1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Vantage

VIN: DB6MK2/4254/R6.

Engine: 400/4644/VC.

This RHD auto 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Vantage comes to us with no service history, but it does have some old V5 documents from its previous life in the UK and some auction notes from the occasion of its sale to the vendor in 2011. 

These notes state the following.

“A fresh option was that of AE Brico electronic fuel injection. However, the system lacked proper development and many of the engines concerned were later converted by the Aston Martin service department to run on Weber carburettors.”

We know this to be the case and there are well-documented instances of several Mk2s being converted to full triple-Weber, 325bhp Vantage specification by the factory rather than spend any longer struggling with the rather troublesome AE Brico EFl system. 

We believe that this is what happened with this car, as the DVLA has it originally recorded with an ‘FI’ (fuel injection) suffix to the engine number. 

The engine in the car today has triple-Webers and the numbers on both the plate and the engine block show that the ‘FI’ has been replaced by ‘VC’ (signifying Vantage spec), and this points strongly to the work having been done at the Aston Martin factory. 

The 2011 notes go on to say of this car that, “This 1970 DB6 is a right-hand drive Mk2 to Vantage specification with manual gearbox. It sports Kingfisher Blue coachwork and a Black leather interior. In recent times it has benefited from a new clutch, Koni adjustable rear dampers and reground brake discs.”

The car takes electrical power to the dashboard but doesn’t start or turn over. When we turned the ignition key, smoke came from the engine so we immediately switched off. We believe the engine is not seized.

The odometer reads just 44,546 miles. 

IMPORTANT: This motor car is being sold as part of a private overseas collection. It has been imported under the Bonhams’ temporary admission customs bond. In addition to the ‘hammer’ price, the winning bidder must pay a bond release fee (£350) and also import tax/duty.

In the UK, cars over 30 years old are subject to the lower rate of 5% import tax on the final selling price if purchased by a private individual. Cars less than 30 years old will pay 10% duty + VAT as well as VAT. A company buying this car will always pay 10% duty + VAT as well as VAT on the ‘hammer’ price.

The winning bidder will receive a receipt for the final hammer value, and proof that HMRC fees are paid. If the car is subsequently exported abroad within 30 days then these fees are refundable upon proof of customs/tax payment in the other country.

The bond release fee (£350 payable direct, post-auction, to the CARS shipping company) will produce a NOVA from HMRC, this document is formal proof that all duties & taxes are paid in UK. The vehicle is not registered anywhere. You must register the vehicle with the DVLA. Upon request, Bonhams|Cars Online can suggest some companies who can help with this process.

This vehicle has been on static display in the Middle East for a number of years, and there is no history available beyond that displayed in our photography section. In all cases, the documents shown are photocopies, unless otherwise stated. We do not have the originals.

Unless otherwise stated, we have not tried to start or drive the car so cannot vouch for its mechanical viability or functionality. It will require recommissioning prior to road use and is strictly sold ‘as seen’.

It is available for viewing by appointment only, we are open weekdays 10am-4pm, and we advise you (or your appointed engineer) to inspect it at our HQ near Abingdon in Oxfordshire.

The car’s svelte but muscular bodywork has small creases, dents & dinks.

The panel gaps and shut-lines appear consistent for this age of an Aston.

The wire wheels are grubby but appear to be fundamentally sound.

The Kingfisher Blue paintwork is, in our opinion, a very attractive shade, but it is clearly past its best and in need of some remedial attention. There are spots with primer showing underneath on top of the nearside wing amongst other issues. 

There are corrosion issues to contend with here and there.

There is bubbling at the base of both doors and in the sills beneath them have filler.

There is bubbling and blistered, cracked or flaking paint at the base and top of the o/s/f wing, and at the base of the other three wings.

Bubbling can also be seen in places on the boot lid and in the bodywork around the bonnet.

There are patches and spots of missing paint in various places.

The chrome rear bumper has a hole rusted through it although, elsewhere, much of the chrome is serviceable.

The windscreen is delaminating.

The condition of the interior is analogous to that of its exterior counterpart in the sense that it is good in parts, less so in others and in need of some TLC elsewhere.

The black leather upholstery is rather creased and grubby, particularly on the driver’s seat, but is free of any rips, tears or holes that we can see and would no doubt respond positively to the expert application of some appropriate cleaning and feeding products. 

The radio and speaker section is absent from the centre console – you’ll find it in the boot along with other bits and pieces, including some bumper overriders and an AMOC badge on a mounting bar.

The door cards are a little ragged in their carpeted sections.

The carpet in the driver’s footwell has holes worn through it but seems to be rather better elsewhere in the cabin.

Although grubby and stained, the headlining is intact.

The dashboard, steering wheel, gear lever and handbrake all seem to be in decent order.

We can’t make any claims about the functionality of switches, knobs, levers, toggles, buttons, dials or other electrics as we haven’t started or driven the vehicle.

Although liberally slathered in view-obscuring bitumen/wax, we can see that there is flaking and holing in the sills.

The extent to which this does or doesn’t compromise the car’s structural integrity is something you’ll want to decide for yourself.

The rather dusty and grubby engine bay is nonetheless dry and everything on and around the Vantage engine seems to be in its right and proper place.

The nearside bonnet stay has fallen off as the hinge has rusted away.

The sills have plenty of filler in them, so there is something to be discovered under the paint we suspect.

The fuel tanks are rusted throughout.

The car doesn’t come with any history or service records beyond what is shown in the photography section. 

Currently, it has neither an MoT certificate nor a current V5. 

It must be registered in the country of your choice and you will need to contact the appropriate vehicle licensing agency for instructions on how to do this. 

None of the paperwork shown in the gallery constitutes any kind of current licensing or registration documentation.

The car comes with a set of 8 keys, some old V5 documents, proof of purchase letters and some auction notes from the occasion of its 2011 sale to the vendor.

We haven’t started or driven the car, so our understanding of it is necessarily limited. 

But we do know that a manual RHD Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Vantage is a rare and highly desirable work of automotive art and engineering.

Of the 248 built, just 71 were built to Vantage specification and a mere 46 originally left the factory with the EFI system in situ.

We believe this to be one of the handful of the 46 that went back to the factory to have the triple-Weber engine conversion to 325bhp Vantage spec.

Wiser heads than ours will no doubt know the full story.

Either way, this is a car whose quality, pedigree and rarity should comfortably justify the work required to recapture some, most or all of its considerable former glory.

Provided, of course, that the car’s engine and mechanicals are in fact amenable to recommissioning. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.