Guide: Aston Martin DB4 Vantage
Background
The first Aston Martin to be offered in Vantage trim was the DB2.
Launched in standard form at the New York Motor Show in April 1950, the DB2 Vantage followed six months later.
The DB2 was the first clean sheet design produced under David Brown’s ownership of Aston Martin. It was also David Brown that decided to offer a more highly tuned derivative for those customers that wanted the fastest, most powerful Aston Martin road car money could buy.
Vantage-optioned DB2s proved extremely popular, but when the DB2 was replaced by the DB2/4 in 1953, the Vantage-spec. engine became standard and the name disappeared for several years.
An optional big valve high compression motor was introduced when the Series 2 DB2/4 arrived in 1955, but this was branded the Special Series engine and it seemed the Vantage moniker had been dropped for good.
However, eight years later, the Vantage was unexpectedly revived.
By this time, the DB2/4 and DB Mk3 had been replaced by an all-new model: the DB4.
Based on a pressed steel monocoque with a re-worked 3.7-litre engine and handsome coachwork designed by Touring of Milan, the DB4 proved an enormous success.
Launched at the Paris Motor Show in October 1958, DB4 production began almost immediately and Aston Martin could barely keep up with demand.
Over the next couple of years, a number of improvements were made to the DB4 which resulted in the unofficial application of Series 1, Series 2 and Series 3 labels.
By the time the Series 4 entered production in September 1961, the original DB4 had been comprehensively upgraded. Some of the more fundamental modifications included doors with window frames, a front instead of rear hinged bonnet, an enlarged sump, more effective front brake calipers, opening rear windows, redesigned tail lights and an improved heating / ventilation system.
The Series 4 ushered in the previously optional oil cooler as standard. Additionally, a flatter intake scoop was added and the front grille was switched to a bar rather than mesh design. Inside, the ashtray was moved from the top of the dash to the transmission tunnel.
More significantly, the arrival of the Series 4 coincided with the return of the Vantage.
Bodywork
Unlike previous Vantage spec. Aston Martins, this latest iteration offered more than just extra power; in addition to an uprated engine, it came with a DB4 GT-style front end.
To improve aerodynamics, the headlights were set back on each front wing and mounted underneath glass covers with elegant chrome shrouds.
Re-profiled pontoon fenders stood proud of the front grille.
Whereas the standard DB4 incorporated an indicator and sidelight, the sidelight was deleted on the Vantage.
Like all Series 4 DB4s, a large intake scoop was mounted underneath the front bumper to feed air into the oil cooler.
Overall, the cosmetic update was a remarkable success and covered headlights remained ever present until the end of DB6 production in 1971.
As usual, the coachwork utilised Touring’s patented Superleggera construction technique with aluminium body panels skinned over a skeletal frame of small diameter steel tubes that conformed to the body shape. Because the DB4 used a steel monocoque, the Superleggera framework was only required for the bonnet surround, windscreen, roof, rear wings and tail.
Bodies were produced in-house at Newport Pagnell under licence from Touring.
Engine & Gearbox
Aside from the elegant new exterior, the other major attraction of the DB4 Vantage was its powerful motor.
The standard DB4 engine had been redesigned by Aston Martin’s Polish engineer, Tadek Marek.
Compared to earlier incarnations of the dual overhead camshaft Aston straight six, the DB4 engine featured an alloy instead of cast iron block and came out 22kg lighter as a result.
Displacement had also been significantly increased by expanding each cylinder bore from 83mm to 92mm and extending the stroke from 90mm to 92mm. Cubic capacity rose from 2922cc to 3670cc as a result.
In standard tune, Aston Martin quoted a peak output of 240bhp at 5000rpm and 240lb-ft at 4200rpm.
By contrast, the DB4 Vantage produced 266bhp at 5750rpm and 254lb-ft at 4500rpm. This was achieved by switching from two to three SU HD8 carburettors, increasing the compression ratio from 8.25 to 9.0:1 and installing a special big valve cylinder head.
Chassis
The DB4’s pressed steel monocoque with its 2489mm wheelbase was unchanged.
Independent front suspension was via double wishbones, Armstrong shocks, coil springs and an anti-roll bar. The live rear axle used parallel trailing links, coil springs and a Watt’s linkage.
Four wheel disc brakes were standard and power-assistance came courtesy of a Lockheed servo.
16-inch wire wheels were shod with Avon TurboSpeed crossply tyres or optional Pirelli Cinturato radials.
A 19 gallon fuel tank was fitted underneath the boot floor.
Interior
Inside, while some Vantage-spec. DB4s came with a four or five gauge instrument panel, most came with the seven gauge arrangement from the DB4 GT.
Two large read outs for engine and road speed were mounted directly behind the steering wheel but, unlike the standard DB4, an ammeter was mounted in between.
Off to either side were two additional gauges as opposed to one. To the left the combined ammeter / water temperature gauge was replaced with separate instruments for fuel level and water temperature. To the right, the combined oil pressure / fuel read out was deleted in favour of individual gauges for oil pressure and oil temperature.
Like all DB4s, a clock was mounted centrally on the dash (above the ventilation controls). Various toggle switches were scattered elsewhere.
Leather was used to upholster the well-padded seats, the side panels and gear gaiter. Dashboards were a mix of painted black metal and hard-wearing crinkled vinyl.
Thanks to slim pillars and a large glass area, visibility was excellent. Rear head and legroom was sufficiently generous that four adults could travel in comfort.
Options
Options included a choice of final drive ratios, an overdrive manual gearbox or Borg-Warner three-speed automatic. If a radio was specified, the head unit and speaker were mounted between the transmission tunnel and dash.
Customers could request a standard DB4 front end if they wished.
There was also the expensive option of a DB4 GT engine. Constructed with lighter RR50 alloy, GT motors came with a twin plug head, two distributors, three Weber 45 DCOE carburettors and high lift camshafts. Output was a class-leading 302bhp at 6000rpm with 270lb-ft at 5000rpm.
Weight / Performance
The standard DB4 Vantage had a top speed of 148mph and 0-62mph time of 6.6 seconds.
Weight was 1353kg.
Production
The Vantage option was offered from the start of Series 4 production which began in September 1961.
At the London Motor Show in October 1961, Aston Martin launched a Convertible DB4 which could also be specified in Vantage tune. The elegant drophead came with a smaller 16-gallon fuel tank and could be ordered with an optional hardtop.
The final iteration of the DB4, the Series 5, was produced from September 1962 to June 1963, but most changes did not apply to the Vantage.
Ultimately, 136 Saloons and 32 Convertibles were completed in DB4 Vantage trim.
An obvious difference to the visually similar DB5 was a single fuel filler cap instead of two on the later car.
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Aston Martin - https://www.astonmartin.com
