Car of the Week: This Coveted 2003 Aston Martin Roadster Only Has 350 Miles on It. Now It’s Up for Grabs.
At Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island Auctions, being held March 2 and 3, an essentially brand-new example of Aston Martin’s collective effort with an old friend, renowned coachbuilder Zagato, will be offered. The car crossing the block is the extremely rare Aston Martin DB AR1, which reflects the storied partnership between the Italian carrozzeria and the British marque. Remarkably, this example only has 350 miles on the odometer.
Aston Martin was founded in 1913, but only gained real public attention when its 1964 DB5 co-starred in the movie Goldfinger as secret agent 007’s automotive sidekick. The design of Britain’s quintessential sports car—save for the Gatling guns, ejector seat and other tradecraft tech of the film’s vehicle—was in fact the handiwork of Italians. And while most would wish the same intercession with regard to the UK’s culinary offerings, there is general agreement that the best car bodies—Jaguar’s E-Type notwithstanding— have come from south of the Alps.
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Aston Martin has a rich history of teaming up with the finest coachbuilders. The DB5 (and DB4 that preceded it) were the creation of Carrozzeria Touring, who licensed the Superleggera formula to Aston’s Newport Pagnell factory. In addition, Bertone made a few contributions throughout the 1950s and ’60s. And then there is Zagato. Among all of Aston’s beauties, the DB4 GT Zagato, made from 1960 to 1963, set the stage for a relationship between the two entities that has continued throughout the 1980s—with the V8 Vantage Zagato—and remains intact today.
Among the highlights of the collaboration, at least thus far, were two limited-series cars based on Aston Martin’s then-new V-12-powered DB7, both bodied by Zagato of Milan. The coupe, called the DB7 Zagato and of which 99 examples were made, was never homologated for sale stateside, which is a pity, given its exquisite shape and ultimate rarity. It was followed by the DB AR1, made expressly for the US market (AR stands for American Roadster). The latter was built on a DB7 Volante chassis, to allow for easy homologation, and made its debut at the 2003 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The power train is pure Aston Martin of the period: a naturally aspirated, 6.0-liter DOHC V-12 engine making 435 bhp at 6,000 rpm. The mill allows the roadster to accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 mph.
The DB AR1, whose body is mostly of lightweight aluminum, was hand-built by Zagato. Immediately behind the two seats are twin humps that taper to the trunk lid. These are evocative of the “double bubble” roof that historically characterized Zagato’s GT cars, and which was a major styling aspect of the DB7 Zagato coupe. Both the coupe and the roadster are distinguished by prominent grilles, long before our current “bigger-in-front-is-better” style trends. With open-air driving in mind, the AR1 was developed without any top, although it came with a rain cover to protect the leather interior when parked.
This 2003 example on offer is 88 of just 99 made, all but eight of which were sold in the US. Unlike the majority of AR1s, which use a Touchtronic transmission, this car is equipped with a six-speed manual complemented by a DB7 GT quick-shift gear lever and AP Racing clutch. Also noteworthy is that it’s the only of its kind finished in Ferrari Titanium Gray paint, brilliantly contrasted by a Claret Red leather interior. And it all rides on special multi-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels. Surprisingly, despite its minuscule amount of mileage and an estimated value as high as $300,000, this Aston Martin DB AR1 is being offered without reserve.
Click here for more photos of the 2003 Aston Martin DB AR1.
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