Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
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Coachwork Mulliners - Birmingham
Chassis n° LML/805
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 300.000 - 350.000
Sold for € 322.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
"The Aston Martin DB2/4 is an expensive car designed to cater for the connoisseur of sports cars who is not limited by financial considerations." - Autocar, 2nd October 1953.
With the introduction of the '2+2' DB2/4 in October 1953, Aston Martin extended the DB2's appeal to the hitherto untapped yet increasingly important market comprised of 'sports car enthusiasts with a family'. Modifications to the rear of the chassis plus a reduction in fuel tank capacity from 19 to 17 gallons liberated sufficient space within the existing 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. The latter could be accessed via the 2/4's opening rear door, a pioneering example of the now commonplace 'hatchback' concept.
"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."
Standard specification included the 2.6-litre 'VB6E' engine in 125bhp Vantage tune, but from early in 1954 the 3.0-litre 140bhp 'VB6J' engine was installed. Equipped with latter, the DB2/4 was one of the fastest cars then built in Great Britain - with 100mph achievable in third gear and around 120mph maximum - possessing impeccable handling plus a level of comfort rare in any high-performance car.
Aston Martins have appeared in countless movies over the years, - most notably the 'James Bond' franchise, featuring in 13 films - and fans of Alfred Hitchcock will no doubt remember the DB2/4 DHC from its prominent role in The Birds (1963) in which 'LML/944' was driven by co-star Tippi Hedren.
According to the AMOC Register, at least 102 drophead coupés were constructed on the DB2/4 chassis: 56 for the home market and 46 for export, with a further 12 supplied in rolling chassis form for bodying by independent coachbuilders.
The example offered here, left-hand drive chassis number 'LML/805', was delivered new to Ets Remy Mannes in Brussels, Belgium, finished in Moonbeam Grey with red interior and matching hood. The car was first registered on 11th February 1955 and the various archives accompanying the car allow us to trace different owners : Louis Gillet de Busschere, Donstiennes, Belgium (1959); Dr M Merchez, surgeon and lecturer at the University of Louvain (1984-1990); The father of the current owner had it for a few months in 1990 (twenty years before they spotted their old car in a motorsport magazine and bought it back) ; Mr Guy Marx, France (1990); Mrs Claude Spies, Paris, France (2002-2011).
The build sheet that comes with the car indicates that in 1956, a few months after it left the factory, the engine underwent a complete overhaul, including the installation of a new cylinder block, among other changes or cleaning of parts. These significant works, carried out at the factory and detailed precisely in the available document, likely explain the subsequent addition of the 'L' to the original stamped engine number.
The Aston has just emerged from a 10-year restoration to original specification and comes with an important file of pictures recording the process: disassembly; body stripping; chrome parts; hood and trim, etc.
Accompanying the car are several documents, including the original logbook for the period 1959 to 1964; a photocopy of the Aston Martin build sheet; British Motor Industry Heritage Trust copy of factory records; photocopies of 1990 purchase invoice by Maraston, of 1990 purchase invoice by Mr Guy Marx; photocopies of the 1984 and 2002 registration documents; 2023/2024 invoices.
Coachwork Mulliners - Birmingham
Chassis n° LML/805
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 300.000 - 350.000
Sold for € 322.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
"The Aston Martin DB2/4 is an expensive car designed to cater for the connoisseur of sports cars who is not limited by financial considerations." - Autocar, 2nd October 1953.
With the introduction of the '2+2' DB2/4 in October 1953, Aston Martin extended the DB2's appeal to the hitherto untapped yet increasingly important market comprised of 'sports car enthusiasts with a family'. Modifications to the rear of the chassis plus a reduction in fuel tank capacity from 19 to 17 gallons liberated sufficient space within the existing 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. The latter could be accessed via the 2/4's opening rear door, a pioneering example of the now commonplace 'hatchback' concept.
"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."
