"CLASSIC OF THE DAY"
From:
1954 ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 Mk I VANTAGE
With the introduction of the 2+2 DB2/4 in October 1953, Aston Martin extended the DB2s appeal to the untapped yet increasingly important market comprised of sports car enthusiasts with a family.' By modifying the rear of the chassis and reducing fuel tank capacity from 19 to 17 gallons, sufficient space was found within the existing DB2 design for two child-sized occasional rear seats. Alternatively, the rear seat backs could be folded down, thus creating a load-carrying platform that more than doubled the luggage space. 'This transformation gives the Aston Martin DB2/4 an unrivalled luggage-carrying capacity in a car which should be capable in favourable circumstances of achieving two miles a minute, reported The Motor. 'The DB2/4 can truthfully claim to be the fastest car in the world capable of carrying two people with a month's luggage.'
Otherwise, the DB2/4 remained much the same as the DB2, employing the latter's rectangular-tube chassis, trailing arm independent front suspension and well-located live rear axle. The 2.6-litre six-cylinder twin-cam power unit - designed under W O Bentley's auspices while the great man was at Lagonda - came in tuned (125bhp) Vantage specification as standard for the 2/4. Despite the Vantage engine, the DB2/4's inevitable weight gain was not fully compensated for until the arrival of the 3.0-litre 140bhp engine in 1954. DB2/4 production had amounted to 565 cars by the time of the MkII's introduction in October 1955.
This model is a Vantage specification 1954 DB 2/4 Mk I, bearing the registration JBW 974. For many years it sat idle, collecting dust in a dry store until a father and son purchased it for restoration. It was during the restoration that a set of unique special modifications came to light, along with the car's connections to the British Intelligence Service and the creator of Bond himself, Ian Fleming.
The restoration, Carried out by Lord Walford and his son has resulted in an exceptional example of the DB2/4 both bodily and mechanically. The matching numbers Vantage engine has been rebuilt, the interior now finished in a wonderful blue hide and the exterior silver grey coachwork can only be described as in Excellent order.
Supplied new on the 4th July 1955 by Brookland Motor Company of Bond Street London, it was delivered to the Honorable Sqdr. Ldr. Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister DSO. Ingram Cunliffe-Lister is perhaps best known for his heroic RAF WW2 service, whilst in his early 20's , he was a Spitfire fighter pilot , the Commanding Office of a Mosquito Bomber Squadron.
Ingram Cunliffe-Lister DSO father was in fact Lord Swinton the 1st Earl, a close confidant of Winston Churchill and head of MI5 and the Security Executive during WWII, and most notably Ian Flemings boss.
Ingram Cunliffe-Lister was competing in international rallies and the new Aston Martin he had purchased was fitted with 'extras' for next year's season. By that year, Fleming had written six books with Bond's car being a Bentley, but then, in his new book 'Goldfinger' he gave Bond an Aston Martin. This car would have been known to Fleming and was the only one of its type every fitted in real life with these unique gadgets all of which appeared on the literary car in the Goldfinger novel. These one-off features include reinforced steel bumpers, concealed lockers, heavy-duty anti-interference ignition system, driver's seat connections for two-way radio and/or a homing device, and a Halda Speed Pilot device, which accurately computes time and distance in relation to a pre-selected average speed.
The DB2/4 on offer was regularly at Ian Fleming's direct next-door neighbor's in Kent- Hope Bay Studios. Indeed Michael Cunliffe-Lister who is still alive today recalls his travels down to Hope Bay Studios and indeed it was the next-door neighbor's house which was also used as inspiration in the Bond novels, this time as Sir Hugo Drax's residence in the novel Moonraker.
The car that we have on offer comes complete with its original Buff log book, and a variety of bills and receipts from the 1960's and 70's, along with a detailed and in-depth file by the vendors highlighting all the evidence that this car was the inspiration behind the DB Aston Martin the Ian Fleming novel Goldfinger. The file also contains various copies of featured articles on the car- including MI6 confidential issues 23 'Uncover the inspirations for the Aston Martin In Goldfinger , The Sunday Times Driving section 15.06.14 'License Renewed; 007 original ride is back on the road' and as copy of its seven page feature in the August edition of Octane Magazine 'On the trail of Goldfinger'
It is an accepted fact that the three well known DB5 cars that were used in the films based on Ian Flemings book were based around the fictional Character James Bond. James Bond never existed, only the Author Ian Fleming was real. It is an accepted fact that Fleming used real subjects for his iconic James Bond inspirations, and the evidence that he saw this car is also real. This is arguably one of the most important discoveries in Aston Martin history confirming the link between the undoubtedly most famous spy in history and possibly the world's most iconic sports car marque. This must be the worlds most significant Aston Martin ever to be offered to the open market.
