Speedback sports car blends old with new

David Brown is either very brave, or very foolish. His automotive group have set out to create a contradiction: a modern classic.

This is the Speedback, David Brown Automotive's début effort to wed the latest sports car technology with traditional British design: built by hand in the UK, the wire spoked wheels fed by the power of a five-litre V8 engine, going from 0-60 in a suitably contemporary four seconds.

Despite sharing the name of Auston Martin's one-time managing director, David Brown has British sports car heritage beyond an appreciative eye. The Speedback squeezes in nods to the Appia Zagato, Jaguar E Type, Ferrari 250 and Aston Martin's DB5, built into the chassis of the modern Jaguar XKR.

Prices are yet to be announced, with further details set to be revealed at April's Top Marques Show in Monaco, along with news of the illusively titled "Project Judi". A Speedback convertible? We'll keep you posted.

(Images: David Brown Automotive)

(Via: Uncrate)