There are some things that simply go together better than anything else. Think gin and tonic, ebony and ivory, or Aston Martin and Zagato. The British automaker and the Italian coachbuilder have a relationship that stretches back all the way to the 1960s, stemming from the original DB4 GT all the way to the current V12 Zagato. There were others along the way, of course, but while some of them never made it to the American market, this one was created especially for it. And now one of them is going up for auction.

The car in question is the 2003 Aston Martin DB AR1. Like the DB7 Zagato coupe, it was based on the grand tourer that put Aston back on the map under Ford ownership after too many years of building bloated, boxy machines that looked like overgrown Mustangs. And like the DB7, only 100 examples of the DB AR1 (shorthand for American Roadster 1) were made, with 99 sold to private customers and 1 remaining in the manufacturer's collection. What set the AR1 apart from the DB7 Zagato is its roadster body-style. Unlike the DB7 Volante, the AR1 was a strict two-seater, clothed in Zagato sheetmetal to distinguish it from standard Astons.

Power came from the same 6.0-liter V12 that has motivated the majority of Aston models produced since the DB7 Vantage from which the AR1 borrowed its underpinnings. RM Auctions is putting this particular black-cherry example with cream and burgundy interior up for sale at its upcoming event in Arizona, although it has yet to release details on the car's history or how much it is expected to sell for. Still, you can check out the images (shot by Teddy Pieper, courtesy of RM Auctions) for a closer look at a rare piece of European motoring excellence built specifically for America.