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Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this magnificently restored Autodelta prepared 1968 Alfa Romeo GTA Junior 1300. According to documentation on file from Centro Documentazione Alfa Romeo, this particular car has a production date of the 7th May 1968 with a delivery date of 31 December 1968. It was finished in biancospino (white) with a skai nero (black) interior. This US market car was part of a batch of Autodelta prepared cars sold by distributor Don Black Alfa Romeo in New Jersey. The car was sold through dealer Tom OBrien to its first owner Eugene Strandberg from Iowa. The car was raced at over 50 SCCA meetings between 1968 and 1980 at tracks including Road America (Elkhart Lake), Road Atlanta, Daytona, Indianapolis, Mid Ohio, Bridgehampton, Summit Point, Mid America (Wentzville), Brainerd (Donnybrooke), Phoenix, Nelson Ledges, Blackhawk Farms and Lake Afton. In 1969 Strandberg won the SCCA C Sedan class in this car in the Mid West division, setting several lap records. The car competed three times at the SCCA National Run Offs the American Road Race of Champions with three different drivers. Strandberg was 10th in this event at Daytona in 1969, Bobby Henson was 4th at Road Atlanta in 1971, and Jerry Wannarka (later SCCA Board Chairman) was 7th at Road Atlanta in 1974. The car was also raced by Gerry Strickfaden, George J Cichon and Larry Sterenberg. After being campaigned throughout the 1970s at various race meets, the car was involved in an accident at Indianapolis in May 1980. After being (poorly) repaired it raced again at Indianapolis in April 1981 and for a final time at Elkhart Lake in June 1981. It is understood that the car was painted red after it was repaired. With its racing career concluded, the car was acquired by collector John Murphy (of Alfa Legends). Murphys collection went to auction in Atlanta in 2004 from where it was acquired by Judge Parker of Richmond, Virginia, who then commenced a restoration. In 2013, Parker sold the partially assembled car and parts to New York classic car dealer, Daniel Rapley. The current owner acquired this Alfa Romeo GTA Junior 1300 from Daniel Rapley in September 2014 and subsequently imported it into Australia. There is an Import Approval on file dated the 9th September 2014. The car arrived into Sydney in April 2015. The current owner made the decision to restore the car to present exactly as it was when it first raced. He engaged the services of highly respected Alfa Romeo restoration specialist Zoo Autocraft (Tim Doyle) from Bowral to restore the car. Tim was ably supported by Vin Sharp who rebuilt the engine, Mick Mitchell from Corse Automotive who completed other mechanical works, AA Panelcraft who painted the car and Steve Busitill who did the trim. Where possible the original parts from the car were repaired and reused, however, as a second choice original replacement parts were sourced. As a last resort replica parts were acquired from the likes of Classic Alfa and Alfaholics in the UK. Unfortunately, the car had been separated from its original engine which was sold off from Murphys auction in 2004. By an incredible stroke of good fortunate Tim Doyle had purchased a number of parts from the Murphy auction, including what turns out to be the original engine block from this very car! There is a document on file, provided by Don Black, listing both the chassis and engine numbers for the Alfa Romeo GTAs that he sold. Alfa Romeo did not record engine numbers for the 105 series cars making Blacks list, confirming this cars original engine number, as very rare and unique. The owner decided to restore the car with a replacement block to preserve the original block which will accompany the car. As the car was to be used on the track, the current owner decided to install a high quality roll cage. In his words . . . the alloy body doesnt provide much more protection than cardboard. An FIA approved kit built by Custom Cages in the UK was purchased from Alfaholics. One of the many challenges was to