An Aston Martin DB4 that languished in woodland for almost half a century has been exhumed and is expected to sell for between £300,000 ($535,297) and £385,000 ($686,840) in January.
Built in Britain and shipped to the USA over fifty years ago, this DB4 was one of the most powerful and desirable vehicles of its time. It's not clear, then, why this particular example was one day parked and not started again.
It is thought to have sat outdoors in a secluded part of its owner's property in Massachusetts since the early Seventies. While it is in no way a driveable classic - it is in a terrible state, and will need an expensive and thorough restoration - the North American climate has shown more kindness than our own weather would have. Little would remain of the car if it had been left for a similar length of time in, say, Cumbria.
Over the several decades of inactivity, rust formed and soggy leaves rose half way up the bodywork. Nevertheless, this DB4 is one of around 1,200 made and is therefore of immense international significance. Estimates of up to £385,000 ($686,840) might make this the most expensive car to be discovered in a forest when it goes under the hammer on January 18, at Worldwide Auctioneers' inaugural Scottsdale sale in Arizona.
