DB 2/4 Aston Martin

The DB2 was a grand success, but Aston Martin wanted to entice more people to their creations. 

In 1953 they launched the second car at the Earls Court Motor Show with the company’s  savior’s initials: the DB2/4 . Other than a modification to the chassis and a smaller fuel tank to allow for the almost non-existent rear seats, the 2/4 was a beast very similar to the DB2. A few ways to tell the two apart were that the 2/4 had a one-piece windshield, larger bumpers, and raised roofline; yet underneath they both shared the same rectangular tube frame, front, and rear suspension. Their power came from a W.O. Bentley designed twin cam 125 bhp, 2.6 liter power plant. The 2/4 got a boost in power in 1954 with the DBS3-derived 3.0 liter motor, power was now boosted to 140 bhp.

The 2/4 was not a competition car, but did carry the Aston flag into rallying with some success.

Three works cars were entered in the 1955 Monte Carlo rally with Reg Parnel and photographer Louis Klemantaski in one car and Peter Collins and Graham Whitehead in the second Two former rally winners, Maurice Gatsonides and Marcel Becquart, rounded out the team. Gastonides and Becquart were in the lead until missing a checkpoint dropped them down to seventh. Two more 2/4’s joined in the fray at the Mille Miglia… and on the other side of the world, one even found its way into an Alfred Hitchcock  movie.

 Aston, always a low volume, hand built manufacturer, had created only 565 DB2/4’s by the  time the MKII came into being: 73 in DHC configuration, even fewer with their steering wheel on the left hand side. This David Brown Aston arrived on these shores in November of 1955, brought in by Inskip and sold on through Count Cars in Media, PA. Passing through a number of hands, it came to light with a fresh restoration in 2001. After a few more years it was hidden away in a museum, but has now been set free by its new owner.

The term “velvet hammer” comes to mind as you start to get aquatinted with the DB2/4. It has the selfsame elegance that’s second nature with Astons carrying H.J. Mulliner coachwork, but this is no soft car. 

Climb over a high sill, you drop down into a firm leather seat with a large, wood-rimmed, three-spoked steering wheel directly in front of you. The upper-class wood veneer dash holds all the business: a collection of three Smiths gages and a forth mimicking the others, along with the starter button and other necessities. 

Hit that button and a very angry growl makes itself well known. 

You have to take charge from the very beginning and not be gentle. The DB2/4 needs a firm hand and lots of upper body strength. As you accelerate, you listen to the whine of the straight cut gears. Soon that sound is overshadowed by the hooligan shout of the double overhead cam inline six, which is informing—in a none-too-polite way—for lesser machines to get the hell out of the way.

This is not a car for the casual drive. No iPhone or Chai latte in one hand and your other holding the wheel, oh, no! To be un-P.C., you have to manhandle this machine; to hang on tight and correct it from wanting to go where it wants to go… although part of the blame could just perhaps be put on the bias ply tires the Aston is currently running on. The vague approximation of brakes the Aston’s drums afford you do slow the forward motion, but it is a good idea to keep some distance between you and hard objects.

With a smooth open road the DB2/4 comes into its own. The accretion is fantastic for the period, and when not fighting you, the steering is very responsive. With the top down on a warm summer day, you would be hard pressed to find a better place to be. The sights, the smells, the sounds—perfect. Somehow the 2/4 manages to be dignified and hairy chested all at the same time. It can even put a modern day Bimmer in its place. 

So whether it’s arriving in style to high tea, or making your escape from a black & white Bodega Bay and some pesky birds, the Aston Martin DB2/4 is not a bad choice.

My thanks to Bob Torre Jr. for giving me a better than birds eye view of his car.vintageracecar.com