The Bonhams sale at Aston Martin WorksSir Peter Ustinov in his Aston DB4 (courtesy Brooklands Motor Company)The Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Vantage ConvertibleThe ex-Ustinov Aston sold for £1.5 millionDB4 was originally white, now Royal ClaretRare convertible and Vantage combinationLovely interior in matching claretDB4 was sold by Bonhams in May 2015Room for the nippers, too
► Sir Peter Ustinov's Aston DB4 sells at auction
► Makes £1.5m in record £10.3m sale
► More details from Aston Works auction
A collector has snapped up the Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible formerly owned by actor Sir Peter Ustinov for more than £1.5 million at auction.
The sale was held as part of Bonhams' annual Aston Martin Works Sale at the weekend, which set a new record for the British brand, raising £10,280,275.
The Peter Ustinov Aston Martin DB4
This is a rare kind of Aston, and not just with its cinematic connections. It is one of only nine DB4 Series IV convertibles ever made, making it the second rarest of DB4s after the hyper-pricey Zagato.
Ustinov was the original owner and ordered it in left-hand drive for European touring duties. It was delivered to the Montreux Palace Hotel in Switzerland on 27 July 1962, just months before CAR magazine was born, carrying the somewhat inappropriate registration plate 911 CGT. Although delivered with Desert White, the car was respayed Royal Claret in September 1979.
Aston DB4: a potted history
The DB4 range was styled by the Touring carrozzeria and was in production from 1958 to 1963 with only modest revisions over five series. Ustinov's Series IV is marked by a new grille with seven vertical bars, a shallower bonnet intake and recessed rear lights. Including Vantage and convertible models, around 1100 DB4s were produced in total.
The ex-Ustinov DB4 wasn't the high point at the Works sale; it was narrowly pipped by a 1966 DB5 Convertible in the desirable Vantage specification, which went for £1,524,700.