quieten the car to comply with track noise limits while still using the correct side exhaust. The Corse Automotive team came up with an ingenious solution whereby a hand built muffler runs laterally underneath the car another work of art! The restoration was finally completed in November 2019, just in time for the Alfa Romeo Owners of Australias (AROCA) annual concorso. The end result is just spectacular and a credit to the current owner, Tim Doyle and everyone who was involved with the project. Later that month, the GTA returned to the track at the Historic Sports and Racing Car Associations (HSRCA) Summer Festival at Sydney Motor Sport Park. The car was presented in the livery in which it first raced some 50 years earlier. It ran in regularity and true to the HSRCA motto As it was it shall be, it ran on the correct Dunlop CR65 cross ply tyres! The car looked spectacular and to the relief of its owner it ran faultlessly. The car has been used sparingly since it was restored. It has been driven very carefully in regularity at various track days. Today it presents essentially as a fresh restoration. The biancospino paintwork is in excellent condition. The devil is in the detail and all the pop riveted aluminium panels are the giveaway that this car is not your every day 105 series. The panel gaps are excellent. The external trim is minimalistic, however, it is all in good condition. We love the delicate door handles which are a real feature on this car and fit for purpose to open the feather weight doors! The interior is beautifully presented and in excellent condition. The beautiful Alfa Romeo GTA wheels are shod with Dunlop Racing 5.50 M-14 tyres all around. Unfortunately, we didnt get the opportunity to drive the car as it is not road registered, however, the owner reports that it drives every bit as good as it looks. When rebuilt, the engine was tuned on a dyno and it develops 140 bhp at 7700 rpm, with torque of 91 lbs/ft. This is similar to the original Autodelta cars. The car weighs 800 kg, which is slightly more than the original, mostly because of the roll cage, hidden muffler and alloy wheels instead of mags. The power to weight ratio is still impressive and this little Alfa Romeo performs exceptionally well. According to the owner, the engine really comes on song above 5,000 rpm and it makes a wonderful noise. The car is light and nimble on the track and it handles, steers and stops as you would expect. This car was shown Auto Italian in Canberra in 2022 where it won Alfa Romeo Best of Marque and it was also one of the four finalists selected for Best of Show. It was also shown at Motorclassica, Australias leading concours delegance and classic car show later in 2022, where it was one of the two finalists in the fiercely contested Bertone class. There is substantial documentation on file which includes a SCCA Vehicle Log Book, period race results and car magazines, documented ownership from new, period documentation, restoration receipts, photos and more. Importantly, this car has its correct tipo number (10559), stamped in the boot drain channel. Highlights: - Magnificently restored Alfa Romeo GTA. - Known history from new. - Numbers correct car. - Well documented. - Ready to show, use and enjoy. Price $459,950 Background: The Alfa Romeo story began in June 1910 when A.L.F.A. (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili) was founded in Milan, Italy. Their first car, the 24hp, was a great success and the Alfa name became synonymous with motor racing in the early years. In 1915 Nicola Romeo took over the company and during war time its focus was on military equipment, however, it wanted to build cars. Soon after the very first Alfa Romeo motor vehicle, the Torpedo 20-30hp, was built. On February 3, 1918, with World War I slowly drawing to a close, the new company called Alfa Romeo was officially registered. In the early 1920s Alfa Romeo quickly made a name for itself in motor racing. Drivers like Ugo Sivocci, Antonio Ascari and Enzo Ferrari won several races driving various Alfa Romeo race cars. Through