1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 3.0-Litre Sports Saloon

• One of 565 made
• Delivered new to France
• Fitted with a DB2/4 3.0-litre engine
• Current ownership since 1985
• Valid Contrôle Technique

With the introduction of the '2+2' DB2/4 in autumn 1953, Aston Martin extended the DB2's appeal to the hitherto untapped yet increasingly important market comprised of 'sports car enthusiasts with a family'. By modifying the rear of the chassis, reducing the fuel tank capacity from 19 to 17 gallons and moving the spare wheel under the tank, Aston's engineers liberated sufficient space within the existing design for two child-sized occasional rear seats. Alternatively, the rear seat backs could be folded down, thus creating a load-carrying platform that more than doubled the luggage space. The latter could be accessed via the 2/4's opening rear door, a pioneering example of the now commonplace 'hatchback' concept.

In addition, a raised roofline, one-piece windscreen, larger bumpers, slightly raised headlights, modified dashboard gauge layout and other detail styling changes differentiated the newcomer from its predecessor. Otherwise, the DB2/4 remained much the same as the DB2, employing the latter's rectangular-tube chassis, trailing arm independent front suspension and well-located live rear axle. Bodies were supplied by Mulliners of Birmingham until the advent of the Mark II version in October 1955 when Tickford - recently acquired by Aston Martin's owner, David Brown - took over.

Designed at Lagonda by Willy Watson, under the supervision of the great W. O. Bentley, the 2.6-litre, six-cylinder, twin-cam power unit came in tuned (125bhp) Vantage specification as standard for the 2/4. Despite this, the re-design's inevitable weight gain was not fully compensated for until the arrival of the 3.0-litre, 140bhp engine in 1954. The DB2/4's top speed was now 118mph with 60mph reachable in around 11 seconds, making it one of the fastest British-built cars of the day. In total, 565 of all types had been produced by the time the Mark II version arrived in October 1955.

Chassis number 'LML588' was sold new via Aston Martin's Paris agents, Majestic Motors, and delivered on 17th December 1953 to its first owner, a Mr. De Dampoerre of 5 rue Lauriston, Paris. Its accompanying copy order form shows that the car (originally left-hand drive then converted to right-hand drive) was bodied as a saloon by Mulliners of Birmingham and left the Newport Pagnell factory finished in black with blue interior trim. In accordance with its year of manufacture and the aforementioned order form, this car was originally delivered with a 2.6-litre engine (number 'VB6E/50/1324'). During the restoration of the car, the 2.6 litre engine has been replaced with a 3-litre DB2/4 engine ('VB6J 463') comprehensively restored by the current owner.

Owned by our vendor since 1985, the Aston has been comprehensively restored and regularly maintained by his team of mechanics, just like all the other cars in his collection. Recent works undertaken include restoration of the front suspension, rear axle, and brakes. The repaint in red was undertaken by the current owner, and the upholstery has been re-trimmed in Ivory leather. The odometer now shows a total of 2,876 kilometres, which leads us to believe that the odometer was reset during the engine restoration. On a recent test drive the engine started straight away and was smooth, as was the gearbox, with all gears shifting well, while the brakes also worked properly.

Accompanying documentation includes a French Carte Grise, valid Contrôle Technique, and a record of historical works carried out, and the car also comes with a complete tool kit.