Scheduled to cross the block at RM Sotheby’s “Driven by Disruption” sale, set for December 10 in the company’s New York City showrooms will be a 1962 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato — one of only 19 ever built — that clothed AM’s powerful DB4 in Carrozzeria Zagato’s beautiful lightweight aluminum bodywork to create an exceptionally desirable car.
“Never mind being the greatest Aston of all time, this is one of the greatest GT cars ever produced,” says Rob Myers, Chairman and Founder, RM Sotheby’s. “It is an absolute jewel of a car and truly an opportunity that presents itself once in a generation.”
Completed in 1961, chassis no. DB4GT/0186/R (above) is the only example delivered new to Australia. Purchased by businessman Laurie O’Neil, the car was raced extensively in the 1962 season and enjoyed numerous victories and podium successes in the hands of Doug Whitehead, including victory in the South Pacific GT Championship. The car remained in Australia for the next 30 years with only two subsequent owners.
This Zagato’s history is known from new, and since returning to England in 1993 it has appeared at events such as Goodwood’s Festival of Speed and Revival. After a two-year, concours-standard restoration in 2002 — undertaken by Richard S. Williams in England and Carrozzeria Zagato’s own facilities in Italy — the car has earned numerous awards at events such as the Louis Vuitton Concours, Villa d’Este, Pebble Beach and The Quail.
Also being offered is a 1955 Siata 208S Spider, chassis no. BS 535. The Siata 208S of the mid-1950s represented a milestone in automotive concept and practice, offering cutting-edge engineering beneath breathtaking coachwork by Michelotti. The last known built of approximately 35 Motto-bodied examples, and powered by Fiat’s legendary Tipo 104 aluminum V8, BS 535 was delivered in 1954 to an Italian enthusiast who imported it to the United States the following year. In the spring of 1956, the beautiful Spider was sold to Fred Celce, , a U.S. Air Force pilot from Massachusetts. After 12 years with Celce, the car passed through a well-documented chain of owners, including a period of 27 years in single ownership prior to purchase by its current custodian.
The recipient of a stunning restoration to original factory specifications completed by marque specialists in 2011, this matching numbers BS 535 has recently been awarded top accolades at Pebble Beach, Villa d’Este, Amelia Island and the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance. For more information please visit www.rmsothebys.com
