David Brown Speedback GT
The David Brown Automotive brand has been in existence since 2010. It is headquartered in Silverstone, in the immediate vicinity of the famous British Formula 1 race track. Four years after its foundation, the first car called Speedback GT made its debut at the Top Marques in Monaco. This is a sports car with a retro design reminiscent of 1960s Aston Martin models. Under the body drawn by Alan Mobberley are the complete chassis, engine and transmission of the Jaguar XKR, whose production ended in 2014. This provides 375 kW/510 hp and 625 newtonmeters of torque from a five-liter supercharged V8 engine. In combination with the ZF six-speed automatic, it accelerates from a standstill to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds.
European tour with the prototype
It still took a while before low-volume production could start. Before that, company founder David Patrick Brown toured Europe with the prototype. He is not related to the David Brown who bought Aston Martin and Lagonda after World War 2. On his tour, he gathered various impressions and suggestions that resulted in improvements to the car before it went into production. He came to the idea of a classic sports car with modern technology after he had enjoyed the shapes of a Ferrari Daytona at a classic car rally, but then it broke down with a technical defect. He therefore wanted to combine the beautiful forms with reliable components. In 2017, the first production cars finally rolled onto a stand at the Geneva International Motor Show. Around 8,000 hours of work go into each car before it is ready to roll.
Number 11 goes to Germany
David Brown Automotive (DBA) is in no hurry. A maximum of 100 Speedback GTs are to be built. There will also be ten Speedback Silverstone Editions. This is the name of the sportier variant with 448 kW/609 hp and 766 newtonmeters of torque that debuted in Geneva in 2018. In a recent press release yesterday, the British brand presented the eleventh Speedback GT in more detail. This vehicle will soon go to its first owner in Germany. He ordered his copy with the optionally available rear seats. Alternatively, DBA offers a leather luggage rack at this point, since the rear seats are only recommended for children anyway.
Blue Moon and Tabak Tan
A special detail is hidden in the trunk of all Speedback GTs built so far. The hatch is divided into two parts. While the larger part swings up, the vertical part with the license plate can be folded down. The owner can then fold out a picnic bench from the trunk floor. There is also a hidden storage compartment for which DBA makes various custom-fit inserts. For example, there was already a vehicle with compartments for photography equipment. In number 11, a picnic blanket, two glasses, and bottles of gin and tonic water are located here. For the body, the new owner chose a hand-applied paint job in the color ‘Blue Moon’. The interior is finished in matching ‘Tabak Tan’ leather with Elm Burr satin wood veneers.
Images: David Brown Automotive
