Coachbuilt 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake is the most distinguished grocery-getter
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The bespoke Aston wagon is one-of-six built, and is estimated to fetch up to AU$1.7m at Bonham’s Quail auction
Big station wagons never quite took off in England as towns were small, roads were narrow, and long-distance touring by car wasn’t for everyone.
However, England holds a unique penchant for the two-door shooting brake: the vehicle of choice for the distinguished ‘countryman’ who needed to ferry guests and luggage to and from the train station, or perhaps the steed of choice for one to carry their hounds and game on one’s hunting expeditions.
Even better, a number of private owners of high-performance and luxury vehicles enlisted various English coachbuilders to turn their sleek coupes into more practical longroofs. This stately 1966 Aston Martin DB6 is one such custom conversion, and is heading to Bonham’s Quail auction on August 14 in Los Angeles.
Estimated to fetch between AU$1.2 and AU$1.7 million at auction the DB6 Vantage retains much of its standard equipment: a triple-carb 3,995cc DOHC six-cylinder propels the 60s Aston while cogs are swapped by a five-speed manual gearbox.
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The shooting brake conversion was carried out by hand, by acclaimed UK Coachbuilders, Harold Radford & Co. Radford was founded in the 1940s; much later than England’s original 19th century coachbuilding houses, although they quickly became the go-to firm for Rolls-Royce and Bentley owners who sought out the ‘Countryman’ treatment.
Just six of these shooting brake conversions were performed by Radford on the DB6m, with this one being an extremely highly-optioned and unusual factory left-hand drive example.
The vehicle’s original owner was Middleton George Charles "Middy" Train, of Washington DC. Train’s family owned a successful real estate business and was a passionate golfing and duck hunting enthusiast. He ticked every option box when ordering, and retained the car for around ten years.
The current owner, David L. Van Schaick of Pennsylvania, has owned the vehicle since 1976.
Enjoyed sparingly and maintained to the highest degree, the odometer currently reads below 50,000 miles.
The car shows sympathetic use with some slight stone chips and some paint loss indicated around frequent touchpoints of the car’s body. However, the car is deemed to be in remarkably good condition for its age, and is largely unrestored.
In factory coupe specification, Aston Martin DB6s are frequently valued between AU$500,000 and AU$1 million. Tack on another few hundred thousand for a ragtop ‘Volante’. While the bespoke shooting brake’s pre-auction estimate exceeds even some of the most outstanding original vehicles – it’s an irreplaceable piece of 60s British opulence and class, and would undoubtedly be the most stylish set of wheels in the golf club car park.
See the car in full at Bonhams.com
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