Rare Aston Martin sells for $1.97m

A rare sports car has fetched more than STG1.23 million ($A1.97 million) at auction. The Aston Martin - one of just four of its kind ever made - was sold on Saturday at the manufacturer's historic works in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire. More than 2000 bidders and enthusiasts packed into the newly relaunched facility to see the sale of the DB4GT Zagato Sanction II coupe, once owned by Tony Smith, manager of entertainer Phil Collins. The car was one of 46 cars sold at the auction, for a collective total of STG6.5 million. James Knight, the international managing director of collectors cars at Bonhams, said: "With only four Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction IIs made, '0198/R' represented a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of these fabulous cars, which will become increasingly collectible." There had been a "steady rise of interest" in Aston Martins in recent times, he added.y