Aston Martin DB AR-1 photographed today - pics inside

[autofocus]

Hi there,

My son was on a school trip late last week and told me that when his school bus went past the local Aston Martin garage he was sure 'they had one of those rare Aston Martins you like dad in the showroom'. I told him he must have been mistaken and that it could not be a DB AR-1 as they only made 99 of these and most of them found there way to the United States. I have been photographing cars for nearly three years now and have taken shots of 5 or 6 DB7 Zagatos in the last 6 months, but I have never managed to see a DB AR-1 in the flesh until this morning that is.

I had a walk round the Aston Martin garage late on Monday evening and saw the DB AR-1 through the window. When I got home I e-mailed the dealer principal to ask him if I could go and photograph it, yesterday he replied and say I could call down with pleasure.

The DB AR-1 has to be in my top 5 favourite cars of all time, but nothing could prepare me for just how beautiful this car is in the flesh. The curves on this car are everywhere and the colour of this particular car was superb (sort of light metallic blue), the interior was a very light quilted cream leather which was a perfect contrast to the exterior colour.

It is so rare to see a DB AR-1 in the UK, bearing in mind they only made 99 in total. This particular car was sold and will shortly be on its way to its new owner. I hope he lives somewhere sunny as the DB AR-1 does not have a roof, it was designed by Zagato for crusing the boulevards of California not a wet 'A' road in Derby.

Anyway enough waffle and here are some of the pics I took: -













Hope you like them.

A big thanks to the team at Stratstone Derby for allowing me to fulfil something I have been waiting to do for a long time.

Regards

Tim

[Alex Gurr]

Nice pictures Tim, although I have to confess that I actually prefer the shape of the original DB7. Although nothing touches the purity of the original DB4 GTZ

[B(Route)]

Ahh I saw this at aston Derby which i assume is where you have spotted it

[augkuo]

Nice pictures - that color is called "Vertigo blue" and was the color of the DB7 GT show car.

Personally (and for most people here in the US), the DB-AR1 is one of the ugliest cars Zagato ever did for Aston Martin.
Even though there are only 99 of them made (thank god), the dealers here have a hard time getting rid of them. There are a lot of them here for sale with only delivery miles on them still (less than 100 miles). Originally they were priced at $250,000 but now you can get them for a significant discount -

http://www.barrett-jackson.com/auctionresults/common/cardetail.asp?id=184087 

http://www.sweetchariots.com/auctionwatch20406-1.php  search for DB AR1

So with the pound worth twice as much as the dollar, it makes sense to bring them back to England

[Forthright MC]

i think the AR-1 looks quite good in vertigo blue. its certainly different, but still very elegant too! great set of pics there Tim!
BTW, sent you a PM

[southpaw]

I have one of those front wheels in my garage

Nice pics

[autofocus]

Hi there,

Thanks for your replies.
Yes the car was indeed in Derby, I would love to know whether it had been in the UK since it was built or whether indeed it had originally been sold to the US and has now been brought back.

Regards

Tim

[GRL]

Thanks for posting those pics. Really fantastic quality shots too.

[cardigankid]

Yes, thanks. Its never been one of my favourites I have to say, probably because of the radiator grille treatment, but these are the best pictures of it that I have seen, and you do get a sense of presence.

In fact I've snatched a few for my files! Hope you don't charge a fee.

Edited by cardigankid on Monday 30th July 20:26

[TIGA84]

99 Made.

1 in RHD I believe?

[AstonZagato]

Saw a dark blue one outside the Ritz a couple of days ago. The owner had had a canvas roof manufactured.