until the 1950s Alfa Romeo was responsible for some of the most exclusive road cars and most successful race cars ever built. Some of the cars produced by Alfa Romeo in the 1920s and 1930s could be purchased as either a road car or a race car. The Alfa Romeo 6C is one of those cars. Introduced at the 1925 Milan Motor Show, the Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 was the first model to carry the 6C name. The nomenclature of the model designation 6C 1500 refers to the engine, where 6C = the number of cylinders, in this case six and 1500 refers to the engine capacity, in this case 1500cc. As was quite common in those days, the bodies were provided by various coach builders such as James Young, Zagato, Touring Superleggera, Castagna, and Pinin Farina. The legendary Alfa Romeo 8C, took the 6C to another level and was one of the worlds most exclusive and successful road, race and sports cars of the 1930s. Following the Second World War the company was in financial difficulty and it decided a change in direction was necessary to survive. The Alfa Romeo 1900 Series cars effectively replaced the 6C range and whilst it was a success, rather than hand build luxury sporting cars it decided to focus on mass production. Hence, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint was born. Alfa got the formula right and as testament to the success of this model the car was in production for over a decade from 1954 through until 1965. Throughout the 1950s and 60s Alfa built a number of different models including four door sedans, two door coupes and convertibles, however, regardless of model their cars always had a sporting edge. They were a drivers car first and foremost. Launched in 1963 the Alfa Romeo 105 Series was introduced to replace the very successful 101 Series Giulietta. Designed by Bertone (Giorgetto Giugiaro) the shape was purely Alfa with many styling cues taken from the Alfa Romeo 2600 and 2000. The first model introduced was known as the Giulia Sprint GT which was powered by Alfas proven 1,600cc engine. A convertible version known as the Giulia GTC and more powerful Giulia Sprint GT Veloce were subsequently introduced. Other standard models in the 105 Series range that evolved from 1965 were the 1750 GT Veloce, 2000 GT Veloce, GT 1300 Junior and GT 1600 Junior. Alfa Romeos rich motorsport tradition continued into the 105 series cars. Under the direction of the legendary Carlo Chiti, Autodelta (Alfa Romeos racing division) developed a car for competition that closely resembled the road going model. These cars were named GTA, the A standing for alleggerita, Italian for lightened. The GTA was produced first in 1965 as a 1600 Sprint (1,570 cc), and then in 1968 as a 1300 Junior (1,290cc) version. GTAs were manufactured in either street (stradale) or pure race (corsa) trim. 1,000 had to be built for homologation. It is understood that approximately 500 Sprints and 450 Juniors were built, of which less than half were corsa spec. All cars were built in the Alfa Romeo factory at Arese and for a considerable price premium clients could have their car race prepared by Autodelta. The outer body skin of the GTA was made of, instead of steel, Peraluman 25, a light aluminium alloy, containing magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc. The inner steel panels were also of thinner gauge with the inner and outer panels bonded and pop riveted together. Magnesium alloy wheels, clear plastic side windows, an aluminium rear upper control arm, lightweight door handles and quarter window mechanisms as well as lightweight interior trim were other GTA features. The engine had a new double ignition, twin plug cylinder head, high compression pistons, high-lift cams, lightened flywheel, a Magneti Marelli distributor, 45 mm carburettors instead of 40 mm as well as magnesium camshaft cover, sump, timing cover and bell housing. A limited slip differential was standard and a special sliding-block rear axle locating system could be specified. The 1300 had a short-stroke, oversquare version of the GTA 1600 engine.

