It’s not every day that a classic Aston Martin can claim to have helped shape the future of the motor car, only to return to its original six-cylinder petrol engine.
But that’s exactly what happened to this remarkable 1970 Aston Martin DB6 Mk2 Volante.
One of just 38 examples built, it was selected by Aston Martin itself to demonstrate an innovative electric conversion system designed to give historic cars a potentially very different future.
Now restored to its original petrol-powered configuration, the rare convertible is heading to auction with an estimate of £450,000 to £550,000.
And there’s another interesting twist.
The Aston is being offered directly from the personal collection of Nick Whale, Chairman and founder of Iconic Auctioneers, who is also parting with three very different performance cars and two collectible motorcycles at the NEC Classic Motor Show in November.
It’s quite a collection, and one that offers an intriguing glimpse into the motoring tastes of the man behind the auction house.
Even without its unusual history, this DB6 would be a significant car.
The Mk2 was the final development of Aston Martin’s DB6, incorporating changes including flared wheelarches, DBS-style wheels and power-assisted steering.
Just 38 Mk2 Volantes were built before DB6 production ended in 1970.
This particular example left the factory in June that year and is accompanied by a documented ownership and maintenance history stretching back to new.
After being upgraded to Vantage specification, the car was acquired by Aston Martin Works in 2007.
According to Iconic Auctioneers, Aston Martin had been searching for what it considered the best available Mk2 Volante, and this was the car it chose.
It remained in the manufacturer’s hands until 2018.
But its most unusual chapter was still to come.
In December 2018, Aston Martin announced an ambitious idea.
Rather than permanently modify historic cars to accept electric power, its engineers had developed a system intended to make the conversion reversible.
Known as the Heritage EV ‘Cassette’ concept, it was designed to replace the original petrol drivetrain without requiring irreversible changes to the vehicle.
The idea was to provide a possible way of keeping cherished classics usable in a future where restrictions on conventional petrol-powered vehicles might become more widespread.
And the car chosen to demonstrate the technology was this very DB6 Mk2 Volante.
It was a fascinating choice.
Here was one of the rarest open-top Aston Martins ever built, being used to explore a future in which the sound of its original straight-six engine might be replaced by near-silent electric propulsion.
During 2019, the DB6 travelled around Europe wearing the registration 1 AML as Aston Martin demonstrated the concept.
But the most important part of the experiment was perhaps what happened afterwards.
The electric equipment was removed and the car’s original running gear, including its matching-numbers engine, was reinstated.
The quality of that work was subsequently recognised with a class victory at an Aston Martin Owners Club concours event.
So this isn’t an electric-converted classic being offered for sale.
It’s a petrol-powered DB6 that once served as Aston Martin’s pioneering electric demonstrator, before being returned to its original mechanical configuration.
That must make for one of the more unusual histories of any surviving DB6.
Nick Whale acquired the Aston during the Covid period and has subsequently invested substantially in its condition.
According to the auction house, more than £30,000 was spent on the powertrain during 2025, with further servicing undertaken by Aston Martin specialist Des Smail in 2026.
The combination of rarity, documented provenance, its time with Aston Martin Works and its remarkable electric-conversion history makes this a particularly interesting example.
Whether that unusual chapter adds to its appeal for collectors will be fascinating to see.
The guide price is £450,000 to £550,000, making it comfortably the most valuable vehicle in Whale’s group.
But the remaining entries are far from ordinary.
For enthusiasts of British sports cars, the next vehicle might be every bit as tempting.
Whale is offering his 2001 TVR Griffith 500SE, number six of the final 100 Special Edition cars.
Finished in Rolex Blue with Portland and Purple leather upholstery, it has covered just 15,400 documented miles from new.
Under that long bonnet sits the familiar 5.0-litre Rover-derived V8, producing a quoted 340bhp.
The Griffith was always a wonderfully uncomplicated proposition: a powerful V8, rear-wheel drive, relatively little weight and styling that still looks spectacular today.
The final Special Edition cars are particularly sought after, and this example has reportedly been maintained and sympathetically upgraded, with its original wheels also included.
Whale has a personal connection with the model.
He knew former TVR owner Peter Wheeler and owned three Griffiths during the period when they were current cars.
He describes this particular example as the best Griffith he has seen or driven.
