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Bertone's Aston Martin DB2-4 creations for the crazy Arnolt

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Created on June 24, 2016

Reading time 8min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Daniel Reinhard / Archiv

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Michael Furman (RM Auctions)

Mike Maez - Courtesy Gooding & Company

Bruno von Rotz

Simon Clay - Courtesy Bonhams

Archiv Aston Martin Heritage

Courtesy Bonhams

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Daniel Reinhard / Archiv

Darin Schnabel - Courtesy RM Sotheby's

Michael Furman (RM Auctions)

Mike Maez - Courtesy Gooding & Company

Bruno von Rotz

Simon Clay - Courtesy Bonhams

Archiv Aston Martin Heritage

Courtesy Bonhams

Archiv

Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Deluxe Competition Spider (1954) - angeboten von Gooding & Company an der Pebble Beach Versteigerung 2016

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Deluxe Competition Spider (1954) - Scaglione-Design, im Auftrag von Arnolt bei Bertone gebaut, Chassis LML 505, angeboten durch Gooding in Pebble Beach 2016

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Deluxe Competition Spider (1954) - Interieur von Chassis LML 505

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Deluxe Competition Spider (1954) - der Reihen-Sechszylinder, eingebaut in Chassis LML 505, angeboten durch Gooding in Pebble Beach 2016

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Deluxe Competition Spider (1954) - im Auftrag von Arnolt gebaut, Chassis LML 505, angeboten durch Gooding in Pebble Beach 2016

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Competition Spider 1954 - wunderschöner Sportwagen - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Competition Spider 1954 - Seitenansicht - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Competition Spider 1954 - Seitliche Heckansicht - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Competition Spider 1954 - Frontansicht - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Competition Spider 1954 - Heckansicht - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Competition Spider 1954 - Innenraum - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Competition Spider 1954 - Armaturen - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Competition Spider 1954 - Details Motorhaube - angeboten an der RM-Versteigerung Villa d'Este 2011

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1953) - Arosa ClassicCar Bergrennen 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1953) - hier handelt es sich vermutlich um Chassis LML 504, die Linienführung stammt von Giovanni Michelotti

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1954) - Cabriolet mit von Michelotti gezeichneter Karosserie, gebaut bei Bertone, vermutlich Chassis LML 504

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Design Giovanni Michelotti, Fahrgestell LML 504, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Fahrgestell LML 504, Design Giovanni Michelotti, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Silhouette von Chassis LML 504, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Kühlergrill, der Zeit vor aus, Design Michelotti, Chassis LML 504, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Interieur von Chassis LML 504, man beachte des Monogramm des ersten Besitzers Ward auf dem Hupknopf, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Chassis LML 504, Motor, Design Giovanni Michelotti, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Chassisplakette von Fahrgestell LML 504, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone Convertible (1954) - Arnolt-Plakette auf der Karosserie von Chassis LML 504, angeboten von RM/Sotheby's im Jahr 2015

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1954) - mit der Karosserielinie von Michelotti, Fahrgestellnummer 506

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1954) - in Pebble Beach im Jahr 1955 gezeigt

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1954) - ein Michelotti-Cabriolet, vermutlich Chassis LML 506

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1956) - in heller Farbgebung gezeigt in Turin im Jahr 1957

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 Bertone (1956) - das Coupé mit Chassis LML 765, ausgestellt in Turin im Herbst 1958

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Aston Martin DB 2 (1954) - vornehm zurückhaltend - Genfer Automobilsalon 1954

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Aston Martin DB 2 4 - Ken Carters Aston Martin an der MonteCarlo Rallye 1956

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Aston Martin DB 2 (1953) - sportliche Strenge - am Automobilsalon in Genf 1953

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1955) - Mark II Sports Saloon - ein sogenanntes Notchback Coupé - sehr selten

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Aston Martin DB 2-4 (1954) - als viersitzige Variante

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1953) - elegantes Drophead-Coupé

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1955) - das "Mark II Drophead Coupé" setzte die Tradition des offenen Astons fort

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1953) - an einem Oldtimerevent in den Achtzigerjahren

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1957) - Fahrer- und Beifahrersitz im Mark III

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1953) - die Rücksitze, gesehen am Automobilsalon in Paris 1953

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1955) - Rücksitze der vierplätzigen Saloon-Variante

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1953) - Zusammenklappbare Rückbank beim Drophead Coupé

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1957) - das Drophead Coupé Mark III

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Aston Martin DB 2/4 (1953) - an der Mille Miglia 2016

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Summary

From 1953 to 1955, Aston Martin built the Type DB 2/4 as the successor to the two-seater DB 2. Twelve chassis were sold without bodywork, eight of which were given bodies by Bertone, drawn by two of the most talented designers of all time, Franco Scaglione and Giovanni Michelotti. Today, they achieve high prices and are candidates for concours victories worldwide. This article portrays the Bertone Astons of the fifties and shows most of the vehicles in photographs, some of which have never been published before.

This article contains the following chapters

Entrepreneurial spirit
Sense for beautiful and special cars
The Aston Martin DB 2/4 as a basis
Eight cars
Four shapes, two designers
Wanted and coveted

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

He was called "Wacky" Arnolt and the American was perhaps a little crazy when he combined the English technology of Aston Martin with the Italian bodywork creations of Nuccio Bertone. The result was special automobiles that are sought-after today. Stanley Harold Arnold was an entrepreneur and a successful one at that. He made a fortune with boat engines. He became interested in British sports cars at an early age. And because he liked them, he began to import and sell them. The BMC brands, including MG, were just as much a part of his portfolio as Bristol, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin. "Wacky", as his friends were allowed to call him, had a good feeling for what could be sold and he also knew his customers, who were blessed with money, well. He soon began to look for his own ways.

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