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this 1974 BMW 2002 Turbo. The BMW Birth Certificate on file confirms this car was delivered new to the Balcom Trading Co. Inc in Tokyo, Japan. This was the local BMW importer which got later absorbed into BMW Japan Corp, the first 100% owned subsidiary of a foreign car maker in Japan. The car has a production date of the 18th October 1974 and a delivery date of the 15th November 1974. The Birth Certificate states the cars original colour was chamonix (BMW white), which is how the car is presented today. The Japanese history of this car is not known. The car was imported into Australia in the second half of 2007. There is an import approval on file dated 18th of June 2007. It is understood it then resided in New South Wales. There is a photograph of the car on file with the NSW registration BJ82HS. The car was acquired by the previous owner who is a doctor and BMW enthusiast who lived in Adelaide, South Australia. In October 2018 the car was acquired by its current Melbourne based owner. The car was in a partially disassembled state as the previous owner had commenced pulling the car apart to restore it. This was perfect for the cars new owner who was looking for his next project. His plan was a nut and bolt restoration to a concours standard. He engaged Concourse Automotive Restorations in Geelong to do the body and paint, Auto Sprint Motors in Melbourne for the mechanicals and Unique Auto Interiors in Melbourne to do the trim. The fuel injection system was sent to highly regarded experts Saxon Parts in The Netherlands to be overhauled. This was to be a no expense spared restoration and where possible NOS parts were sourced for the car. Anything that needed to be replaced or repaired was replaced or repaired. The majority of the new parts were acquired from classic BMW specialists Jaymic in the UK, Rogers tii in the USA and Wallotnesch in Germany. The restoration was completed just in time for the car to be displayed at Motorclassica in 2019. At that time the odometer read 85,379km. Since the car was restored, it has been used and enjoyed clocking up some 12,000 km in the last 5 years. The car is a credit to the current owner and all who were involved in the restoration as it still presents today as a fresh restoration. At some stage the engine block in the car was replaced. There is correspondence on file from BMW in Germany confirming that the engine currently in the car belonged to a BMW 2002 Turbo which was delivered new to France in January 1975. It is unknown when and where the engine was replaced. Walking up to the car you just cannot help but being impressed with its appearance. The paint is in excellent condition and the decals on the car immediately tell you this car is not your everyday BMW 2002. The flared wheel arches and the decals give the car a very aggressive stance. Even for the uninitiated, it only takes you a few seconds to realise the decals on the front air dam spell Turbo 2002 in reverse. This sends a firm warning to the car driving in front of you when they see you in their rear view mirror . . . please move out of the way! Walking around the car it is difficult to find any imperfections. There is the smallest of blemishes in the paint on the lower part of the drivers door and there are also some very small marks on the rear spoiler which have been touched up at some stage. All the decals on the car, which are a real feature, are in excellent condition. The stainless steel belt line trim, a unique design feature which runs right around the car, is in very good condition with only a few very small imperfections. The rest of the external trim, including the badges, lights and lenses is in excellent condition. The Hella headlights are the correct type and taillight lenses have the correct BMW markings on them. The car is fitted with the correct 13 inch Mahle wheels, shod with Pirelli Cinturato tyres, size 185/70/13, which are date stamped 5118 (week 51, 2018). Open the door and the first thing you will notice is the red instrument binnacle. This is another unique design feature that tells you this is not an ordinary BMW 2002. The interior itself is immaculate. The seats, door cards, dash, centre console and even the carpets present like new. The seats are firm and comfortable and provide ample support. When the current owner decided to restore the car he also decided to make it a more usable classic for the Australian climate and discretely install a modern electric air conditioning system. The air is fed to the cabin using period correct vents. The car is also fitted with EZ power steering. Getting behind the wheel is easy and it does not take long to find that comfortable driving position. As you would expect from a BMW the interior is very business like and everything is exactly where you would expect it to be. The Turbo version of the 2002 also had an extra instrument binnacle with two gauges above the centre console. One gauge showing the turbo boost and the other one a clock. On this car the clock has been replace with a voltage meter. We were very eager to find out if this car lives up to its reputation. The car starts easily and quickly settles into a smooth idle. With great anticipation we wait for the engine to warm up before taking the car out on the road for a short test drive. First impressions are good. The car feels solid, yet very nimble on the road. There are no rattles or squeaks and the car is easy to drive. This BMW 2002 Turbo is