David Brown Automotive is a startup that has nothing to do with Sir David Brown, the post-World War II owner of Aston Martin. Still, the first product of the new UK-based carmaker has Aston Martin written all over it.

The David Brown Speedback, scheduled to debut at the Top Marques Monaco show on April 17, has a similar shape to Aston Martin’s iconic DB5, but the design team says there are also cues from Ferraris and Maseratis of the 1960s.

Under the retro-styled hand-crafted aluminum body there’s a Jaguar XKR chassis and powertrain, consisting of a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 510 PS (503hp) and 625 Nm (461 lb-ft) linked to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The Speedback sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in a not-so-retro 4.8 seconds and can reach a limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h).

Like the exterior, the interior of the car is bespoke, featuring fine wood trim, leather and brushed aluminum. So why did David Brown decide the world needed this car? “I wanted all the impact and style of a classic sports car, but with modern capabilities and conveniences. This is what I want in a car, but it’s not something anyone really offers. So, I’ve created it myself,” the entrepreneur explained.

David Brown says his company won’t build more than 50 units a year in the most optimistic scenario, and that would be quite an achievement, given that the Speedback is expected to cost anywhere between £100,000 and £1 million.

By Dan Mihalascu

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