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Aston Martin DB6

Touring · 1965

Aerodynamic correction, not reinvention — the DB6 fixes lift with a Kammback, not physics.

Worth your time?3.5/5Yes.Drive the whole thing.What works, what does not, who it is for ↓
10:03in productionCh. 1 · Where it came from/ 10:03 · ceiling 15 min
6 chapters · 10:03Ceiling 15:00

The brief is written and checked. The video joins this page when it is cut.6 chapters · 1 min read · 10:03 planned

Read the brief

The DB6 is a functional evolution — not a revolution — in Aston Martin’s grand touring line. Its Kammback tail and lengthened wheelbase directly address aerodynamic lift identified in wind tunnel testing. It retains the live-axle layout, rejecting the more complex de Dion prototype to prioritise production readiness. It is recognisable, stable, and rooted in continuity — not novelty.

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Chapters & takeaways6
  1. 0:48
    Where it came from

    The DB6 is a British grand tourer — and the first Aston Martin engineered after the move to Newport Pagnell.

  2. 2:06
    What changed on the outside

    It looks like the DB5 but adds a lengthened wheelbase, split bumpers, and a Kammback tail.

  3. 3:19
    Why the tail exists

    Wind tunnel testing revealed lift; the Kammback tail and lengthened wheelbase were the response.

  4. 4:14
    What got left behind

    The de Dion rear axle was rejected — the DB6 kept the live axle to save time, cost, and complexity.

  5. 5:10
    What it is built to do

    It is a grand tourer — not a racer, not a sports car — built for sustained high-speed travel.

  6. 6:33
    How it arrived

    It launched at the 1965 London Motor Show as a dated design — functional, not futuristic.

3 more chaptersFewer chapters
Worth your time?

Yes. Drive the whole thing.

3.5/ 5
What works
  • adds lengthened wheelbase and Kammback tail to deliver measurable high-speed stability
  • retains DB5 usability while improving rear-wheel traction at speed
  • adapts racing-derived Kammback aerodynamics to a production GT
What does not
  • redefine construction
  • abandon live-axle layout
  • adopt de Dion rear axle
Drive it if
  • drivers who value incremental, aerodynamically grounded evolution in a front-engine GT
Skip it if
  • those seeking chassis innovation, lightweight construction breakthroughs, or radical departure from the DB5’s template
Who should drive it, and who should skipHide who it is for
The written brief1 min read

What the car is and where it came from

A British grand tourer made by Aston Martin, produced from September 1965 to January 1971. It succeeded the DB5. It was the first model engineered after the factory moved from Feltham to Newport Pagnell.

How it works, in terms someone would actually use

Front-engine, rear-wheel drive. A live-axle rear suspension — not the de Dion prototype tested — carries the weight and transmits power. The lengthened wheelbase and Kammback tail shift airflow to reduce lift and improve rear-wheel traction at speed.

What it gets right

It gets right the balance of familiarity and function: longer wheelbase, relocated rear axle, and abbreviated Kammback tail deliver measurable high-speed stability while retaining DB5 usability.

What it does not

It does not abandon the live-axle layout. It does not adopt the de Dion rear axle tested in development. It does not redefine construction — it refines Superleggera licensing without structural departure.

What it changed

It changed how Aston Martin approached high-speed stability: by adapting racing-derived Kammback aerodynamics to a production GT, not by overhauling chassis architecture.

Who it is for, and who it is not

It is for drivers who value incremental, aerodynamically grounded evolution in a front-engine GT. It is not for those seeking chassis innovation, lightweight construction breakthroughs, or radical departure from the DB5’s template.

Is it worth your time

Yes, if you care how aerodynamics shape a grand tourer’s stability — not its myth. No, if you expect engineering novelty or structural innovation.

Same garage · Touring cars4 of 17
9:25
Maserati 3500 GTTouring · 1957The Maserati 3500 GT was Maserati's first successful Gran Turismo and series production vehicle, developed 1956–57 and launched in late 1957. Its bodywork was designed by Carrozzeria Touring following an introduction by Franco Cornacchia; Touring's 2+2, superleggera 'Dama Bianca' prototype was selected for series production after being shown alongside an Allemano prototype at the March 1957 Geneva Salon. It featured a front-mounted 3.5 L straight-six engine and rear-wheel drive, and 2,226 units were built between 1957 and 1964.
9:43
Aston Martin DB5Touring · 1963The DB5 is a tightly specified British grand tourer, designed by Touring, built by Aston Martin, and defined by disciplined evolution — not revolution.
10:24
Aston Martin DB4Touring · 1958The DB4 is a grand tourer designed by Carrozzeria Touring, built at Newport Pagnell, and powered by a Tadek Marek–designed 3.7 L DOHC straight-6. It features servo-assisted disc brakes, independent front suspension with rack-and-pinion steering, and a live rear axle with Watt's linkage. Its design influenced later models including the DB4 GT Zagato and Lagonda Rapide. Technically distinct from both predecessor and successor, it was produced from 1958 to 1963.
10:08
Volvo P1800Pelle Petterson · 1961The Volvo P1800 is a 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive touring car introduced in 1961. Styled by Pelle Petterson under Pietro Frua, it was marketed as a touring car—not a sports car—despite later being called one. It sold 47,492 units between 1961 and 1973, offered first as a coupé and later as a shooting brake. Its mechanicals came from the Amazon/122 series. Volvo denied Petterson’s authorship until 2009. An 1800S owned by Irv Gordon reached 3.25 million miles. The project began in 1957 to replace the failed P1900 and target US and European markets.
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Next brief →Back to Touring cars
10:44