That’s quite an endorsement from someone with such extensive experience of the model.
The TVR carries an estimate of £40,000 to £50,000.
Jump forward more than two decades and the collection takes a very different direction.
The 2024 Porsche 718 Spyder RS is one of the most focused open-top versions of Porsche’s mid-engined sports car.
Its naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-six is derived from the 911 GT3, giving it a very different character from the turbocharged four-cylinder engines fitted to more conventional 718 models.
Whale’s UK-supplied example is finished in GT Silver and has covered just 1,688 miles.
It was ordered with more than £35,000 of factory options, including the Weissach Package, forged magnesium wheels, ceramic brakes and front-axle lift.
The car received its two-year service at Porsche Centre Solihull in March 2026.
With such low mileage and a particularly desirable specification, it represents the modern performance end of the collection.
The estimate is £120,000 to £140,000.
The fourth car is a 2020 BMW M2 CS, equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox.
For many driving enthusiasts, that transmission alone will be a significant part of its appeal.
The M2 CS was developed as a more focused version of BMW’s compact performance coupé, combining a 444bhp engine with lightweight components and uprated chassis technology.
Its specification includes a carbon-fibre bonnet and roof, Adaptive M suspension and an Active M Differential.
Finished in Black Sapphire with Alcantara and Merino leather upholstery, this example had covered approximately 4,400 miles when catalogued.
It also has a full BMW dealer service history and has been kept indoors as part of Whale’s collection.
The combination of low mileage, manual transmission and CS specification makes it an interesting prospect for collectors of modern performance BMWs.
The estimate is £80,000 to £95,000.
Cars aren’t Nick Whale’s only interest.
Two motorcycles from his collection will also be offered at the NEC, with both representing important chapters in superbike history.
The first is a 2004 MV Agusta F4 1000 Ago.
Created as a tribute to legendary motorcycle racer Giacomo Agostini, the special edition was limited to just 300 examples, with this machine being number 122.
Finished in the distinctive Ago colours, it has covered approximately 1,500 miles and is described as highly original.
It comes with its book pack, paddock stand, original cover and framed certificate.
With an estimate of £18,000 to £25,000, it’s an appealing prospect for collectors of Italian motorcycles.
Alongside it is a 1992 Honda CBR900RR FireBlade, from the model’s first year of production.
The original FireBlade changed expectations of what a large-capacity sports motorcycle could be, placing particular emphasis on light weight, agility and handling.
This UK-supplied example has covered 17,900 miles and has been restored at considerable expense to its original specification.
For anyone who remembers the excitement surrounding the first FireBlades in the early 1990s, it should be a particularly nostalgic entry.
The Honda is estimated at £8,000 to £12,000.
What makes this collection especially interesting is its variety.
There’s a rare Aston Martin with extraordinary historical significance, a charismatic British V8 sports car, two modern performance machines and a pair of motorcycles representing very different eras of superbike development.
It’s not a collection restricted to one manufacturer, one decade or even one type of vehicle.
And perhaps that tells us more about Nick Whale’s personal tastes than a garage filled entirely with exotic machinery ever could.
The common thread is clearly an appreciation of cars and motorcycles with strong identities, interesting engineering and genuine enthusiast appeal.
We particularly like the contrast between the Aston Martin and the TVR.
One is a hugely valuable, historically significant grand tourer that has even experimented with electric propulsion.
The other is a relatively simple, wonderfully noisy British sports car built around a big V8.
Both are appealing, but for entirely different reasons.
The four cars will be offered at Iconic Auctioneers’ Iconic Sale during the NEC Classic Motor Show on Saturday 14 November 2026.
The two motorcycles will follow in the Iconic Motorcycle Sale on Sunday 15 November.
The headline Aston Martin carries an estimate of £450,000 to £550,000, but there’s something here to interest enthusiasts at several very different price levels.
Full catalogue information, photographs and bidding registration details are available from Iconic Auctioneers.
View the Iconic Auctioneers NEC sale catalogue
And here’s a question.
If you could choose just one of Nick Whale’s six vehicles to take home, which would it be?
The extraordinarily rare Aston Martin, the glorious V8 TVR, one of the modern performance cars or perhaps one of those two superbikes?
We suspect the answers might be rather varied.
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