First Aston Martin DB6 Vantage ever made is restored to its former glory: Rare classic car built in 1965 undergoes £300,000 restoration project after spending 30 years locked away in a garage
- Incredibly rare car, that is now worth £500,000, was the first to leave the production line in September 1965
- It toured for 17,000 miles across the country as it was used by carmakers to advertise the new model
- But in 1976, the Aston passed into private hands and was put in storage before deteriorating
- Vantage was forgotten about until 2014 when it was bought by classic car enthusiast John Cook at an auction
The first Aston Martin DB6 Vantage ever made has been restored to its former glory after it spent 30 years languishing in a garage.
The incredibly rare car, that is now worth £500,000, was the first to leave the production line in September 1965.
The show car toured for 17,000 miles across the country and was used by the carmakers to advertise their state-of-the-art creation.
But after its first years of use, the Aston passed into private hands and was put in storage in 1976 where it was left to fall apart.
The Vantage was forgotten about until 2014 when it was bought by classic car enthusiast John Cook at an auction.
He spent a whopping £300,000 on an extensive restoration project, returning the car to its factory condition with Fiesta red paintwork and black leather interior.
The first Aston Martin DB6 Vantage ever made has been restored to its former glory after it spent 30 years languishing in a garage
The Vantage was forgotten about until 2014 when it was bought by classic car enthusiast John Cook (pictured) at an auction. He spent a whopping £300,000 on an extensive restoration project, returning the car to its factory condition with Fiesta red paintwork and black leather interior
The incredibly rare time capsule, that is now worth £500,000, was the first to leave the production line in September 1965
An advert in Daily Mail in 1966 enticed readers to buy the car by pointing out how it was upholstered with real leather
It even includes original copies of magazine reviews, its parts catalogue, instruction book, owner logbook, and test certificates.
Charles Ramsey, owner of Classic Connection in Burley, Hamshire, where the car has ben consigned for sale, said it was the ‘rarest DB6 in existence’.
He said: ‘The most impressive thing about this car is that it was the first DB6 Vantage – and only the third DB6 – ever to leave the production line.
‘It was used as a factory demonstration for advertisements and magazine reviews making it very rare to a collector.
‘The car has been fully restored to its original Fiesta red and all its specifications compared to others of its kind which were often changed.
‘The history file includes magazine reviews of the car, its owner logbook, instruction book, and factory build sheets.
‘It’s a blessing this piece of Aston Martin history was discovered after lying dormant and restored to such a remarkable degree’.
Mr Cook handed the motor over to Aston Services Dorset, the officially-appointed restorers of vintage Astons, for the restoration project.
Only 1,788 DB6s were made at the Aston Martin factory in Newport Pagnell, Bucks, between 1965 and 1970.
The car’s leather seats have also been re-upholstered, restoring the classic vehicle’s original luxury feel
The car still has original copies of magazine reviews, its parts catalogue, instruction book, owner logbook, and test certificates. Above: The logbook
The Vantage variant came out in 1966 but only 71 models were made.
The Vantages, which offered a more powerful performance, were even more exclusive.
They had a 4.0-litre straight six-cylinder engine that could deliver 325bhp compared 282bhp that standard DB6s had.
Mr Cook, 56, who is also from Burley, said: ‘Cars from this period often got to the stage where their value dropped and owners forgot about them which seems to have been the case with this one. When I bought it, it was in a serious state of disrepair and I gave it to Aston Services Dorset to undergo a £300,000 restoration.’ Above: The car at the start of the restoration
The Vantage variant came out in 1966 but only 71 models were made. The Vantages, which offered a more powerful performance, were even more exclusive
They had a 4.0-litre straight six-cylinder engine that could deliver 325bhp compared 282bhp that standard DB6s had
Mr Cook, 56, who is also from Burley, said: ‘Cars from this period often got to the stage where their value dropped and owners forgot about them which seems to have been the case with this one.
‘When I bought it, it was in a serious state of disrepair and I gave it to Aston Services Dorset to undergo a £300,000 restoration.
‘It is such a special car which is so perfect and I want to give it to someone else to enjoy.
‘I’ve got another project in mind so I needed to clear the decks to get myself ready for it.
‘I have a real passion for finding old things and bringing them back to how they originally were.’
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