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<\/p>\nA lovingly-restored 1961 Aston Martin DB4 is turning heads again at the Haynes Motor Museum. David Garmston is treated to a ride and discovers what makes the car so special.<\/p>\n
In the honey-coloured villages of south Somerset \u2013 the throb of an English classic vibrates the lazy spring air.<\/p>\n
An Aston Martin sports car comes into view \u2013 and it is a handsome beast that growls at you as if it is coming home from a night out at an elegant party.<\/p>\n
The car is an Aston Martin DB4, painted in red, with a 3.8 litre engine and only 18,000 miles (28968 km) on the clock.<\/p>\n
The low mileage is testament to a wild youth. It was built in 1961 and pranged the same year. It was repaired, badly, and crashed again the following year.<\/p>\n
Now it is a treasured exhibit at the Haynes Motor Museum at Sparkford near Yeovil after a restoration which has taken months.<\/p>\n
More from Somerset<\/p>\n
The work has been carried out at a little private garage at the back of the museum.<\/p>\n
Technician Alex Knight and his colleagues spent hundreds of hours turning a wreck into a highly-prized treasure worth about \u00a3400,000.<\/p>\n
“Every one of these cars was hand built. No one is the same.<\/p>\n
“If you take a step back you will see that one side is higher than the other side. That’s the way it came out of the factory,” Knight said.<\/p>\n
Understandably, he has grown attached to the Aston.<\/p>\n
“I love it. It’s elegant, it oozes class,” he said.<\/p>\n
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Technician Alex Knight says the car is now worth about \u00a3400,000 [BBC]<\/p>\n
The car has been resprayed \u2013 the shade is officially known as “dubonnet”. Shaken, not stirred.<\/p>\n
The DB4 was the inspiration for the vehicles driven by James Bond, although Sean Connery got behind the wheel of the later DB5.<\/p>\n
Workshop manager Nick Lockey-May is the only person allowed to drive it and he took me for a spin. There are no seat belts, no power steering and only one mirror.<\/p>\n
“It’s an absolute pleasure to drive. We have put so much work into it and to finally have it out on the road it’s just fantastic to get behind the wheel.”<\/p>\n
The restoration has not just been about a vintage car \u2013 it is about the future.<\/p>\n
The museum is hoping the skills needed to restore the Aston Martin will encourage a new generation to consider a career in technology and engineering.<\/p>\n
As I sunk into the passenger seat, I turned around, half expecting we were being chased as the acceleration pushed me back into the soft leather.<\/p>\n
It is the kind of car where adventure is always around the corner. A trip to the Med would be fun but also a challenge. The vehicle is noisy, bumpy and smells of old leather, petrol and exhaust.<\/p>\n
I adore it.<\/p>\n
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