Standard specification included the 2.6-litre 'VB6E' engine in 125bhp Vantage tune, but from early in 1954 the 3.0-litre 140bhp 'VB6J' engine was installed. Equipped with latter, the DB2/4 was one of the fastest cars then built in Great Britain - with 100mph achievable in third gear and around 120mph maximum - possessing impeccable handling plus a level of comfort rare in any high-performance car.
Aston Martins have appeared in countless movies over the years, - most notably the 'James Bond' franchise, featuring in 13 films - and fans of Alfred Hitchcock will no doubt remember the DB2/4 DHC from its prominent role in The Birds (1963) in which 'LML/944' was driven by co-star Tippi Hedren.
According to the AMOC Register, at least 102 drophead coupés were constructed on the DB2/4 chassis: 56 for the home market and 46 for export, with a further 12 supplied in rolling chassis form for bodying by independent coachbuilders.
The example offered here, left-hand drive chassis number 'LML/805', was delivered new to Ets Remy Mannes in Brussels, Belgium, finished in Moonbeam Grey with red interior and matching hood. The car was first registered on 11th February 1955 and the various archives accompanying the car allow us to trace different owners : Louis Gillet de Busschere, Donstiennes, Belgium (1959); Dr M Merchez, surgeon and lecturer at the University of Louvain (1984-1990); The father of the current owner had it for a few months in 1990 (twenty years before they spotted their old car in a motorsport magazine and bought it back) ; Mr Guy Marx, France (1990); Mrs Claude Spies, Paris, France (2002-2011).
The build sheet that comes with the car indicates that in 1956, a few months after it left the factory, the engine underwent a complete overhaul, including the installation of a new cylinder block, among other changes or cleaning of parts. These significant works, carried out at the factory and detailed precisely in the available document, likely explain the subsequent addition of the 'L' to the original stamped engine number.
The Aston has just emerged from a 10-year restoration to original specification and comes with an important file of pictures recording the process: disassembly; body stripping; chrome parts; hood and trim, etc.
Accompanying the car are several documents, including the original logbook for the period 1959 to 1964; a photocopy of the Aston Martin build sheet; British Motor Industry Heritage Trust copy of factory records; photocopies of 1990 purchase invoice by Maraston, of 1990 purchase invoice by Mr Guy Marx; photocopies of the 1984 and 2002 registration documents; 2023/2024 invoices.
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Mitsubishi Colt Z30 Facelift
2008 - 2013
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Mitsubishi Colt Z30 Facelift
2008 - 2013
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Coachwork by Reutter
Chassis n° 60205
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 180.000 - 250.000
Sold for € 207.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
The work of Ferry Porsche, the 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father. Like the immortal 'Beetle', the 356 employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and torsion bar all-independent suspension, yet somehow contrived to offer level of performance that belied the basic layout's humble origins. Constant development saw the 356's engine progressively enlarged, with 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre units first becoming available in 1951. In 1952, a Porsche synchromesh gearbox was adopted and the original split windscreen replaced by a one-piece; the latter was still V-shaped, gaining the sobriquet Knickscheibe (bent window) as a result. 1955 marked the arrival of the revised 356A, the newcomer being readily distinguished by its curved windscreen and 15" - down from 16" - wheels.
Completed on 21st July 1953 and finished in Azure Blue with grey leather interior, the car we offer is one of approximately 567 Super-engined 356s built for the 1953 model year (both coupé and cabriolet) and is likely to be one of only a handful of original 1500 Super Cabriolets to survive.
The file accompanying the car allows us to trace back to the earliest known owners, starting with Paul and Kathy Wesselinke in California from 1998, during whose ownership an extensive restoration was carried out (with some invoices, notes, and photographs on file). The Porsche was subsequently owned by Michael Madeiros Todd in 2003 and remained in the USA. That same year, it was sold to Trevor Keetley, who imported it into Australia in 2005. A new overhaul was undertaken at around this time. The current owner purchased it in 2016 and has since kept it mainly on static display in good storage conditions.
