Backyard Bond: 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4
It’s hard to imagine all the questions that were probably running through the head of the person who made this stellar find. What is this tattered and rusted car behind this bush? How did it get here? The answer to the first question is it’s an Aston Martin, a 1955 DB2/4 to be exact. And whether anyone will ever be able to explain how it got in this field we will never know. But we’re just glad someone discovered this Aston and decided to give it a chance to find a new home. If you’re interested in giving it a good home you can find it here at Gullwing Motors with an asking price of $79,500.
The DB2/4 was based on the DB2 that it replaced, but was intended to be more of a grand tourer than its predecessor. This car is rough, but considering it’s been sitting in a field for 30 years the body and undercarriage are in pretty good shape.
The DB2/4 came in several configurations, which included a Drophead coupe, a saloon, and a handful of convertibles. This one is the more common 2+2 saloon, but is still a very handsome car. This car is going to take a lot of getting the body straight, but from what we can tell it doesn’t appear to have any major body damage.
The interior is very rough, but the floors look to be intact and the gauges are all still there. You can see the back seats are folded down in this picture. This car would make an amazing tour car after a detailed restoration.
We did a little investigative work and discovered that this car has the 2.9 liter Lagonda engine in it, that is if it is original. The seller says its matching numbers and we are inclined to believe them. The 2.9 liter VB6/J engine produced 140 hp and allowed for a top speed of 120 mph. This car is going to be a significant project, that’s going to cost. Considering the current value of these cars, do you think it could be restored without going upside down?
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Comments
Wow… It is like finding a priceless piece of art at a garage sale! Good luck to the new owner. Whoever that lucky person maybe…
Having owned these in the past, I would say that this one looks very original and correct. Mechanical parts are in very good supply from the UK, but even 20 years ago were shockingly expensive. Original build sheet should be available from the AMOC UK.
I restored a DB2 two years ago, including extensive coachwork and a frame rebuild including the firewall. It was a much better car than to begin with. Expect restoration cost north of $100,000. The body is aluminum over a steel superstructure. Contact corrosion is the biggest issue and very labor intensive to repair. Body parts are not available. Period. None. But they are getting more valuable by the day…
i’m sorry for the sucker that spends 80k on this. leave well alone and buy a driver that you can fix… not a basket case
Having just completed a restoration of a 1954 DB2/4 I can say this car will easily cost over $100,000 to restore and if finished to a high standard could run twice that figure. Even in concourse condition it is unlikely that sort of investment can be recovered if sold given the current market for these cars. If you hold onto it long enough it’s possible that one could break even I suppose. Best to buy it only if you want a big project, otherwise find a nice one.
Frankly I think most of what I see in Hemmings from Gullwing are overpriced. They should be sold for less. No owner, who lets a fine vehicle like an Aston Martin to come to this state, DESERVES that kind of money. Divide the price by 10 and help complete the restoration.
When I see a classic car in such bad condition, it reminds me of some advice I got from an MG expert when I was contemplating the purchase of a rusted and very needy MGA Coupe: “You can’t save every orphan in the world”. This old Aston is one orphan that could probably be saved but only if the new owner is willing to take a big financial hit that he will never recoup. I agree the price is WAY too high relative to the condition.
Thanks Mike. It has to be some type of family heirloom or just a well loved car, to justify the money spent. Cars are not as good as an investment as say real estate (was), or the right stock. They are only a hobby and nothing else really. Muscle cars are being overpriced as well. They are beautiful but not Pierce Arrows nor Deusenbergs. The guy who recently paid a million for a 1971 Hemi Barracuda will eventually rue the day he plunked that down. $100K, $150, sure ok, but such prices are insane. The MGA Coupe is a beautiful car with a nicely fit roofline. Clausinger, whose “Original MGA” showed an MGA Coupe in terrible shape, as if it spent 10 years awash in seawater on a beach. The only thing that could save that car was its historical value. I have an MGA drophead that I had professionally restored, and if you knew what I spent, you would shoot me. Nonetheless it is beautiful now and sits in my garage, well protected. The car never had it so good.
You’re right about cars as investments. I only paid $3500 for my Aston Martin DB2/4 back in 1982 and it was in WAY better shape than the one for sale here. After an awful lot of money it is now very nice. You can see my car on the Britsport of Seattle website (pictures at Kirkland Concours d’ Elegance and also under “current projects” when it was being restored). I figure I could probably come out in the black on that one but that’s a pretty rare example given the cost of labor nowadays. Restoring any of the more common types of English classic car (Triumph, MGA, etc.) is almost certain to cost more money than buying a really nice one, unless you do it yourself and don’t calculate the cost of your own labor! Just say it was for fun and you’ll feel better about it! You just have to love old cars and not be too worried about what it costs. Like your MGA. Just enjoy it. Life is short!
Spent last summer (1963) before graduating from college ,in Southport, Connecticut, and luckily got to go to the races with Sy Kaback, Lotus distributor for the U.S. At one track, sitting in the weeds was an Aston Zagato. Asked Sy about it and he said oh, Harry (or Bobby or Harold) blew the engine and he just parked it.
I asked how much$$$ and Sy said try $3000, he might go for it. But being a broke college student,,,,