Unique Aston Martin could be worth around £600,000
David Brown himself came up with the idea for this estate because he wanted his dog to be able to travel in comfort
Sir David Brown is best known as the owner of Aston Martin (bought in 1947 and sold in 1972). He played polo as a member of the Ham Polo Club, owned racehorses and drove racing cars and motorbikes. But he was also a hunter. And because he wanted his dog to be able to ride comfortably in his DB5, he collaborated with coachbuilder Radford to create a dozen Shooting Brake examples and six others based on the DB6.
Then FLM Panelcraft from Broughton Street in London, better known for its Rolls-Royce bodies, came up with an even more practical design with a higher roofline, a folding tailgate and opening side windows.
This design convinced the winner of the 1961 Lotus US Grand Prix, Innes Ireland, who bought the first of three examples produced. Of this trio, only one DB6 Shooting Brake was completed by FLM Panelcraft as a left-hand drive model. And this will now be auctioned by RM Sotheby's on 4 February for an estimated price of £455,000 to £600,000.
Original blue paintwork
The basis of this incredible Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake was a 1965 saloon ordered for North America by a man named Farrish from Texas, who had requested it in blue. However, it seems that the Aston Martin dealer responsible for delivering the car damaged it and it was never bought by Farrish, and the immediate history of the car is also unclear.
Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake FLM Panelcraft (1966)
Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake FLM Panelcraft (1966)
After a series of owners, the car reappeared in the Netherlands in a partially dismantled state and was bought by a French collector. It was then restored in England by marque specialist Spray Tec in Wellingborough and offered for sale in Auto Passion magazine in April 1990. It changed colour at this time.
The engine is original
After being exhibited at several concours events around the turn of the millennium, including Goodwood, Parc de Bagatelle and Schwetzingen, the DB6 Shooting Brake was purchased by The Curated Collection in September 2006.
Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brake FLM Panelcraft (1966),
Now back on the auction block, it comes with an owner's manual and competition prizes. Its history is complicated, but its 4-litre straight-six engine is still the same as it used to be and, they say, still works very well.
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