So, an Aston Martin DB5, reimagined then? That must be the case because the man behind this car is named David Brown. And we know that Sir David Brown gave his initials to some of the finest Aston Martins ever made. Interestingly, this is a different David Brown, even though both of them hail from Yorkshire and both count as great British entrepreneurs.

This David Brown is an entrepreneur with his fingers in pies from brewing to interior design by way of heavy manufacturing. He clearly has a flair for adventure, having done the Paris-Peking Rally in a 1920s Rolls-Royce, amid other japes.

He decided he liked his old Aston Martin DB5 enormously, but he wanted to own a modern version. So he built one. Of course, this is not an Aston Martin, and contains nothing from their parts bin. And even someone as wealthy as David Brown doesn’t have the resources to build a platform from scratch. So he’s used an existing one.

Under that utterly beautiful coachwork lies the chassis, engine and all major ancillaries from a Jaguar XKR. Now, some would carp at that, but he’s using a very fine British chassis and engine, and without such a move this wouldn’t exist at all. And we love the XKR.

Speaking of Jaguar, the designer for the Speedback GT was Alan Mobberley, who came out of retirement to design this after a career at Land Rover. Mobberley describes the car as “a contemporary GT with the heart and soul of a classic.”

Certainly, it’s beautifully made, with some of the detailing of the bodywork better than anything the DB5 could ever produce, like those wonderful front bumperettes. There are also clever touches, like a picnic seat, which springs out of the flat boot floor to offer a perch for two people. Something you might like on a luxury 4x4, but here it is in a grand tourer.

The interior is a symphony of wood, leather and metal, possibly an Elgar symphony. Again, detailing is profound and the materials top class.

On the road it’s a beauty, which isn’t surprising given the XKR heritage. You get all the electronics of the Jaguar plus there is wonderful steering, lovely flat handling, comfortable ride and powerful brakes. In fact, the ride is slightly softer than in the XKR as it rides on higher-profile tyres. You can press the Hush Puppy to the Wilton or waft to your heart’s content.

There is one car already built, the one you see in the photos, and there are more in the offing. But there will never be many, possibly fewer than 100. The price is steep, but reflects the hand-built coachwork that goes into this wonderfully eccentric English creation, perfectly combining the old with the new.

David Brown Speedback GT

Price: £594,000

0-62mph: 4.6 sec

Top Speed: 155mph

Engine: 8cyls, 5000cc, supercharged petrol

Power: 503bhp at 6000rpm

Torque: 416lb ft at 2500-5500rpm

Kerb weight: 1800kg (est)

Gearbox: 6-spd automatic with paddle shifters

Economy: 23mpg (est)

CO2: 292g/km (est)