For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact our sales department.
http://www.coys.co.uk/showrooms.php?itemID=5243
'The Goldfinger Car'
Registration Number: JBW 974 Chassis Number: LML-819
As featured in MI6 confidential issues 23 'Uncover the inspirations for the Aston Martin In Goldfinger' ,The Sunday Times Driving section 15.06.14 'License Renewed; 007 original ride is back on the road' and the August edition of Octane Magazine 'On the trail of Goldfinger'With the introduction of the 2+2 DB2/4 in October 1953, Aston Martin extended the DB2s appeal to the untapped yet increasingly important market comprised of sports car enthusiasts with a family.' By modifying the rear of the chassis and reducing fuel tank capacity from 19 to 17 gallons, sufficient space was found within the existing DB2 design for two child-sized occasional rear seats. Alternatively, the rear seat backs could be folded down, thus creating a load-carrying platform that more than doubled the luggage space. 'This transformation gives the Aston Martin DB2/4 an unrivalled luggage-carrying capacity in a car which should be capable in favourable circumstances of achieving two miles a minute, reported The Motor. 'The DB2/4 can truthfully claim to be the fastest car in the world capable of carrying two people with a month's luggage.'
Otherwise, the DB2/4 remained much the same as the DB2, employing the latter's rectangular-tube chassis, trailing arm independent front suspension and well-located live rear axle. The 2.6-litre six-cylinder twin-cam power unit - designed under W O Bentley's auspices while the great man was at Lagonda - came in tuned (125bhp) Vantage specification as standard for the 2/4. Despite the Vantage engine, the DB2/4's inevitable weight gain was not fully compensated for until the arrival of the 3.0-litre 140bhp engine in 1954. DB2/4 production had amounted to 565 cars by the time of the MkII's introduction in October 1955.
This model is a Vantage specification 1954 DB 2/4 Mk I, bearing the registration JBW 974. For many years it sat idle, collecting dust in a dry store until a father and son purchased it for restoration. It was during the restoration that a set of unique special modifications came to light, along with the car's connections to the British Intelligence Service and the creator of Bond himself, Ian Fleming.
The restoration, Carried out by Lord Walford and his son has resulted in an exceptional example of the DB2/4 both bodily and mechanically. The matching numbers Vantage engine has been rebuilt, the interior now finished in a wonderful blue hide and the exterior silver grey coachwork can only be described as in Excellent order.
Supplied new on the 4th July 1955 by Brookland Motor Company of Bond Street London, it was delivered to the Honorable Sqdr. Ldr. Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister DSO. Ingram Cunliffe-Lister is perhaps best known for his heroic RAF WW2 service, whilst in his early 20's , he was a Spitfire fighter pilot , the Commanding Office of a Mosquito Bomber Squadron.
Ingram Cunliffe-Lister DSO father was in fact Lord Swinton the 1st Earl, a close confidant of Winston Churchill and head of MI5 and the Security Executive during WWII, and most notably Ian Flemings boss.
Ingram Cunliffe-Lister was competing in international rallies and the new Aston Martin he had purchased was fitted with 'extras' for next year's season. By that year, Fleming had written six books with Bond's car being a Bentley, but then, in his new book 'Goldfinger' he gave Bond an Aston Martin. This car would have been known to Fleming and was the only one of its type every fitted in real life with these unique gadgets all of which appeared on the literary car in the Goldfinger novel. These one-off features include reinforced steel bumpers, concealed lockers, heavy-duty anti-interference ignition system, driver's seat connections for two-way radio and/or a homing device, and a Halda Speed Pilot device, which accurately computes time and distance in relation to a pre-selected average speed.
The DB2/4 on offer was regularly at Ian Fleming's direct next-door neighbor's in Kent- Hope Bay Studios. Indeed Michael Cunliffe-Lister who is still alive today recalls his travels down to Hope Bay Studios and indeed it was the next-door neighbor's house which was also used as inspiration in the Bond novels, this time as Sir Hugo Drax's residence in the novel Moonraker.
The car that we have on offer comes complete with its original Buff log book, and a variety of bills and receipts from the 1960's and 70's, along with a detailed and in-depth file by the vendors highlighting all the evidence that this car was the inspiration behind the DB Aston Martin the Ian Fleming novel Goldfinger. The file also contains various copies of featured articles on the car- including MI6 confidential issues 23 'Uncover the inspirations for the Aston Martin In Goldfinger , The Sunday Times Driving section 15.06.14 'License Renewed; 007 original ride is back on the road' and as copy of its seven page feature in the August edition of Octane Magazine 'On the trail of Goldfinger'
It is an accepted fact that the three well known DB5 cars that were used in the films based on Ian Flemings book were based around the fictional Character James Bond. James Bond never existed, only the Author Ian Fleming was real. It is an accepted fact that Fleming used real subjects for his iconic James Bond inspirations, and the evidence that he saw this car is also real. This is arguably one of the most important discoveries in Aston Martin history confirming the link between the undoubtedly most famous spy in history and possibly the world's most iconic sports car marque. This must be the worlds most significant Aston Martin ever to be offered to the open market.
For further information or to arrange a viewing, please contact our sales department.
http://www.coys.co.uk/showrooms.php?itemID=5243
