Aston Martin DB4
1958-1963 · Aston Martin DB4 — Grand Tourer, Inline-6, designed by Carrozzeria Touring.
The Story
The DB4 (1958) was a giant leap – the first Aston with Carrozzeria Touring’s ‘Superleggera’ alloy-over-tube body and the first with Tadek Marek’s new 3.7-litre twin-cam six. It was also the first production car to do 0-100-0 mph in under 30 seconds.
Beautiful, modern and fast, it re-established Aston among the elite and set the template for the DB5 and DB6. The short-chassis DB4 GT (1959, 302 bhp, 75 built) was the fastest road-legal car of its day – and the basis for the DB4 GT Zagato.
The Numbers
Benchmarked against its class
Each dial ranks this car within its Grand Tourer class — fuller means higher, and the tick marks the class midpoint.
Signature Colors
The Designer
Carrozzeria Touring
Milanese coachbuilder famed for ‘Superleggera’ construction (alloy panels over a tubular frame). Federico Formenti penned the DB4/DB5/DB6 – among the most beautiful GTs ever. Source: Wikipedia.
Studio Motors POV
The car that made Aston modern and beautiful in one stroke – the foundation of the DB5/DB6 legend. The DB4 GT is the grail; even a standard DB4 is blue-chip.
The Engine
Aston Martin Tadek Marek I6 (3.7-4.0)
Market & Value
Values on cars like this move monthly. Our brokers price from real transactions.
What Reviewers Said About DB4
Worth Knowing About the DB4
3 Things You Didn’t Know
- 1. It was the first production car capable of 0-100-0 mph in under 30 seconds.
- 2. It introduced Touring's 'Superleggera' construction to Aston – effectively ending timber-framed bodies.
- 3. The short-chassis DB4 GT (302 bhp, 75 built) was the fastest road-legal car of its day and the basis for the DB4 GT Zagato.
5 Fast Facts
- 1. 1958-1963; 1,204 total (incl. 75 DB4 GT, 19 Zagato).
- 2. Tadek Marek 3.7 twin-cam six: 240-302 bhp.
- 3. Touring Superleggera body; new David Brown 4-speed.
- 4. Five Series; the template for the DB5/DB6.
- 5. DB4 GT = the fastest road-legal car of its era (153 mph).
Provenance
Owners & what to look for
Famous Owners
No individual celebrity owner verified for the DB4.
Studio Buyer’s Brief
Series IV/V cars are the most usable; the DB4 GT (75 built) and Vantage-spec cars carry huge premiums. Check the alloy Superleggera body for corrosion/repairs (costly), matching numbers and the Marek six. A blue-chip classic; GT models are multi-million.
Full Specifications
- Make / Model
- Aston Martin DB4
- Class
- Grand Tourer
- Production years
- 1958-1963
- Units built
- 1,110 DB4 + 75 DB4 GT (DB4 GT Zagato = separate row)
- Variants
- DB4 Vantage; DB4 Convertible; DB4 GT (1959, SWB lightweight, 75 built); Series I-V
- Engine layout
- Front
- Engine
- Inline-6
- Engine family
- Aston Martin Tadek Marek I6 (3.7-4.0)
- Displacement
- 3,670 cc (3.7L) straight-six
- Power
- 302 hp
- Torque
- 270 lb-ft
- 0–60 mph
- 6.1 s
- Top speed
- 153 mph
- Power-to-weight
- 238 hp/tonne · 9.3 lb/hp
- Transmission
- 4-speed manual
- Drivetrain
- RWD (front engine) · Petrol
- Curb weight
- 2800 lb
Questions
DB4 FAQ
Was the Aston Martin DB4 the first production car to do 0-100-0 mph in under 30 seconds?
Yes. The Aston Martin DB4 was the first series-production car to complete the 0-100-0 mph run in under 30 seconds — a benchmark used by Autocar and Motor Sport Magazine in the early 1960s to quantify real-world performance. This feat helped establish the DB4 as Britain’s definitive sporting grand tourer of the era.
What is the Aston Martin DB4 GT?
The DB4 GT, introduced in 1959, is the short-wheelbase, lightweight competition derivative of the DB4, producing 302 bhp from the 3.7-litre Tadek Marek straight-six. Just 75 were built, making the DB4 GT the fastest road-legal British car of its day and the basis for the legendary DB4 GT Zagato.
What body construction does the Aston Martin DB4 use?
The DB4’s body was built by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan using the Superleggera method — small-diameter steel tubes over which thin aluminium panels are shaped and fixed without rivets. The DB4 was the first Aston Martin to use this technique, replacing the timber-framed construction of the DB2/4 series.
What is an Aston Martin DB4 worth today?
Standard Aston Martin DB4 examples (1958-1963) trade in a broad range — strong restored / Vantage-spec examples can reach $500,000-$900,000, while many standard cars sit below that. The short-wheelbase DB4 GT (75 built) is in an entirely different category, trading at approximately £3,000,000+ depending on specification and documented provenance.
How does the Aston Martin DB4 compare to the DB5?
The DB4 (1958-1963) uses a 3.7-litre Tadek Marek straight-six (240-302 bhp); the DB5 (1963-1965) enlarged it to 4.0 litres (282-314 bhp) and added a ZF five-speed gearbox. The DB4 established the design language and platform; the DB5 refined it and became immortal as James Bond’s car in Goldfinger.
The Aston Martin Lineup
Explore every Aston Martin
DB4 GT Zagato ’60DB5 ’63DB6 ’65DBS (1967) ’67V8 ’69
Lagonda ’76V8 Vantage (1977) ’77
V8 Vantage (Supercharged) ’93DB7 ’94DB7 Vantage ’99
V12 Vanquish ’01DB9 ’04V8 Vantage (2005) ’05DBS (2007) ’07V12 Vantage (2009) ’09One-77 ’09
Rapide ’10Vanquish (2012) ’12V12 Zagato ’12V12 Vantage GT12 ’15DB11 ’16Vanquish Zagato ’16Vantage ’18DBS Superleggera ’18
DBX ’20Valkyrie ’21V12 Speedster ’21V12 Vantage (2022) ’22Valour ’23Vanquish (2024) ’24Valiant ’24Valhalla ’25
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