The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato

The beautifully designed, quintessentially British Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato is rarer than any bird of paradise with just 19 models ever having been produced. This is one of the most valuable and collectable cars in Aston Martin’s entire line. Manufactured between 1960 and 1963, Aston Martin’s collaboration with the Italian coachmaker Zagato resulted in lighter bodywork than standard for the Aston Martin’s of the time.That collaboration created something truly unique, and nowadays, one of these rare and highly-coveted cars can sell for around £12 million at auction. Indeed, Aston Martin has released a new wave of these cars –another set of 19 –as part of their Continuation series in 2019.

Design and Manufacture

The Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato was the product of the first ever collaboration between the two companies. Milan-based Zagato, a coachmaker, was an expert in reclothing exotic machinery. Aston Martin wanted to revamp the DB4 GT to make it more race-competitive. It was a match made in heaven. Zagato’s touch transformed the Aston Martin DB4 GT into a super-lightweight,aerodynamic car. Aluminum was used instead of steel in many places, and all non-essential elements were removed, such as the bumpers. The car features a 3.7-litre aluminum twin-spark straight 6-cylinder engine. It has a top speed of 248 km/hr.

Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato and Watchmaking

Four of the original cars were specifically made for racing. These had a lower roof, calibrated tail and flatter, longer front. Their racing debut was at Goodwood in 1961. The cars were driven by some of the greatest racers of the time: Jim Clark, Innes Ireland, Stirling Moss, Roy Salvadori and many more.

Indeed, Sir Stirling Moss was a watchmaking innovator and was deeply linked with the watch brand Chopard. Chopard has made multiple editions of the special Mille Miglia watch over the years, in celebration of their sponsorship of the esteemed car race.

From Atelier Jalaper’s point of view, this is one of the finest ever examples of Aston Martin’s collaborative and innovative approach to design.