The photocopy of the Certificate of Authenticity issued by Porsche Cars North America Inc. in 1998 confirms that the engine numbers are matching. The other documents accompanying the car include photocopies of the 2003 US title, of the Australian importation invoice and of various notes, invoices, and photographs mentioned earlier in the text.
This rare 356 'Pre-A' 1500 Super Knickscheibe Cabriolet, featuring matching numbers on engine and chassis and presented in lovely condition after its older restoration that is holding up very well, is a truly exceptional find to acquire.
Coachwork by Reutter
Chassis n° 60205
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 180.000 - 250.000
Sold for € 207.000
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
The work of Ferry Porsche, the 356 was based on the Volkswagen designed by his father. Like the immortal 'Beetle', the 356 employed a platform-type chassis with rear-mounted air-cooled engine and torsion bar all-independent suspension, yet somehow contrived to offer level of performance that belied the basic layout's humble origins. Constant development saw the 356's engine progressively enlarged, with 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre units first becoming available in 1951. In 1952, a Porsche synchromesh gearbox was adopted and the original split windscreen replaced by a one-piece; the latter was still V-shaped, gaining the sobriquet Knickscheibe (bent window) as a result. 1955 marked the arrival of the revised 356A, the newcomer being readily distinguished by its curved windscreen and 15" - down from 16" - wheels.
Completed on 21st July 1953 and finished in Azure Blue with grey leather interior, the car we offer is one of approximately 567 Super-engined 356s built for the 1953 model year (both coupé and cabriolet) and is likely to be one of only a handful of original 1500 Super Cabriolets to survive.
The file accompanying the car allows us to trace back to the earliest known owners, starting with Paul and Kathy Wesselinke in California from 1998, during whose ownership an extensive restoration was carried out (with some invoices, notes, and photographs on file). The Porsche was subsequently owned by Michael Madeiros Todd in 2003 and remained in the USA. That same year, it was sold to Trevor Keetley, who imported it into Australia in 2005. A new overhaul was undertaken at around this time. The current owner purchased it in 2016 and has since kept it mainly on static display in good storage conditions.
The photocopy of the Certificate of Authenticity issued by Porsche Cars North America Inc. in 1998 confirms that the engine numbers are matching. The other documents accompanying the car include photocopies of the 2003 US title, of the Australian importation invoice and of various notes, invoices, and photographs mentioned earlier in the text.
This rare 356 'Pre-A' 1500 Super Knickscheibe Cabriolet, featuring matching numbers on engine and chassis and presented in lovely condition after its older restoration that is holding up very well, is a truly exceptional find to acquire.
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Coachwork by Graber
Chassis n° 915163
Zoute Rally
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Coachwork by Graber
Chassis n° 915163
Zoute Rally
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
Chassis n° DB4/1129/L
Zoute Sale - Bonhams
Estimated : € 500.000 - 700.000
Sold for € 569.250
Zoute Grand Prix 2024
Knokke - Zoute
België - Belgium
October 2024
"Performance, controllability and comfort have been combined in the Aston Martin DB4 to make it a highly desirable car: one in which long journeys can be completed very quickly indeed with the minimum of risk or discomfort and the maximum of pleasure." - The Motor.
Classically proportioned and instantly recognisable from the moment of its introduction in 1958, the Touring-styled Aston Martin DB4 established a look that would survive, with only minor revisions, until 1970. Designed by Tadek Marek and already proven in racing, the DB4's new twin-cam six-cylinder engine displaced 3,670cc while the gearbox was a new David Brown four-speed all-synchromesh unit. An immensely strong platform-type chassis, designed by Harold Beach, replaced the preceding DB2/4's multi-tubular spaceframe, the latter being considered incompatible with Touring's Superleggera body construction. The DB2/4's trailing-link independent front suspension gave way to unequal-length wishbones while at the rear the DB4 sported a live axle located by a Watts linkage instead of its predecessor's Panhard rod. Boasting disc brakes all round and with 240bhp on tap, the DB4 was the first production car capable of accelerating from a standing start to 100mph and back to rest again in under 30 seconds. At a time when few family saloons were capable of exceeding 70mph and took an age to get there, this staggering performance made the DB4 just about the fastest thing on the road, easily the equal of its Italian rivals.
