1953 Aston Martin DB2 Drophead Coupe

The Aston Martin DB2 was introduced in 1950. It was given an all-aluminum body, a highly tuned twin-cam straight six, and a peerless reputation among sports car enthusiasts. Over its production lifespan, just 99 examples were built, of which 76 were specified in left-hand drive for export markets. Of the left-drive chassis, only 19 were given the Aston Martin's race-proven 125 horsepower Vantage engine.

Chassis number LML/50/373
This car was built on July 10th of 1953 and was sold to its first owner, Thomas Powell of Providence, Rhode Island. In August 1954, with 1,458 miles on the odometer, the car was brought in for service to have an oil seal leak rectified and the brakes relined. At the time, twin wing mirrors and Alfin drums were installed.

In late 1954, the car was returned to Wacky Arolt and later sold to Bill Bedford through his friend Preston Gray.

When Aston Martin began offering a 2.9-liter engine in 1955, Mr. Gray obtained a new engine (VB6J/923) and gearbox through Arnolt, and installed them in Mr. Bedford's DB2. The engine that was in the DB2 was completely disassembled and stored in various boxes. At that point, the car was repainted blue, though not in the wide doorsills or inside the engine compartment.

In 1957, Mr. Bedford moved to Colorado and gave the DB2 to his friend, Bob Hodgson. When the engine threw a rod through both sides of the block, he repaired it with fiberglass patches. Later on, he added reinforcing clamps to the front coil fittings, a small 90-degree cast iron plumbing cap near the front axle and, in the early 1960s, he replaced the original rear window with red plastic.

The car was last registered in Connecticut in 1964, and spent the next decade parked in a barn on Hodgson's property. In 1975, the car was sitting in the barn with an elaborate metal grid and studio microphone suspended above it. This system was connected to a sound system in Mr. Hodgon's kitchen, so that he could hear if something was around the car. Around this time, the car was purchased by Paul Carima and took it to his home in Boston. He removed the 2.9-liter engine and gearbox, and put it on a stand with the intention of reassembling the original 2.6-liter engine. The project was put on hold and would sit for the next 37 years.

In January of 2012, the car was purchased by the current owner and had it shipped to his home in California. At the time or purchase, the 2.6-liter rested in 40 different boxes, with each piece carefully wrapped. The 2.9-liter engine - complete with yellowed fiberglass patches - and its gearbox were still on the wooden pallet from 1975.

The current owner commissioned a complete rebuild of the original engine and a sympathetic mechanical re-commissioning. The 2.6-liter Vantage engine was rebuilt with new valves, springs, guides, tappets, chains, pistons, liners, rings and bearings. Other mechanical systems were addressed as well. The fuel pump, radiator, carburetors, and electrical units were also rebuilt. A new aluminum fuel tank, clutch assembly, and front hubs were installed. The brake drums were turned, the master and wheel cylinders were refurbished, and the original gearbox was inspected and resealed. The work was completed at a cost of over $70,000.

In the summer of 2013, the DB2 returned to the road for the first time since 1964. The car has been driven less than 500 miles since its return.

The car is complete with rare original and period-correct accessories, including the Wilmot Breedon keys, Millennium jack, battery cables, starter crank handle, Kismet Car brass foot pump, a brass fire extinguisher, accessory badges, and a Duckhams Oil key fob. The car still has the spare 2.9-liter engine and gearbox, as well as the original 1952-dated steel gas tank.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2013