A sleek, black Aston Martin DB4GT Bertone Jet brought a record-breaking £3.2m ($4.9m) to Bonhams' auction of vintage automobiles on May 18.
The previous world record price for an Aston Martin at auction was held by a DB5 that starred in one of the James Bond films. It made £2.5m ($3.8m) in 2010.
 The Bertone Jet pictured at the Geneva motor show in 1961 |
The present DB4GT Coupe auctioned for the first time in 25 years at the Aston Martin works in Buckinghamshire, UK - where the car was manufactured more than 50 years ago.
Bonhams' James Knight commented: "When the first car lot realised £190,000 ($288,940) against an estimate of £50,000 ($76,034), I thought this was going to be one of those special days and it was, culminating with a new world auction record set by the Jet."
The multiple-award-winning Jet saw bids rise in £100,000 increments.
The Jet is a complete one off - the last DB4GT off the production line, and the only one boasting coachwork by eminent Italian design house Bertone. It debuted in Geneva 1961, alongside Jaguar's new E-Type.
A trio of "barn find" Aston Martins also put in strong performances. A DB4, DB5 and DB6 achieved a combined £609,300 ($926,816).
Among the ultimate symbols of luxury, classic cars continue to fascinate collectors with their elegance, engineering and historic significance.
For more information on the luxury car market, see Paul Fraser Collectibles' free guide to investing in classic cars.
For more from the world's most exciting car auctions, sign up for our free weekly newsletter.
