SHAKEN AND STIRRED

RINGBROTHERS ARE BUILDING AN ASTON MARTIN THAT'S WORTHY OF HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

- GREG EMMERSON

"Take a look; it's on the ground!" Mike Ring exclaims. "Today is the first time it's been down, and we've got the clamshell and doors in place."

Why is that important? Easy—the Ringbrothers are building a 1971 Astin Martin DBS for an unveiling at The Quail during Monterey Car Week, and we have the exclusive inside scoop. “This is easily the biggest project we've ever undertaken,” says Mike, one half of the dynamic car-building duo from Spring Green, Wisconsin. Mike, his brother, Jim, and their talented team of metal-shaping specialists have created some of the most talked about cars of the last 20 years. How does this project stack up against their recent radical creation, Enyo, the 1948 Chevy Loadmaster that was treated to an IndyCar makeover?

"It's another level!" Mike says. "With Enyo, we essentially kept the original cab, just narrowed and widened it. With the DBS, we're designing and fabricating everything. Take the doors, for example. We've had to replace every hinge, latch, and panel. Everything is custom. We've integrated parts from Aston Martin, Cadillac, Ford Mustang, even pickup parts—and that's just to give us electric windows and a different panel profile.