A neglected Aston Martin classic car dismantled in a garage 54 years ago might look like a jumble of worn parts but it’s tipped to sell for £60,000 when it goes to auction this weekend.
The broken down DB2/4 Mark II Saloon is the last of just 199 made by the famous British manufacturer in 1957 and has been in the same family ownership for 57 years, having been acquired by the vendor’s late father in 1966.
The family from Headingley, Leeds, enjoyed happy outings in the sports tourer for three years before the decision was made to ‘retire’ it to the garage pending restoration.
However, the rebuild was never completed. Now, the classic vehicle is heading to the auction room as an unfinished project – and there’s plenty of work to keep a new keeper occupied throughout a long winter.
Yet if they do bring it back to its former glory, the fully restored Aston could be worth around £100,000 more than its estimated sale price on Saturday.
Could this be £60,000 well spent? Experts believe this dismantled classic Aston Martin could be worth close to a quarter of a million pounds if fully restored with all its original parts
The 1957 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII Saloon is the last of its kind produced by the British marque. And it’s one of just 199 examples made. The only problem is that it’s been stored in parts in this garage near Leeds for over half a century
In 1969, work began in the Yorkshire town on stripping the car to its bare chassis.
This saw all its major components carefully removed and stored in boxes.
But as family life became the priority, the car remained untouched and left to languish in the garage for the next five decades.
Here in its extended resting place, it appears to have struggled to endure the test of time, with Historics Auctioneers’ photographs showing the car coated in dust and dirt.
Following the death of the owner, his family has decided to part with the vehicle in its disassembled condition, under the premise that all its parts are accounted for to complete a full rebuild.
Accompanying the Aston are various period photographs of it in its former glory, the original buff logbook, the sales invoice with correspondence from 1966, and old tax discs.
The family selling the motor – who are from Headingley, Leeds – said they enjoyed happy outings in the sports tourer for three years before the decision was made to ‘retire’ it to the garage pending restoration. Here it is in its former glory days
The Aston Martin was stripped to its rolling chassis and its parts put into boxes for storage ahead of a planned full restoration
However, the rebuild never took place due to other commitments. Some 54 years later, it is being sold as seen at auction
This is the last of 199 versions of the Aston Martin DB2.4 Sport Saloons to come off the production line in 1957
Another family photo of the stunning Aston Martin from before it was put into the family’s garage to be stored
It shows as having 90,683 miles on the clock and comes with a documented history file of paperwork.
In 1957, the saloon would have cost £1,925. In today’s money that’s £57,268, according to This is Money’s Historic Inflation Calculator.
That means its original value is around the same £60,000 mark Historics Auctioneers expect it to go for in its current deconstructed state.
Once fully restored, the auction house estimates the Aston Martin DB2/4 to be worth over £160,000.
Classic car valuations experts, Hagerty, believe an excellent example could sell for £142,000 in today’s market – while a ‘concours’ condition DB2/4 Sport Saloon would be worth closer to £227,000.
Given its provenance as the last example produced and the claims it has all its original parts, should it be fully reassembled with its factory fittings, it could well become a quarter-of-a-million-pound asset.
Only 149 saloon models like this one were created.
The remaining DB2/4s were a mix of 16 drophead coupes, 34 fixed head coupe and four others.
Dan Godin, of Historics Auctioneers, said there has already been a lot of interest in the vehicle, given its incredible rarity.
He said: ‘There has been a lot of interest from the Aston Martin community, not just in the UK but internationally.
‘People love a restoration project, especially when it involves an early and original Aston Martin.’
It shows as having 90,683 miles on the clock, though it has done absolutely zero in 54 years
Once fully restored, the auction house estimates the Aston Martin DB2/4 to be worth over £160,000
Classic car valuations experts, Hagerty, believe an excellent example could sell for £142,000 in today’s market – while a ‘concours’ condition DB2/4 Sport Saloon would be worth closer to £227,000
Given its provenance as the last example produced, availability of its documented history and the claims it has all its original parts, should it be fully reassembled with its factory fittings, it could well become a quarter-of-a-million-pound asset.
He went on: ‘It is complete and has been untouched for many years.
‘It is a superb opportunity to acquire a complete barn-find example that is offered without reserve.’
The sale takes place on Saturday 25 November at Mercedes Benz World at the famous Brooklands site in Weybridge, Surrey.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
