the DB4GT Zagato, one of the world’s most celebrated sports cars.

It is one of the crown jewels of Aston Martin’s history, combining Italian style, British craftsmanship, and racing pedigree in a very exclusive package.

In short:
The Aston Martin DB4GT (1959–1963) was a lightweight, high-performance evolution of the DB4, created to battle Ferrari on the racetrack while remaining road-legal. With just ~75 built (plus Zagato and Bertone variants), it is one of the rarest and most desirable Astons ever, worth millions today. It cemented Aston’s reputation as a builder of world-class sports cars and laid the groundwork for the DB5 and beyond.