Aston Martin DB6 Mk1 and Mk2 (1965 to 1971)

Why people buy one

• A genuine four-seat grand tourer with a longer wheelbase and more rear room than the DB5, and a distinctive Kamm-style cut-off tail.
• The twin-cam six is strong and tough when it has been serviced properly.
• Choice of ZF five-speed manual or Borg-Warner three-speed automatic, and the Mk2 brought standard power steering and wider wheels under flared arches.
• Factory build sheets survive for these cars through the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, and Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell offers heritage restoration and an Assured Provenance certification scheme.
• A large, long-established owners' club and a deep specialist network.

What to weigh up

• Steel frame and chassis members rot behind aluminium panels, and contact between the two metals causes electrolytic corrosion, so a car can look sound and still need major structural work.
• Restoration is very expensive in general terms, because bodywork is hand-made and the engine is complex; poor or partial past repairs can cost more to put right than a car that has never been touched.
• Long-stored and unrestored DB6s have appeared at auction; they can be complete and original, but should be treated as full restoration projects until proven otherwise.
• Many standard cars have been uprated to Vantage specification and some Mk1s given Mk2 features, so a claimed Vantage, Mk2 or Volante needs its build records checked.
• The Mk2's optional AE Brico fuel injection was unreliable and many injected cars were converted back to carburettors.
• Repaints and colour changes are common, and Connolly leather, switches and some trim are costly or hard to source.

Where they rust

• Sills between the wheels, which are hidden under the aluminium outer panels.
• Jacking points and the chassis side members.
• Steel at the foot of the front bulkhead, the pedal box area and the front suspension mountings.
• Rear suspension mountings, including the upper Watt linkage mounting behind the rear seat.
• Door hinge mountings and bumper supports.
• Boot floor, rear wheelarches inside the boot and the spare wheel well, where water collects.
• Under the bonnet around the washer bottle and the brake master cylinder pedestals.
• Bubbling in the aluminium at the door bottoms and rear valance, a sign of electrolytic corrosion where it meets steel.
• On a Volante, the rear cabin floor if the hood has leaked.

Mechanical weak spots

• Engine: overheating from silted waterways around the cylinder liners is the classic fault; check for coolant leaks and for oil mixing with coolant from failed liner seals.
• Oil pressure that drops well below normal once the engine is warm points to bearing wear; frequent oil changes and timing chain renewal are part of correct servicing.
• Gearbox: the ZF five-speed wears its synchromesh and bearings, and noise or jumping out of gear means a rebuild; the automatic blunts performance.
• Rear axle: differential bearings wear, causing whine and backlash; worn trailing arm and Watt linkage bushes cause clonks.
• Suspension: the driver-adjustable Selectaride rear dampers should work; missing or disconnected units are common.
• Steering: worn rack mountings and suspension bushes cause wander; on power-steered cars, look for leaks.
• Electrics: slow electric windows suggest tired motors, and every switch, the heater and any air conditioning should be checked.

At a Mathewsons viewing

• Check the chassis number plate and engine number against the V5C, and ask whether the seller has Aston Martin Heritage Trust build sheet copies or Aston Martin Works records confirming the original specification, colour and engine.
• Run your eye and fingertips along the door bottoms, sills, wheelarches and rear valance for bubbles or blisters in the aluminium.
• Lift the carpets and the boot floor covering, take the spare wheel out if allowed, and look at the floors, spare wheel well and boot corners for rust or fresh filler.
• With a torch, look underneath at the chassis side members, jacking points, sills and rear suspension mountings, and under the bonnet at the bulkhead and master cylinder pedestals.
• Ask for restoration invoices and photographs, and if staff start the car, watch the oil pressure and temperature gauges and look for steam or white smoke; do not assume it will be started.

Parts, specialists and clubs

Seen on Bangers & Cash

• Aston Martin DB6 (Bangers & Cash series 3, episode 4, First shown November 2020)
• 1967 Aston Martin DB6 (Bangers & Cash series 5, episode 9, First shown March 2022)
• Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 (Bangers & Cash series 13, episode 1, First shown February 2026)
• Aston Martin DB6 (Bangers & Cash series 14, episode 5, First shown August 2026 on U&Yesterday)

Sources

• Aston Martin DB6 buyer's guide (Prestige & Performance Car), 21 September 2023
• Aston Martin DB6 buyer's guide (Goodwood Classic Solutions), 13 October 2025
• 1969 Aston Martin DB6 Mk 2 Vantage, lot description (RM Sotheby's), accessed 14 October 2026
• Certificate and Research (CAR) services (Aston Martin Heritage Trust), accessed 14 October 2026
• Aston Martin Provenance Rating launched (Supercars.net), 21 September 2015
• Heritage Sales (Aston Martin Works), accessed 14 October 2026
• Aston Martin DB6 (Wikipedia), accessed 14 October 2026