equipped with the more desirable 5 speed dog leg gearbox which works well with that typical German precision. Out on the road you quickly forget you are driving a 50 year old car. This car is just a lot of fun to drive and when pushed it is somewhat of a pocket rocket. The 4 cylinder engine is only a 1,990cc but with the KKK (Kuhnle, Kopp and Kausch) turbocharger it pushed out an impressive 170 bhp. Top speed was quoted as 210 km/hr (130 mph) and the car could dash from 0 100 km/h (60 mph) in around 7 seconds. There is just something about hearing that turbo spinning up every time you getclose to 4,000rpm. A BMW 2002 Turbo is a very unique and rare car anywhere in the world with only 1,672 having been produced. They were never sold new in Australia and only a handful have found their way to our shores. They tend to be tightly held and a result the opportunity to purchase this care presents a unique opportunity. Accompanying the car is an extensive file, including photographs documenting the restoration of this car, a spare wheel, a tool kit, a first aid kit, a safety triangle, a fitted car cover, a workshop manual, a parts manual and various period brochures. Highlights: - Rare and desirable example of one the most iconic BMWs. - Beautifully presented example. - Fabulous original colour scheme. - Ready to show, use and enjoy Price $299,950 Background: On 7 March 1916 the Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) was established. The company was the result of a reorganisation of the Gustav Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik, a company founded by Gustav Otto in Bavaria, Germany, in 1910. The company was one of the aircraft pioneers in the early 20th century. A year later, in 1917, a Bavarian aircraft engine manufacturer by the name of Rapp Motorwerke changed its name into Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH (BMW). That company transferred all its engine production assets to Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in 1922 and that company was then renamed to Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW). The company survived World War I and started focussing on the production of motorcycle engines, farm equipment, household items and railway brakes. In 1923 BMW produced its first motorcycle, the BMW R23. In 1928 BMW purchased the Fahrzeug Fabrik Eisenach which built Austin Sevens under license. That is when BMW officially became an automobile manufacturer. The first car BMW sold under its own name was the BMW 3/15 which was basically a rebadged Austin 7. Throughout the 1930s BMW focussed more and more on producing their own cars and expanded its range into sports cars and larger luxury cars. During World War II the BMW factories were heavily bombed and severely damaged. Motor vehicle production was curtained and BMW has concentrated on building aircraft engines during the War. As a result, after the war the company was prohibited from producing aircraft or motor vehicles. Miraculously the company survived by making pots, pans and bicycles. It began manufacturing motorcycles again in 1948 and cars in 1952. Its first post war effort was the BMW 501 which was built in a new factory in Munich. The car was reasonably successful and it effectively relaunched BMW. At the time BMW was also building its fabulous little Isetta, but the company was doing it tough financially. In 1955 the BMW 507 made its debut at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York. The 507 was roadster powered by a 3.2 litre V8 engine and was meant to revive the companies sporting image. Instead, the high production cost led the company to the verge of bankruptcy. Only 252 examples were built before production ceased in 1959. As it turns out, it would take BMW nearly 30 years before it would produce another roadster. The company was in serious financial trouble in 1959 and only a large investment from a third party saved the company and prevented a takeover by Daimler-Benz. It was the launch of the BMW New Class cars in 1962 that proved to be a game changer for the company. Initially these were 4-door compact sedans aimed at the executives. The first one was the BMW 1500 which was first introduced at the September 1961 Frankfurt Motor Show. Other models like the BMW 1800, the successor of the 1500 the BMW 1600 and the BMW 2000 followed soon. In 1965 BMW introduced a coupe versions of the 2000, the 2000C and he 2000CS. Around the mid 1960s BMW recognised there was a market for a slightly smaller version of their New Class cars. Around the same time they stopped producing the BMW 1600 they introduced the BMW 1600-2 which was a shorter two door model. In 1968 BMW started producing the two door BMW 2002 with its stronger 1,990cc M10 engine. In 1973 BMW introduced its first turbo charged production car at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the BMW 2002 Turbo. It produced 170hp and had a top speed of 211 km/h. It was only available in two colours Chamonix (white) and Polaris (silver) and all cars featured BMW motorsport colour scheme stripes and decals on the sides as well as the front air dam. Interestingly the car was introduced just before the 1973 oil crises and as BMW themselves said; BMW had built a car that contradicted the spirit of the times like no automobile before. Only 1,672 were ever built between July 1973 and June 1975, including twelve pre-production cars constructed between July and December of 1973. The BMW 2002 Turbo was only built as left hand drive.

