£1.5 Million is J-ustinov

A convertible Aston Martin bought by Sir Peter Ustinov after he won an Oscar has sold for £1.5 million – almost FOUR TIMES what the owner paid in 2011.

Hollywood icon Ustinov was living in a hotel in Switzerland when he was delivered the brand-new Aston Martin DB4 Cabriolet in 1962.

It was around a year after he had won a Best Supporting Actor award for his role as Batiatus in the Roman epic Spartacus. 

The pretty British sports car cost Ustinov around £4,000 at a time the average British home was £2,500, with one magazine praising its “high quality, exceptional performance, lavish finishing”. 

It was last sold in 2011 for £430,000 and the owner entered it into Bonhams’ Aston Martin sale in Newport Pagnell, Bucks, on Saturday where it was given an estimate of £900,000.

But huge international interest saw bidding go through the roof with the new owner eventually paying a whopping £1.5 million for the convertible Aston Martin.

Under the bonnet of the Aston is a 3.6-litre engine developing around 240bhp, giving it  a 0-60mph time of nine seconds and a top speed of 140mph.

It is not known how long Ustinov owned the Aston Martin, but it had two more owners before being bought by British race car driver David Piper, who sold it in 1984. 

Bonhams was holding its 16th annual Aston Martin Works Sale, with the £10.2 million in sales a record for the event.

A 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible in ‘Vantage’ specification was the highest price car of the sale, selling for £1,524,700.

James Knight, Bonhams head of motor cars, said: “As pioneers of the single-marque sale, we’ve returned to the Works Service here in Newport Pagnell for another great auction, exceeding all previous year’s totals, with £10.3 million of motor cars sold.

“The quintessentially British marque of Aston Martin attracts interest from enthusiasts across the world, a fact demonstrated here today as we took bids from all corners of the globe. 

“This year’s sale attracted a larger and more cosmopolitan than ever before, achieving an excellent result.”