Aston Martin DBS Coupé, 1970
Aston Martin DBS I
Aston Martin DBS I•
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Chassis No.: DBS5717R
Registration: LRL 25J
- Fully restored, immaculate example
- Six-cylinder example with recently rebuilt Vantage-specification engine
- Fully matching numbers
The DBS was unveiled at Blenheim Palace in September 1967 with the aim of replacing the DB6. It features a ‘full width’ front grille design as well as a De Dion rear axle. These cars are now extremely collectible and, as such, frequently well restored and presented in first-class condition.
If you are restoring an Aston Martin at a high level, it is important to have high-quality mechanical work undertaken, there is no better independent team available than Oselli Engineering over in Buckinghamshire. This company became leaders in the development and modification of racing engines with successes in both competition work and the development and engineering specifically for Aston Martin. Managing director, David Eales, has had a long and distinguished career at Aston Martin having worked his way up through the ranks eventually to Service Manager and Worldwide Troubleshooter. Its current workshops not only consist of large showrooms but also a rolling road, an engine building department, dyno-room, and two vehicle workshops with, of course, a motorsport division.
Oselli stripped and soda-blasted the engine of all parts for inspection. The cylinder block was refaced with waterflow to cylinders improved. All were pressure-tested including valves guides with seats replaced and the block re-bored out to 4.2 litres allowing an improved compression ration ratio of 9.8-1. All rotating parts were balanced; in addition to this, the triple Stromberg carburettors were dismantled, overhauled & soda-blasted with all manifolds cleaned, balanced, set-up and tuned, costing just shy of £26,000. It should be noted that the original delivery document from Aston Martin detailed a Borg-Warner four-speed automatic gearbox which has since been switched out by Aston Martin Dorset in 2016 for a more involving and desirable TREMEC gearbox conversion completed
During 2016, the car was given to D. Wood Motorsport and Aston Martin Dorset during which time it was completely disassembled and stripped to bare metal. Any elements that showed anything other than perfection, let alone corrosion or other superficial issues, were thoroughly attended to with proper old-school machine-shop metal work. Once this had been fitted correctly, sanded back and primed, numerous levels of additional preparation took place finally with eight coats of the correct Dubonnet Rosso paint followed by numerous layers of lacquer. Looking through the incredibly detailed hourly job sheets, some 185 hours of work was undertaken, costing just shy of £25,000.
Before moving onto the interior work, there are numerous other elements that were also very much part of the restoration process of this example. The brakes & calipers followed with new hoses and shoes. Uprated Watts linkage rear suspension was then fitted as required with new upper & lower radius arms as well as uprated Koni suspension system and dampers, uprated antiroll bar and repolished (but original) chrome bumpers, front & rear as well as the re-chroming of all other original chromed parts. Needless to say, all fuel lines, links and junctions were replaced as well as, once removed and overhauled, the steering rack was refitted.
It rides on a set of 15” chrome-finished 72-spoke wire-wheels with three-eared knock-off spinners and fitted with a set of Cooper Lifeline Classic II tyres. The interior has completely re-fitted including leather seats, full carpet set with Rexine edging and a full set of stunning Smiths dials including an analogue Kienzle clock, electric windows, air-conditioning and a modern Blaupunkt FM vintage radio & speakers. It is also supplied with a detailed history file including an extremely comprehensive and separate ‘hour-by-hour’ restoration ring-file extending to over 50 pages showing all works undertaken over the years by D. Wood Motorsport and Aston Martin Dorset.
Once finished, this magnificent example was road-tested before being set-up on the rolling road and subsequently enjoyed by the vendor. If you are looking for an example that could be placed comfortably in any concours event, private collection or simply head and shoulders above any others. If ever a moniker were to be applied to any classic car, then this ‘Gentleman’s Express’ is probably uniquely appropriate. Consigned by Edward Bridger-Stille
Interested parties should note that the company employed to finish and detail this Aston Martin sadly failed to attend. Consequently, once sold, the vendor will arrange to collect the car himself, finish and detail. He will then deliver it to the new owner within a radius of 50 miles of London.