1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Sprint by Touring

1965 Maserati Mistral

Details: Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this fantastic 1983 Aston Martin V8 Oscar India. The Heritage certificate on file confirms this car was built on the 7th September 1983 and it left the factory on 11th October 1983. The car was originally delivered in storm red (paint code 9017) with a fawn pipe burgundy interior (trim code VM.3234/DV6171), a colour scheme the car still carries today. The car retains its original matching numbers engine. The Heritage Certificate also states this car was delivered with Weber carburettors, Avon tyres, beige with burgundy edged carpet, beige leather headliner and a miles per hour speedometer. This car is a highly desirable later model Oscar India with the V580 Series engine and BBS wheels. It also has the blanked out radiator grill that was standard on the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Like the majority of the Aston Martin V8s built, this car is equipped with a Chrysler Torqueflite three speed automatic transmission. The documentation on file confirms that this Aston Martin was delivered through Victor Wilson Limited in Edinburgh, Scotland to its first owner, Mr M Carney from Glasgow, Scotland. It was first registered as MAT 78. Around 1989 the car was sold to Mr M Blackall, an Englishman temporary living and working in Belgium as the Area Director of Operations for a major hotel group. At that time the car was registered as A946FSF. The car spent the next two years in Belgium before the owner moved back to the UK and took the car with him. In 1993 he upgraded to an Aston Martin V8 Volante and this car was sold to Mr M Walker from Edinburgh in June 1994. In September 1996 the car was advertised for sale by the Murray Motor Company in Edinburgh and sold to Mr R Forrester from Cairneyhill, a small village just north of Edinburgh. In 2000 the Murray Motor Company advertised the car for sale again and subsequently sold it to Mr Keenan from Apperley, Gloucestershire, UK. The car was registered with the registration A4 SFK. These UK plates are still fitted on the car. The current owner, who has an extensive and eclectic collection of cars, acquired this Aston Martin in the UK in mid 2006 and subsequently imported it into Australia. There is an Import Approval on file dated 31st July 2006. Shortly after arriving into Australia the car was repainted in its original colour of storm red. The car has not been driven any distance since arriving in Australia. It has essentially been in static storage for some fifteen years, though from time to time it was started and driven a short distance. It was last started and driven about five years ago prior to arriving to us. Since arriving at Oldtimer Australia the car has been recommissioned by classic car specialist Steve Ward from SJ Classics and it runs and drives well. It may require some further fettling to be a reliable driver, but the car has done everything as expected when we have had it out on the open. From the first turn of the key when awoken from its hibernation, the big V8 engine burst to life and it sounds fantastic. Not surprisingly the car seems to get better and better the more it has been driven. The oil pressure is good and engine has loads of power on tap. The gear changes are smooth up and down the box and the car handles, steers and stops as one would expect. Today the odometer reads 69,688 miles, which based on the information on file, is genuine. Even though the car carries what is now considered an older repaint, the paint still presents very well. As a result of the car not being driven since it was repainted, the paint has never been exposed to the harsh Australian sun. It retains a deep gloss and a strong depth of colour. There are only two small defects in the paint. There are two very small chips on the boot lid and there is also a small scrape on the edge of the drivers door. Subsequent to our photo shoot, these defects have been touched up using original touch up paint supplied with the car. All the glass, which looks to be original, and external trim is in very good condition. The same can be said for the bumpers and the other bright work on the car. It is all in very good to excellent condition. The BBS wheels, which are a real feature on these later Aston Martin V8s present like new with no curb rash. They are shod with Avon Turbosteel 70 tyres, size 235/70/15. The thread on the tyres still present like new, however they are date stamped 4400 (week 44, 2000), and should really be replaced on age. Open the door and you feel like you are stepping back in time. The interior has been beautifully preserved and is in beautiful condition. It is also very English! The fawn leather seats are in excellent condition with no cracks or tears in the leather. They are comfortable and still provide plenty of