Tadek Marek, designer of the DB4's straight-six, is one of the cornerstones of Aston Martin's success during the golden age of David Brown's as a factory development mule, chassis DB4/170/L became Marek's own in 1965, subsequently upgraded and massaged to suit the whims and fancies of the Polish engineer who was also a very good, quick driver.
So, even if it's not one for the purists, this 'Director's cut' Aston, KKX 4C, must be one of the most interesting DB4s around. Not that here is such a thing as a boring DB4. Launched at Earls Court in 1958, this was the car that established the products of David Brown's Feltham works as the ultimate in wholesome, high-quality grand touring machinery.
It was a British supercar. With 240bhp and running a 3.54:1 rear axle ratio, the 3500lb DB4 was, for a while, the fastest four-seater production car in the world, able to top 140mph. Very British in conception, yet clothed in the latest Italian style from Touring of Milan, it was powered by an engine that would take Aston Martin through to the early 1970s, latterly alongside Marek's even longer-lived four-cam, 5.3-litre V8.
Born in Kraków in 1908, Marek arrived in Britain in 1941 as part of the Allied forces, following some colourful wartime adventures that included internment by the Germans and a daring escape to Britain via the Moroccan city of Casablanca. For a while he settled in Finchley, north London and met a local girl called Peggy, whom he married.
He moved to Aston Martin in 1953 (when it was still based in Feltham), fresh from a job helping to create an amphibious version of the Centurion tank and, before that, a posting with Austin at Longbridge. There he had designed the 2.6-litre C-series and a stillborn V8 based, intriguingly, around a pair of A40 engines.
この記事は Classic & Sports Car の March 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は Classic & Sports Car の March 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
