Overview

The Aston Martin DB6 is a grand tourer manufactured by the British automaker, Aston martin. The car was introduced in 1965 and production ended in 1971. The Aston Martin DB6 was faster and more aerodynamic than the DB5 and it had the longest production run to date of any Aston martin model.

The Aston Martin DB6 was unveiled at the 1965 London Motor Show. The front of the car was almost identical to the DB5 but the wheelbase side profile and rear panels clearly distinguishes the DB6. The rear end featured design elements from the Ferrari 250. Other new design elements included front-door quarter windows, quarter bumpers at each corner and an oil cooler air scoop on the from valance.

Variants

The Aston Martin DB6 was equipped with a twin-overhead camshaft 4.0-Liter DOHC engine that produced 282 horsepower and 288 lb-ft of torque. In performance test the car accelerated to 60 mph from standstill in 6.4 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 14.8 seconds. The maximum speed recorded was 144 mph. The engine was mated to a five speed manual transmission.

A DB6 Vantage was also offered. The Vantage was equipped with a 4.0-Liter DOHC engine that produced 325 horsepower and 290 lb-ft of torque, an 11 horsepower increase over the DB5 Vantage. The engine was mated to the same five speed manual transmission. In performance test the DB6 Vantage accelerated from 0-60 mph in 5.9 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 14.3 seconds. The maximum speed reached by the DB6 Vantage was 162 mph.

A convertible model was added to the lineup in 1966 when it was unveiled at the 1966 London Motor Show. The convertible model was named DB6 Volante. It was the first time when Aston Martin used the name “Volante” for a convertible, a name which is still used today for the convertible models built by the British automaker. Only 140 DB6 Volante cars were ever produced from which only 29 were equipped with the 325 horsepower engine. This high-output cars became known as the Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante.

In 1969 the DB6 Mark II was introduced. The Mark II was identified by distinct flares on front and rear wheel arches and wider tires. Optional for the Mark II was AE Brico fuel-injection combined with the higher compression ratio cylinderhead.

Luxury features like power assisted steering and air conditioning were available as an option for all models. An automatic transmission was offered as a no-cost option.

Additional Information

In March 1966, Paul McCartney from Beatles took delivery of this DB6. Finished in Goodwood Green with black leather upholstery and optional chrome wheels with three-ear spinners, the car eventually came onto the market at the AML/Bonhams & Brookes auction in 2001. Whilst the popular press talked the potential price to 50,000, unfortunately the car failed to sell. A year or so later, the car resurfaced again after a full restoration at AM Works Service and is still owned by AM themselves. The car retains a reel to reel tape recorder in the dashboard and it is reputed that Paul used this to record his initial lyrics and melody that became the huge Beatles hit, 'Hey Jude'.