How to make a DB4 GT Continuation road legal
Spending millions on a car you are not allowed to drive on public roads has become something of a thing in the second decade of the 21st century – the price you pay for enjoying an otherwise unavailable classic car in newly-built but entirely period-correct “continuation” form. Now one company says it has answer…
Converting track-only continuation classics such as the latter-day Aston Martin DB4 GT is proving good business for the Swiss firm R-Reforged, whose conversions at its facility in Warwick have in the past got the thumbs up from Aston Martin itself. R-Reforged is part of the AF Racing Group that worked with Aston on the Valkyrie.
The last time we heard of R-Reforged was in April when it announced its take on the Aston/Zagato anniversary special-edition theme: rebodied previous-generation Vantage V12s with new Zagato-designed speedster and coupe bodies, and licensed by Aston Martin.
Now it is branching out into the world of IVA – Individual Vehicle Approval compliance, without which your continuation classic is not street legal. Already R-Reforged claims to have made seven of the 19 DB4 GT Continuation cars Aston has made road legal, in what it says is a fully reversible operation that incorporates more than 60 changes and takes 10 weeks.
As R-Reforged says, there’s more to the conversion than bolting on a set of number plates. Changes include different wheel nuts, road tyres, a padded steering wheel, E-marked glass, side repeaters, wing mirrors and retractable rear fog lamp, fitting an immobiliser and removing front fog lights for pedestrian safety reasons. A new integrated silencer and catalyst exhaust ensures the cars meet EU emissions standards, claims the firm.
The bodywork is not altered in the conversion and any removed components are kept so the car can be converted back to original continuation trim if it needs to be.
Other cars R-Reforged says it can convert for road use include the Jaguar Lightweight E-type, while in the past the company says it has registered for UK road use the Ferrari 599 Zagato, Aston Martin DBR2, Land Rover Defender Works V8 70th edition and Lamborghini Gallardo Zagato Spyder.
It says its UK IVA compliance is available for all continuation series, limited production and one-off vehicles, as well as electrified classic and performance cars, and a certificate may be accepted in other countries under ‘mutual recognition’ agreements.
“By being restricted to private tracks, owners haven’t been able to extract the full pleasure of driving a newly-built classic,” says R-Reforged’s head of engineering Adam Donfrancesco. “With our service, it’s possible to enjoy these special cars on the road.”
Aston Martin
DG4 GT
DB4 GT Continuation
R-Reforged
