autoevolution
 

David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2 Is Looking For A New Owner

Old Aston Martin models are two things: incredibly pretty and mind-bogglingly expensive. That’s due to a number of factors, including an entrepreneur going by the name of David Brown.
David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2 8 photos
Photo: Gooding & Company
David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2David Brown’s 1949 Aston Martin DB2
The owner of a tractor manufacturer, it was 1947 when David Brown’s business sense was caught by the scruff of the neck by an ad in a newspaper. More specifically, someone was trying to sell a “high-class motor business.” A telephone later, Brown acquired Aston Martin for £20,500 and got to work.

Thus the first DB-named model was born in 1950, the DB2, as did the first-ever Vantage performance upgrade. It’s believed that only 411 units of the DB2 were manufactured over roughly three years, with production ceasing in April 1953. This fellow here, which was built in 1949, is chassis number LML/49/4 and engine number LB6/49/29, which means two things.

One: it’s a development prototype for the DB2 and David Brown’s former daily driver. Two: it’s the first-ever Aston Martin to employ the LB6-type inline-six engine. Without a shadow of a doubt, the pictured DB2is an incredibly special machine for both hardcore collectors and car lovers.

Car collectors might be interested in it as well, especially now that the current owner decided it wants to sell it. Gooding & Company will handle tough part, with pre-auction estimates in the region of $1,500,000 to $2,250,000. What’s more, it also happens to have a fair bit of racing pedigree under its sleeve.

One of the former owners, Simon Draper, entrusted the car to Aston Martin’s Works Service in Newport Pagnell in 1992. The factory then proceeded to restore the DB2 as period correct as possible, money no object. Draper then sold LML/49/4 to the current owner in 2009, who showcased the car at Villa d’Este, Pebble Beach, and Mille Miglia Storica, among other venues.

In addition to its FIVA passport, David Brown’s former DB3 is offered with an impressive file of documentation, including technical drawings and a scale model. It’s rather clear, then, that this is one of the highlights of Gooding & Company’s Amelia Island 2017 auction, which is slated to begin on March 10 at the Omni Amelia Island Plantation near Jacksonville, Florida.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories