Peter Sellers' Aston up for grabs

By Lizzie Pope
News
 | 14 May 2018
Classic & Sports Car – Peter Sellers' Aston up for grabs

Any Aston Martin DB4GT is sure to pique an enthusiast's interest at auction, but this car is something special.

It was driven by the late, great Peter Sellers in the 1963 film The Wrong Arm of the Law, and the actor and comedian loved it so much that he bought and ran it for a short time once filming had finished.

In March 1963, after filming was finished, it was returned to the Newport Pagnell factory where it was made to have its engine swapped for a 4.0-litre Lagonda Rapide block.

This car, chassis number 0157/R, still wears the numberplate 41DPX and has the same green body it did on the silver screen; when it left the factory in 1961, it was Dubonnet Red.

And now, if your pockets are deep enough, it could be yours: it's going under the hammer at RM Sotheby's London sale on 5 September.

Classic & Sports Car – Peter Sellers' Aston up for grabs

The Aston Martin DB4GT will be sold in the spec it which it appeared in The Wrong Arm of the Law

Following Sellers' ownership, the car was used competitively in Aston Martin Owners Club events in 1966 before changing hands and colours several times, returning to England in 1998.

It was then restored extensively – and expensively. The final bill for this exceeded £126,000, and it included full rebuilds of the engine and gearbox, as well as work to the body and chassis.

So not only is it a rare example of a sought-after model – just 75 lightweight, high-performance GT versions of the DB4 were produced – but it also has received TLC, is worthy of an IMDb entry and has a former celebrity owner.

That's a heady mix, and one that could see it pull in big money come September.

Classic & Sports Car – Peter Sellers' Aston up for grabs

Peter Sellers gets out the DB4GT in The Wrong Arm of the Law

Maarten ten Holder, Executive VP & Head of RM Sotheby’s Europe said, “RM Sotheby’s boasts a tremendous track record for exceptional success in the sale of highly significant Aston Martins at auction... From one of the original James Bond DB5 film cars sold at the London sale in 2010, through to the record-breaking prices achieved for DBR1/1 and DB4GT ‘DP199’ just last year in Monterey”.

Felix Archer, Car Specialist with RM Sotheby’s, added, “This is an historic car that simply can’t be missed. Not only is a DB4GT one of the most desirable grand touring cars of the 1960s, but it’s fitting that this particular Aston Martin, with its close ties to British cinema, should become one of our headline lots at this year’s London sale.

"Peter Sellers’ love of cars was undeniable – he’d owned 83 by the age of 39 – and he’s been long linked with the Aston Martin brand. In addition to its on-screen past, the car is offered in stunning condition, and is a product of a glorious age of iconic British car manufacturing.”

RM Sotheby’s 12th annual London auction will be on 5 September at Battersea Evolution.

Images: Tim Scott Fluid Images, RM Sotheby’s

 

We’ve got dozens of Aston Martin DB4 classic cars for sale in our classified listings. View them all here