In photos: 'Most valuable and coveted' Aston Martin may fetch $20 million

globe drive

Published October 20, 2015

One of the most rare and desirable cars ever built will hit the auction block in New York in December. Only 19 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato cars were made, and the one up for grabs at RM Sotheby's Driven by Disruption auction is the 14th example. While RM Sotheby's hasn't published pre-sale estimates, according to numerous reports, the company expects the car will fetch approximately $20 million. If it sells, it will be the first DB4 GT Zagato to change hands in a decade. "Never mind being the greatest Aston of all time, this is one of the greatest GT cars ever produced," said Rob Myers, chairman and founder of RM Sotheby's, in a statement. "To many, it is more beautiful than the stunning Ferrari 250 SWB but it is also vastly rarer. To my mind, the DB4 GT Zagato begs closer comparison to the iconic Ferrari 250 GTO, although far fewer Zagato (cars) were built than even that. It is an absolute jewel of a car and truly an opportunity that presents itself once in a generation" A 1961 Ferrari GT California SWB Spyder sold in Pebble Beach this year for $16.8 million (U.S.). A 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO fetched $38 million (U.S.) sold at Pebble Beach last year. That GTO was the most expensive car ever sold at an auction. The DB4 GT Zagato was completed in 1961 and is the only one ever delivered to Australia. It was raced successfully in 1962 and then spent the next three decades down under between two subsequent owners. It returned to England in 1993 and underwent minor restoration before racing in historic events, including Goodwood Revivals in 1998 and 1999. The next owner fully restored the car in 2002 and it went on to win first-in-class at Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este. It has a 314-horsepower six-cylinder engine with a four-speed manual transmission. Classic Driver describes the car as "the most eligible Bond car that never was." "When aficionados are asked to name their top five most beautiful and desirable cars of all time, the legendary Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato will always feature in those lists," reads the RM Sotheby's statement. "Unquestionably the most valuable and coveted road-going Aston Martin ever built." The DB4 GT Zagato is just one of many notable cars going under the hammer in New York. Others include a 1953 Ferrari 250 Europa Coupe (est. $5.8 million), a 1938 Bugatti Type 57C Atalante (est. $3.2 million) and a one-of-a-kind Lamborghini Concept S (est. $3 million).

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