The unusual Ogle Aston Martin was first shown at the Montreal Motor Show in January 1972. The idea came from David Ogle in the 1960s, but it wasn't until the project evolved to a finished car after his death. With the cost of the car being met by the tobacco company, W.O.Wills, the car was designed and built in 1971 under the guidance of Tom Karen. The car was known as 'The Sotheby Special' and finished in dark blue with gold pinstripes to promote the cigarette brand that Wills had just introduced. As the brand failed, the car was repainted in the 'Embassy' colors of white with a logo of red triangles.
Based on a DBS V8 chassis, the bodywork was constructed from glass fiber, and above the waistline is formed from glass supported on a tubular frame of Reynolds 531 (as also used on the very best bicycle frames at the time). The rear panel was made of a single sheet of brushed stainless steel with 22 holes cut into it for the rear lamps. The headlamps are hidden by panels that drop down when the lamps are used. The harder the driver braked, the more lights were illuminated.
Also, the car has a single sideways rear seat, making this the only post-war three-seater Aston Martin.
The problem with a car such as the Ogle that so closely follows fashion is that it can start to look outdated quickly – and I'm afraid it does look very' 70's'. But despite its looks, the reduction in weight by having a fiberglass body made the Ogle significantly quicker than the standard DBS V8.
The original 'Sotheby Special,' GHU120K, has proved very elusive to me but was seen in public at the Aston Martin Centenary Celebration at Kensington Palace in July 2013. It also is held in a private collection in the UK.
A second sister car, GRA679, based on a slightly later AM V8 automatic chassis, was also built due to a request of a private customer in 1973. The car was reputed to have cost £28,750 when the standard car was only £8,749. But the price was very high indeed. In 1965, Ogle Design was also responsible for designing the concept interior for the DB5.
Source: astonmartins.com
Images: shorey.net; www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au; leroux.andre.free.fr; www.autogen.pl
Pictured Above: Aston Martin DBS V8 'Sotheby Special' (Ogle Design), 1972
Pictured Above: Aston Martin V8 'Sotheby Special' (Ogle Design), 1973
