Is this the most valuable British car ever?

This historic Aston Martin could well set a new auction record

It isn’t every day that a genuine Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato comes up for sale. After all, only 19 were ever made.

But even among that select group of automobiles, ‘2 VEV’ stands out for its condition, specification and racing provenance, and is widely regarded as being one of the best of its kind.

The car is set to cross the auction block at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 13 July, with auction house Bonhams expecting it to sell for more than £10m. And we aren’t the only ones thinking it could go for a lot, lot more.

Click through our image gallery to discover exactly what makes this car so special.

A rare breed

Rarity is one of the most important factors affecting a classic car’s value, and this DB4GT Zagato has it in spades: only 19 of these beautiful racers were ever built, and those that remain are jealously guarded by their owners.

Big money

Because so few DB4GT Zagatos were built – and their values are so strong – owners tend to keep them hidden away in private collections, and they rarely enter the open market.

The last time an example became available it ended up being the most expensive British car ever sold at auction, fetching £9.45m at RM Sotheby’s ‘Driven by Disruption’ New York sale in 2015.

Quite the looker

The DB4GT Zagato was launched at the 1960 London Motor Show as an out-and-out racer, with lightened and uprated components improving the performance of the original car.

Its real trump card, however, was the stunning Ercole Spada coachwork, which made it one of the most beautiful cars ever created.

Economic sanctions

The combination of soaring values, limited availability and gorgeous design has led to huge demand for the cars.

As a result, countless recreations have been built, including two batches of converted DB4s sanctioned by both Aston Martin and Zagato.

However ‘2 VEV’, as this model is known on account of its licence plate, is one of the much-coveted originals.

Power play

Beneath that sleek, sexy bodywork beats a six-cyclinder, 3.7-litre heart featuring a 9:7:1 compression ratio: higher than that of the standard DB4GT.

The engine produces 314bhp, enabling the car to sprint to 60mph in just over six seconds.

Lightweight

Zagato’s breathtaking bodywork not only helped to make the DB4GT more aerodynamic, it also reduced its weight considerably.

This, in conjunction with the replacement of a number of steel components with aluminium, made the car 45kg lighter than the standard factory offering.

Essex racers

‘2 VEV’ and sister car ‘1 VEV’ were both campaigned under the Essex Racing Stable banner, and each featured significant upgrades over other DB4GT Zagatos. Bonhams’ car was rebuilt to lightweight DP209 specification.

The birth of a legend

‘2 VEV’ was campaigned extensively in the early '60s, and was famously driven by Jim Clark in the RAC Tourist Trophy at Goodwood, both in 1961 and 1962.

Clark finished fourth in 1961, but failed to finish the following year after colliding with the Ferrari 250GTO of race leader John Surtees. Just imagine what that crash would have cost today…

The success continues

Jim Clark also took the wheel of ‘2 VEV’ at Montlhery, and finished sixth in the Paris 1000km having shared the drive with Innes Ireland.

The big show

Both ‘2 VEV’ and its sister car ‘1 VEV’ were entered into the 1961 Le Mans 24 Hours, but both cars were forced to retire after less than 30 laps.

Historic racing

The car’s competition career received a revival in the 1980s and ‘90s thanks to Roger St John Hart, who had great success in historic racing. It was later raced by Nick Cussons of the Aston Martin Owners’ Club.

Challenging for the title

The top end of today’s classic car market is difficult to predict, but many will be expecting ‘2 VEV’ to make waves when it crosses the block at Goodwood.

Could it trouble the record for the most expensive British car ever sold at auction? That figure currently stands at £17.5m, paid for a 1956 Aston Martin DBR1 at Monterey in 2017.

Fully rebuilt

The Zagato was fully rebuilt in the mid-‘90s following a crash in 1993.

Surprisingly fragile

The DB4GT’s beautiful bodywork adds lightness, but it’s also incredibly delicate and prone to dents. Even pushing the car or closing a door can cause damage, so its new owner will have to be very careful with it.

The expert opinion

Bonhams’ James Knight said, “It is, by some distance, the most valuable British motor car ever to be offered at a European auction, and we look forward to seeing what the future holds for this historically significant vehicle.”

We look forward with great interest too. Roll on July 13th...