When auction records are set, it’s usually something red with a prancing horse that’s on the receiving end of the eight-figure winning bid. On Dec. 10, at RM Sotheby’s New York sale, it’ll be Aston Martin’s turn to join the $10 million-plus club when a rare (one of 19) DB4 GT Zagato goes under the hammer. It’s expected to fetch at least $16 million. Here’s why we think it just might be the most desirable closed sports car ever:

On December 10th, at RM Sotheby’s New York sale, it’ll be Aston Martin’s turn to join the ten million plus club when a rare (one of 19) DB4 GT Zagato goes under the hammer. It’s expected to fetch at least $16 million. Patrick Ernzen courtesy of RM Sotheby's

LOOKS

The competition is tough when you get to this level, and the admittedly arbitrary list of finalists includes the Ferrari 250 GTO, Ferrari 250 Short Wheelbase Berlinetta, Jaguar E-type Lightweight Coupé, the Ferrari 250 LM and the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe. They’re all weapons-grade sports racers from the early 1960s, the golden age of so-called dual-purpose competition cars, that, depending on your level of masochism or resemblance to Steve McQueen, you could actually drive on the street.

All of the above are wickedly sexy. But the Aston wins in the details, from the trademark Zagato of Milan double-bubble roof (that’s mirrored in the cam cover bulges on the hood) to the elegant Frenched tail lamps. The Milanese clearly knew how to do for sports cars what they did for fried, milk-fed veal. The short wheelbase and prominent apex-predator rear haunches give it a squat and pugnacious look that is almost impossibly tough and pretty at the same time.

It’s still an Aston, so elegance demands that it lack the fussy vents, scoops and side-exhaust of some of the competition (features that, incidentally, probably made the aforesaid competition far more competitive). That and the fact that the DB4GT was not a purpose-built race car, but instead derived from the DB4 grand tourer.

On December 10th, at RM Sotheby’s New York sale, it’ll be Aston Martin’s turn to join the ten million plus club when a rare (one of 19) DB4 GT Zagato goes under the hammer. It’s expected to fetch at least $16 million. Patrick Ernzen courtesy of RM Sotheby's

STAYING POWER

Aston has gone back to the DB4 GT Zagato well at least three times. In the late 1980s, they authorized several Zagato-built continuation cars utilizing allocated but unused chassis numbers. These were the so-called “Sanction II” cars. Later, several Sanction III cars were built from derelict DB4s. You could almost call the 2001 Vanquish the third continuation of the DB4 GT Zagato. Take a look at a Vanquish in the iconic Aston Martin Racing Green, and the similarities are obvious. From the shape of the covered headlamps to the well-defined rear haunches, it’s pure DB4 GTZ. More so than any of the other cars, the timeless DB4 GT Zagato still resonates in the current products from Aston Martin.

On December 10th, at RM Sotheby’s New York sale, it’ll be Aston Martin’s turn to join the ten million plus club when a rare (one of 19) DB4 GT Zagato goes under the hammer. It’s expected to fetch at least $16 million. Patrick Ernzen courtesy of RM Sotheby's

EXCLUSIVITY

While it may not have had the racing success of the Ferraris and the Shelby, the DB4 GT Zagato is probably the most usable (if you dare) and with just 19 originals built, it’s considerably rarer that the 250 GTO, which, at $38.5 million, holds the current record for the most valuable car sold at auction. Even with the Sanction II and III cars figured in, you’re not exactly going to see yourself coming and going, even at Pebble Beach in August -- something that will no doubt be on the mind of the person who coughs up possibly well in excess of $16 million for one of the most desirable cars on the planet.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io