1955 Aston Martin DB2/4 'MkI' 3.0-Litre Sports Saloon
Coachwork by Mulliners of Birmingham
Registration no. WPJ 333
Chassis no. LML/910

Testing the new DB2/4 in 1954, Autocar acknowledged that the Aston Martin had, 'been well known for very many years as a sports car of fine quality and high performance,' while characterising the Newport Pagnell manufacturer's latest offering as, 'an expensive car designed to cater for the connoisseur of sportscars who is not limited by financial considerations.'

Introduced in October 1953, the DB2/4 widened the already considerable appeal of the DB2 by the simple expedient of installing two occasional rear seats, the latter being facilitated by extensive revisions to the car's rear end. As well as the extra accommodation, there was also room for more luggage, the latter being accessed via a hatchback rear door. A raised roofline, one-piece windscreen, larger bumpers and other detail styling changes further differentiated the new '2+2' from its predecessor. Otherwise, the DB2/4 remained mechanically much the same as the DB2, though the Vantage (125bhp) engine became the standard specification. A total of 565 DB2/4s was produced before the arrival of the MkII in October 1955, by which time the 3.0-litre 140bhp 'VB6J' engine had been standardised.

Its accompanying copy guarantee form shows that chassis number '910' was originally intended for a Captain Erkine, whose address is given as 'C/O Coombs & Sons, Portsmouth Road, Guildford'. The original colour scheme is recorded as black with beige interior trim. It would appear that the Captain never took delivery, as 'WPJ 333' was first registered on 7th March 1955 to the firm's proprietor, famed racing driver and team owner, John Coombs. The second owner listed in the original logbook is another famous racing driver, The Hon Patrick Lindsay MP, to whom the car was registered on 19th April 1956. Lindsay is known to have raced the Aston on a number of occasions, one being the BARC race at Goodwood in 1957 when the car was placed 2nd overall. He was also a director of auctioneers Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd, the car's next registered owners.

The car was then sold through the auction house to Simon Fraser MP, Patrick Lindsay's brother-in-law. He took 'WPJ 333' off the road from January 1959 until February 1966 while the car was being repaired at a motor engineers in Beauly, to whom it was registered at that time.

The Aston was then sold on to Mr G G J Williams of Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire, who sold it to Mr Hugh Arnett in August 1966. Mr Arnett then shipped the car to Malta where he was stationed. 'WPJ 333' returned to the UK in 2016 and is offered for sale by his widow, to whom it was known as 'The Mistress'. We are advised that the Aston is in generally good condition: the engine running well, the transmission very good, and all the electrics working. Although the exterior body colour has been changed from black to Snow Shadow Grey, this DB2/4 is one of the most original we have seen for a long time and has a unique feel. It comes complete with a full tool kit, keys, handbooks, and the original buff logbook, while its history file is a pleasure to read.