As seen on screen with Peter Sellers: the Aston Martin DB4 with a renegade reputation
The Aston Martin DB4, used by Peter Sellers to escape the cops in The Wrong Arm of the Law is up for auction
The wonderfully sleek DB4 GT must go down as one of Aston’s all-time fine designs
Bonhams
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The lightweight GT version of Aston Martin’s DB4 might be best known for leaving the opposition behind on track, but this one ended up being put to an altogether different use – as the getaway car driven by comedian Peter Sellers in the 1963 film The Wrong Arm of the Law.
In his role as cockney villain ‘Pearly’ Gates, Sellers joins forces with both the police and a rival gang in a bid to put an end to the activities of a group of Australian criminals who are causing trouble for everyone by carrying out robberies disguised as officers of the law. The plot includes a high-speed chase across the Uxbridge Moor nature reserve in which the 150mph DB4 is optimistically pursued by a Wolseley squad car (top speed: 95mph).
Although Sellers is frequently seen behind the wheel it was Aston dealer, racing driver and Ruddspeed Racing founder Ken Rudd who took over for the high-speed sequences.
When the movie wrapped, Sellers agreed to buy the DB4 on condition that its original 3.7-litre engine – which had been thrashed during filming – was replaced with a 4-litre Lagonda Rapide unit uniquely stamped ‘GT’.
The getaway car in The Wrong Arm of the Law – now with a 4-litre engine
Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams
Adding to the rarity of ‘41 DPX’, this was one of just three of the 75 DB4 GTs made to have been factory fitted with ‘occasional’ rear seats. Sellers owned the car for less than a year, during which time it retained the original Dubonnet Rosso livery in which it had left Newport Pagnell – but a major restoration in 2002 brought a colour change to the current Goodwood Green.
The performance, looks, rarity and competition pedigree of the DB4 GT have made it one of the most coveted and valuable of all Aston Martins, a fact that prompted the marque’s heritage arm to create a series of 25, £1.5m continuation cars in 2014. Of those, eight were built to the original lightweight spec and just two were registered for road use.
Shortly before Bonhams announced that it would auction the ex-Sellers car at the Festival of Speed, the celebrated DB4 GT raced in period by Stirling Moss and Jack Sears as part of Tommy Sopwith’s Equipe Endeavour also came up for grabs. That one is being offered by RM Sotheby’s as a private sale.
1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT. On sale with Bonhams, Goodwood, July 14. Estimate: £2.2m–£2.6m