The NEC Classic Motor Show Sale 2019 - 9th & 10th November 2019

The NEC Classic Motor Show Sale 2019 84 Cars Saturday 9th November 2019 Registration: YVL 636 Chassis Number: LML/50/16 Engine Number: LB6B/50/173 Estimate: £390,000 - £450,000 • One of the first 49, Series 1, three-grille, ‘Washboard’ examples • The sixth customer DB2. Delivered new to Australia, in right-hand drive by Brown and Dureau on 14/12/1950 • Numbers match Aston’s factory datasheet • Still in its original Almond Green over Dark Green • Competition history in Australia during the early fifties • Bare metal body-off restoration and full mechanical rebuild by The Healey Factory 2004-2007 • Purchased by Vern Schuppan in 2009 and taken to the top-level (2010/2011) by Marque Restoration of Adelaide • Third place in ‘Post-war Sports Cars’ in 2015 at Pebble Beach, the world’s most prestigious Concours • An important car. One of the best, if not THE best DB2 in the world Making its debut at Le Mans in 1949, well before road versions hit the streets, the first DB2s were fully-fledged competition cars. The model was made possible by David Brown’s purchase of Aston Martin and Lagonda in 1947 guaranteeing the availability of Lagonda’s superb twin-cam, six-cylinder engine – a WO Bentley creation – which when mated to a shortened AM ‘2-litre Sport’ chassis and clothed in Frank Feeley’s distinctive sports-tourer bodywork resulted in the era-defining DB2. The earliest DB2s to fly from the factory floor featured a three-part grille and a substantial slatted vent behind each front wheel which gave rise to the “Washboard” nickname which is still how the early cars are referred to and even the current register of the three-grille cars is entitled ‘The Washboard Register’. After an initial run of 49 cars, the design was simplified and thereafter the side vent was deleted and the three-piece grille replaced by a single unit. To quote Frank Feeley, responsible for the DB2 design, in Aston Martin Magazine: “Anyway, eventually we tidied up the DB2 and got it into production by which time quite a few changes had been made. For example, we had these outlet grilles on each side of the bonnet behind the front wheels. But Lawrence Pommeroy of The Motor said to David Brown that they were awful and looked like washboards. He had a lot of influence with him and persuaded David Brown to do away with them. So we had to drop them but I personally always thought they looked rather nice, and I was rather upset when they were done away with. Another change we made later was to the grille which started off as a three-piece design. This change came about through James Watt who said can’t we save some cost by making it one piece. So I redesigned it to the shape which has become almost a trademark. The grille itself was made of horizontal slots on a very light frame which was just pushed up behind the panel work to fill the big window. I don’t really think it was an improvement but we had to save costs somewhere. I preferred the first design actually.” LML/50/16 was the sixth production DB2 and the first, we understand, to be fitted with a floor-mounted gear change. According to its BMI Heritage Certificate, it was finished in Polychromatic Almond Green with a beige interior (the same colour as the three works cars at Le Mans in 1949) and fitted with a Smiths heater and a Smiths Bijou cigar lighter. It was signed off by the factory on the 01/10/1950 and the following day set off on its long journey to Melbourne, Australia where Aston Martin agents, Brown and Dureau, had a customer waiting. After the import documentation had been completed and the car prepared for sale, it was duly registered XPG 833 and delivered to its first owner, a Mr WH (Tony) Luxton of Dundenory, Victoria on the 14/12/1950 just in time for Christmas. Tony Luxton obviously enjoyed a bit of competitive motoring and there are written records and photographs of the car competing in The Victorian Trophy in November 1951 at Ballarat Airfield, the Rob Roy hill climb on 29/01/1951 (demonstration run) and the Argus Cup on 18/03/1956 where it placed 15th. Within the history file are a copy of Australian Motor Sports magazine and various photographs, results sheets etc. Also within that file is some limited service information confirming that at various times between March 1951 and June 1953, Brown and Dureau carried out work to the Aston including the N/S rear shock absorber, two front springs, a broken push rod, windscreen wiper repair, water temperature gauge, and sundry oil leaks. Now registered as VIC 420, the car’s second owner was a Mr P Thornley from South Yarra, Victoria and subsequently a GJ Moulden until around 1991. 1950 Aston Martin DB2 ‘Washboard’ LOT 248 More Images Lot 248 Bid On Lot 248