Manufactured between October 1958 and June 1963, the DB4 developed through no fewer than five series. However, it should be made clear that the cars were not thus designated by the factory, this nomenclature having been suggested subsequently by the Aston Martin Owners Club to aid identification as the model evolved. The first had already undergone a number of improvements, including the fitting of heavy-duty bumpers after the first 50 cars, before the second series arrived in January 1960. A front-hinged bonnet, bigger brake callipers, and an enlarged sump were the major changes made on the Series II, while the third series featured separate rear lights, two bonnet stays, and a host of improvements to the interior fittings. The fourth series was readily distinguishable by its new grille (with seven vertical bars), shallower bonnet intake, and recessed rear lights, while the final (fifth) series manufactured between September 1962 and June 1963 was 3.5" longer (allowing for increased leg room and a larger boot) and gained 15" wheels, an electric radiator fan, and the DB4GT-type instrument panel.
One of the most notable developments had arrived with the introduction of the 'Series IV' in September 1961, when a 'Special Series' (SS) or 'Vantage' engine became available as an option. The 'SS' incorporated a 9.0:1 compression ratio, larger valves, and triple SU HD8 carburettors, producing 266bhp at 5,750rpm, a gain of 26 horsepower over the standard unit. Almost all DB4 Vantages were built with the faired-in headlights of the DB4GT, including the car offered here. The DB4 Series V Vantage is one of the rarest and most desirable of the DB range with only some 55 cars built in this final incarnation of the DB4. Indeed, the original 'James Bond' car used in the filming of Goldfinger was a DB4 Series V, as they look virtually identical to the DB5 which at that time was not quite ready.
One of only 17 believed left-hand drive Series V cars built with the Vantage (SS) engine, chassis number '1129/L' was delivered new in the USA by British Motor Car distributors Inc in December 1962 finished in Desert White with black interior. The copy guarantee form lists the Vantage specification; 3.77:1 rear axle ratio; Chrome wheels; side window vents; and an identification plate as items of non-standard equipment.
The documentation accompanying the car allows us to trace its history and to identify several of its following subsequent owners: the first one was J M West of Berkeley, California; then J Wilcox ; Dr E Griggs; 'Charlie'; a Chicago dealer; and 'Serio', the latter from June 1987.
In 1983, the DB4 had a joint restoration project by Aston Martin Noth America and Lake Forest Sportcars for display at that year's Chicago Auto Show. It had been restored with Storm Red paint and a black leather interior, while a 1988 letter on file states that the car was painted green at some point. In 1989, the Aston was registered to John B Evans (still in the USA) and in 1994 was registered in the Netherlands. The current owner, a distinguished Belgian automobile enthusiast, purchased the car in 1998 and registered it in 2001.
For a while the DB4 was fitted with a 4.0-litre engine, the original having been damaged by the first owner and removed. In 2002, a Dutch gentleman informed the current owner that the engine, matching the chassis number DB4/1129/L, was found in a DB5 he was considering purchasing. Though he decided against the purchase, the dealer subsequently contacted the current owner to offer him the engine. Thus, after 50 years, the chassis and its original engine were reunited.
Recently, a three-year complete restoration to concours condition was meticulously carried out to the highest standards, respecting the original specifications, in a Brussels workshop, as documented by the extensive file of available photographs and invoices from Garage Natens in Belgium, from where the mechanical parts were sourced.
Accompanying documentation includes the following: 2015 British Motor Industry Heritage Trust Certificate; important historical file containing numerous photocopies documenting the various owners (registration documents, correspondence, etc); several restoration invoices; important file of pictures showing the restoration: bodywork, chassis and floors, engine, interior, mechanical parts, etc.