The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is one of the most recognizable collaborations between the British automaker and an Italian carrozzeria, and to celebrate Zagato's 100th anniversary in 2019, the two will team up again for a pair of modern continuation cars. The British automaker will produce 19 examples of the DB4 GT Zagato and an equal number of all-new DBS GT Zagatos that haven't been seen yet, aside from a tantalizing sketch revealed this week.
Aston Martin will restart production of the classic DB4 GT based on original specs and build techniques, fitting thin-gauge aluminum body panels over a lightweight tubular frame. And just like the originals, the DB4 GT Zagato continuation cars will be powered by Tadek Marek-designed straight-six cylinder engines, good for 380 hp, sending power to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. Aston Martin Works will build the continuation cars combining David Brown-era craftsmanship techniques and some modern engineering enhancements, preserving the originality (and hopefully the values) of the surviving originals.
"We will bring all our hand-craftsmanship and expertise to bear in building these 19 continuation cars, sympathetically incorporating the very latest engineering advancements and performance enhancements, but remaining true to the purity and authenticity of the original design," said Paul Spires, Managing Director at Aston Martin Works.
Aston Martin revealed a sketch illustrating the general direction of the design of the upcoming Zagato-styled model.
The second half of this not-quite-twofer deal is slated to be based on the all-new DBS Superleggera: The modern DBS GT Zagato will sport a double-bubble roof and short tail that many Zagato designs have featured (including the DB4 GT itself), and it will be powered by the same 5.2-liter V12 as the Superleggera, producing 715 hp.
"The partnership between Aston Martin and Zagato is one of the most fruitful and enduring in the automotive world," said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. "With Zagato celebrating its centenary next year, what better way to celebrate this landmark -- and the long-standing bond between our two great companies -- than creating these 19 pairs of cars. As an engineer, I would always say my favorite Aston Martin is the next one, but I have to say I’m struggling to think of a finer two-car garage than this!"
Just 19 additional examples of the DB4 GT will be produced.
Just 19 pairs will be produced next year, and they will only be sold as a pair, yours for 6 million pounds sterling or about $7.9 million at the current exchange rate. (But who knows where that exchange rate will be after Brexit)? The continuation cars will be built for track use only, while the modern DBS GT Zagatos will be built for the street and the track.
If you have a feeling that you've been hearing a lot about continuation cars from British automakers lately, that's because Aston Martin has recently announced that they will produce a total of 25 "Goldfinger" DB5 continuation cars with all the 007 gizmos at a cost of $3.5 million each (none of which will be road-legal), after another run of 25 continuation DB4 GTs produced in 2017 at a cost of $1.9 million each. Aston Martin isn't the only automaker indulging those willing to shell out the requisite quid for old new cars made the old-fashioned way: Jaguar has produced continuation runs of XKSS and D-Type cars in recent years.
2019 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.
