The Aston Martin DB2 is quite simply the essence of post-war motoring. Beautifully proportioned line and an unmistakeable presence, the DB2 is one of the most desirable cars of the era. Equally at home on the concours lawn as it is on a sweeping country road, it offers a wonderfully engaging driving experience combined with the timeless style and craftsmanship for which Aston Martin became renowned.

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This Car

The DB2 we have here is an exceptional example. Having been with its current owner for over ten years, he has carried out a significant amount of research around the history of the car as well as commissioned a complete restoration ensuring it presents as it does today. It is an exceptionally rare car, with only 411 DB2’s made in total, only 49 of those with a split windscreen.

Originally produced in 1952 it was supplied to the Singapore Aston Martin dealer Eastern Auto Co where it was registered under S831 to Mr Lye Choon Chan, one of the owners of the dealership. It is believed that Eastern Auto Co only ever sold two Aston Martins, both to Mr Chan! Mr Chan was a keen racer and competed successfully in the car until 1954, return with an impressive amount of silver ware in the process.

The car returned to the UK in 1954 where it was registered as PXP14, the registration number it still holds today. In 1961 it returned to the factory where it received a new Vantage specification engine.

There was then a succession of owners for the car in the UK until 1991, when the car was sold to a Mr Jorgensen in Denmark, registered as DN 67400. Mr Jorgensen was also a keen racer and rallied the car extensively during his ownership, including competing in the 1993 Mille Miglia.

The car returned again to the UK in 2010, with the current custodian having owned the car since 2015.

Over the course of a few years, the car underwent some major works. The scale of these works is immense and incorporates pretty much the entire car. The car was fully stripped allowing the engine, gearbox, front suspension and rear axle to be rebuilt. Whilst stripped, the car was completely re-wired. On file are comprehensive invoices from the entrusted AM specialist that detail all the works. At the same time some sensible, yet sympathetic, upgrades were carried out such as EZ power steering, unleaded head, bespoke twin exhaust set up, high torque starter motor and a many more besides.

In 2017 the car also underwent a full respray by the well-regarded Mitchell Motors, still retaining its original British Racing Green, but also receiving a red grill as a nod to the Aston Martin works team cars of the period.

Today she presents beautifully, still feeling fresh from its overhaul. The interior is a lovely place to be, with only light patination thanks to it being largely original.

The history is spread over several folders and includes Aston Martin Heritage Trust Certificate, original factory specification sheets and service records, as well as some of its rich history researched by its current owner including photos of it competing in various rallies throughout its storied life. There is also the 1993 Mille Miglia catalogue showing stating the car as an entrant, and even a copy of Car Magazine from 1984 with a lovely write-up from Ian Dawson featuring this exact car. Also present is a DB2 instruction manual, parts catalogue and workshop manual.

As with most classic cars, please disregard the displayed mileage on the odometer, it is not thought to be accurate.

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This Model

The Aston Martin DB2 was introduced in 1950 as the first full “DB” era Aston Martin under David Brown, marking a major step forward for the company after the war. It replaced the transitional DB1 and established the foundation for Aston Martin’s modern grand touring identity.

At its heart was a new 2.6-litre twin-cam straight-six engine designed by W.O. Bentley’s former Lagonda engineering team. This unit gave the DB2 strong performance for its time, with later Vantage versions offering significantly more power. The car used a tubular spaceframe chassis, which was advanced for the early 1950s and contributed to its balanced handling and durability.

The DB2 coupé was both a road car and a competition platform, with works-prepared versions used in endurance racing. Its blend of performance, refinement, and rarity helped establish the blueprint for all later Aston Martin GTs, making it a cornerstone model in the brand’s history.

The DB2 is now regarded as the car that transformed Aston Martin from a struggling post-war manufacturer into a serious maker of high-performance luxury GTs, setting the tone for all future models.

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Summary

We have here a model which is exceptionally rare, and an important model in the history of Aston Martin. This particular example ticks lots of key boxes:

✓ A particularly rare splitscreen model

✓ Restored conditon

✓ Mille Miglia entrant

All the above helps makes this the example to have. Please enquire to find out more or to book a viewing, you won’t be disappointed.