A tatty old Aston Martin left rusting in a Highland barn for 30 years is expected to sell for a whopping £90,000, despite being unroadworthy.
The DB6 Vantage is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful British sports cars ever built.
But this 1967 model has endured a sad life and now needs a full restoration after being left in a lock-up since 1983.
The DB6 was a replacement for James Bond’s DB5 model.
The car is owned by an anonymous garage proprietor, who found the car in a barn “an hour north of Inverness”.
He bought it in 1981 and its dilapidated condition makes it perfect for a collector looking to restore a classic British sports car to its former glory.
When new, the car’s four-litre, six-cylinder engine developed 320bhp, impressive for a 1967 vehicle.
This gave it a 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 150mph.
The Aston will go under the hammer at Bonhams’ Harrogate sale in Yorkshire on November 13.
The auction house estimates the car could fetch as much as £90,000, despite needing a full restoration.
But when the next owner has finished spending thousands on the project, the car should be worth comfortably more than £200,000.
The DB in the car’s name stands for David Brown, the businessman who bought Aston Martin in 1947.
Aston Martin launched the DB6 in 1965 and, to the untrained eye, it looks almost identical to the Bond car from the front. But Aston Martin extended the car’s wheelbase to make more room available in the back while also giving it a more muscular rear end.
Sholto Gilbertson, from Bonhams car department, said: “There will be a lot of interest in this DB6 because it is in the rarer, more powerful Vantage spec.
“It is a blank canvas to restore and there is going to be a lot of interest from people looking for a project like this. It is like Meccano for adults. The DB6 is a great car to drive. They are quick, fun and a definite classic. The car is a complete non-runner at the moment and the restoration is likely to be north of £100,000.”
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