This 1957 Aston Martin DB 2/4 Mark II is one of approximately 199 examples built during two years of production and is configured in left-hand drive. Chassis 1183 is said to have spent time in California when new before being purchased in 1964 by an Indiana engineer who remained its steward for three decades. The car then resided in Indiana’s Door Prarie Museum for 10 years. Under subsequent ownership, it is said to have undergone a refurbishment in 2008 that included a repaint in black and an overhaul of the 2,922cc VB6J DOHC inline-six. After being purchased by its current owner in 2021, the car completed the Mille Miglia in Italy from Brescia to Rome and back. Features include twin SU carburetors, a four-speed manual transmission, chrome 16” wire wheels, drum brakes with duplex actuation up front, electronic ignition, an electric fuel pump, driving lamps, and a Brantz rally computer. This DB2/4 is now offered on dealer consignment in Newbury Park, California, with a FIVA Identity Card, invoices from 2021, and a clean Montana title.
The DB2/4 was introduced in 1953 as a successor to the DB2. Styling revisions included a wrap-around windshield, more-substantial bumpers, and repositioned headlights. The saloon variant also gained rear seats and a hatchback. Mark II production began in 1955, at which point coachbuilding for the model was shifted to Tickford in Newport Pagnell. Characteristics of Mark II DB2/4 include a raised roof line, a redesigned hood layout, tail fins, and bubble-type taillights.
This example is said to have undergone a repaint in its current shade of black during the refurbishment performed in 2008. Features include chrome bumpers with overriders, Lucas headlights and driving lamps, bumper-mounted badges, a driver-side mirror, an external fuel filler cap, and dual exhaust outlets.
Chrome wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 185R16 Michelin X tires. Stopping is handled by four-wheel drum brakes that were adjusted during a post-Mille Miglia service by Fast Cars Ltd. of Redondo Beach, California, in 2021. The brake master cylinder was rebuilt in 2021 prior to the Mille Miglia.
The left-hand-drive cabin is trimmed in red leather over the front bucket seats, fold-down rear bench seat, and door panels. Additional features include color-keyed carpeting, red lap belts for the front occupants, dual cubbies, a Brantz rally computer, and a dual nine-volt receptacle with an integrated digital voltmeter.
The wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of a wood dashboard fascia housing Smiths instrumentation including a 140-mph speedometer with an inset clock, a reverse-sweep tachometer, and a combination gauge monitoring oil pressure, amperage, coolant temperature, and fuel level. The five-digit odometer shows 19k miles. True mileage is unknown.
The 2,922cc VB6J inline-six features dual overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, and twin SU carburetors. The engine is said to have been overhauled during the 2008 refurbishment under previous ownership, at which time the carburetors and fuel pump were rebuilt. Service in preparation for the 2021 Mille Miglia included a refresh of the carburetors, while work after the car’s return from the event included an oil change and replacement of the spark plugs.
Power is sent to the rear wheels through a four-speed manual transmission. Independent front suspension incorporates a transverse torsion bar, while the solid-axle rear is positioned by trailing arms and a Panhard rod. Coil springs and lever-arm shock absorbers are featured all around. The exhaust system is said to have been refreshed during the 2008 project.
The FIVA Identity Card is dated 2020 and lists the car’s specifications and ownership history, while also noting the addition of electronic ignition and an electric fuel pump.
There is currently a lien on the car, and the owner’s lender will need to be paid off before the title can be transferred to the new owner.