support. The rear seats appear to have hardly been used. All the carpets are in excellent condition. The dashboard presents like new. The timber veneer inserts are in excellent condition as is all the leather. Even the top of the dash is still in excellent condition. The instruments are all clean and present well. There is a row of push switches on the centre console and you often see these with faded text. Not in this car. The text is as clear as it was on the day the car left the factory. In the boot everything is clean and tidy and there is an original spare wheel present. Open the bonnet and you are presented with a magnificent looking V8 engine. It is hard to miss the Aston Martin Lagonda text on the valve covers and of course there is the plate with the name of the person who assembled the engine. The engine in this car was built by Fred Walters. All very Aston Martin! Everything presents as one would expect. The engine is bay is neat, clean and tidy. The underside of this car presents well. There is light surface corrosion on some of the components, however, this is not a typical English car underneath. The overall presentation is consistent with a 41 year old car that has been well cared for. Accompanying this car is a comprehensive history file dating back to new, which includes the original service book. This car has an incredible presence and it presents fabulously in the striking colour of storm red. We envisage the recommissioning to be relatively straight forward and have no doubt this car will drive every bit as good as it looks! A unique opportunity. Highlights: - Rare and desirable example of one the iconic Aston Martin V8 series. - Beautifully presented example of a quintessential British GT. - Fabulous original colour scheme. - Known history from new. Price $289,950 Background: Aston Martin has produced bespoke sports cars for over 100 years. The company began in 1913, when founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford realised their desire to build distinctive, high quality sports cars that were both exhilarating to drive and a beauty to behold. Martin regularly competed in hill climb races at Aston Clinton, and a simple combination of the name of the event and the driver gave birth to one of the most famous automotive marques. Source: www.astonmartin.com. Whilst Aston Martin produced some wonderful cars in their early years business, was always a struggle and the company was severely disrupted during both World War I and II. The company went bankrupt on more than one occasion and has endured many different owners throughout its history. David Brown acquired Aston Martin in February 1947 and the first car produced during his ownership was the Aston Martin 2 Litre Sports, later known as the DB1, which was built in extremely limited numbers from 1948 to 1950. This was succeeded by the Aston Martin DB2 in 1950, which featured a new double overhead cam straight six engine of 2.6 litre (2580 cc) capacity, and was a car that really put post war Aston Martin on the map. The David Brown era was arguably Aston Martins finest with the company winning LeMans in 1959 and the sixties producing the legendary DB4, DB5 and DB6 models. The first of the Newport Pagnell designed cars, the DBS, was introduced in 1967. The DBS was initially powered by Aston Martins tried and true 6 cylinder engine as the companys new V8 engine was not ready. From September 1967 through until May 1972 Aston Martin produced 829 DBS chassis. One of these was used in a crash test and 26 of these were later fitted with a V8 engine which leaves a total of 802 six cylinder Aston Martin DBS. Of these 802 cars, 621 were right hand drive and 181 left hand drive. The DBS was available with a five speed ZF manual gearbox or an automatic gearbox or. Interestingly, 317 of the right hand drive cars were fitted with the five speed manual gearbox. It is understood that Aston Martin only built circa 70 right hand drive examples equipped with the Vantage engine. In September 1969 the DBS was superseded by the DBS V8, powered by the all new 5.3 litre V8 engine which was finally ready for production. The DBS V8 remained in production through until April 1972 and circa 400 cars were built. It was then renamed and became the Aston Martin V8, which became a great success for the marque. The Aston Martin V8 was produced for 17 years, with production finally coming to an end in 1989. Just over 2,000 cars were built, plus the Volantes and Vantages. In October 1978 Aston Martin introduced the Aston Martin V8 Series 4, otherwise known as the Oscar India (Oscar India = October Introduction, from the phonetic alphabet). The car now sporting burr walnut trim, a blanked off bonnet scoop and a revised boot lid and rear wings to create a sculpted spoiler was visually very similar to the Vantage. The car remained in production through until 1985 and only 352 examples were produced.