Mk1 Volante

STORY

Launched at the 1965 London Motor Show, the DB6 was the last of the classic David Brown DB grand tourers and the first developed after production moved fully to Newport Pagnell. It kept the DB5's basic look but rode on a wheelbase stretched by 95mm, with a raised roofline for more usable rear-seat room, turning the model into a more practical 2+2.

Its most distinctive feature was the cut-off Kamm tail, a small aerodynamic spoiler built into the rear that, together with the longer wheelbase, improved high-speed stability. Power again came from Marek's 4.0-litre straight-six; in triple-Weber Vantage tune it produced around 325bhp and could exceed 145mph, with one road test recording a two-way average of 152mph.

Production ran until 1969, by which time 1,327 DB6s had been built, including 140 open Volantes. It marked the end of an era: its successor, the DBS, moved to a wider, more modern body designed to accept the forthcoming V8.