A rare one-of-two Aston Martin DB Mk III Drophead Coupé is now in stock at Aston Martin specialist Nicholas Mee & Co. Presented in its original livery of Black with Beige leather, the car has a high performance engine and many other competition specification parts from new and may well be the only surviving of the pair.

Amongst the wealth of luxury cars on the market in the 1950s, Aston Martin became the more sensible choice for someone who wanted a stylish, yet practical sports car that was equally as comfortable on the track as it was in town. The Aston Martin DB Mk III was in production from March 1957 to July 1959 and chassis 300/3/1555  was fitted with the most powerful engine available for a Mk III, known internally at Aston Martin as the ‘DBB’. With three Weber carburettors, a higher compression ratio, special camshafts and twin exhausts, the ‘DBB’ produced 195bhp compared to 162bhp on a standard car. Works Aston Martin driver Roy Salvadori recorded a 0-60mph time of 8.2 seconds in a DBB-equipped Mk III – nearly two seconds faster than a regular model.

Not only did it have the highest-specification engine, but it also sported newly introduced front disc brakes and Alfin rear drums, competition shock absorbers, chrome-plated wire wheels, a twin exhaust system, fly-off handbrake and a high-capacity heater.

Although right-hand drive, the car was delivered new to Montreal and stayed with the same family from May 1958 to 1987 before passing to a collector in North Carolina. From there it returned to the first owner’s son in 2005, who kept it for seven years, at which point it came back to the UK and has been displayed in the Rotunda at the Royal Automobile Club’s HQ in Pall Mall.

Successive owners have been careful to preserve as much originality as possible and with just 36,500 miles recorded, the car is one of a line-up of desirable Aston Martins available from Nicholas Mee & Co’s showroom in Essendon, Hertfordshire.

Company director Neal Garrard said of the car, “It really is something special, undoubtedly rare and bristling with British engineering excellence – and in the context of later ‘DB’ prices, we think surprisingly affordable. It’s no wonder Ian Fleming chose a DB Mk III for James Bond in the ‘Goldfinger’ novel.”

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Nicholas Mee & Co