Based on a DBS V8 chassis, the bodywork was
constructed from glassfibre and above the waistline is totally formed from
glass supported on a tubular frame of Reynolds 531 (as found on the very
best bicycles 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 harder
the driver braked, the more lights were illuminated. The headlamps are hidden by
panels that drop down when the lamps are in use.
Also of note is that the car
has a single sideways rear seat which must make this the only post war three
seater Aston Martin.
A second sister car based a DBSV8 automatic chassis, was
also built as the result of a request of a private customer in 1973. But the
price was very high indeed. The car was reputed to have cost £28,750 when the
standard car was only £8749. This particular car (left) has had the original fuel
injection system removed and replaced with Weber carburettors. This has
necessitated a bonnet bulge to give the extra height which would not have been
there when the car was first shown. The car is featured in the sales catalogue
for the Christies auction at Retromobile, 12th February 2005.
The
problem with a car such as the Ogle that so closely follows fashion, is that
it can start to look outdated very quickly - and I'm afraid that it does
look very '70's'. But despite it's looks, the reduction in weight made
the Ogle significantly quicker than the standard DBS V8.
These photographs of the second car were taken in June 2005 at
the Aston Martin Restoration Centre in Newport Pagnell.