Ferrari or Aston Martin?
01/14/2018
At first glance, you would certainly have guessed a Ferrari from the fifties, probably a 212 from the Vignale or Touring kitchen, perhaps even from Pinin Farina. But no, this is an Aston Martin DB2.
The Aston Martin DB2 was successful in racing in the early 1950s, so it is no wonder that the elegant two-seater GT with its 105 hp straight-six engine enjoyed commercial success.
The car pictured is the LML/50/118 chassis, which was delivered to the main importer in Switzerland in July 1953.
The first owner was Alfred Ouvelay from the canton of Vaud, the head of the finance department of the city of Lausanne. He kept the car for several years and it is surprising that this was possible at the time, as there would be an outcry among the population if a high-ranking official were to drive around in a Pagani Zonda today, and the Aston certainly had a similar status at the time.
In 1960, seven years later, Ouvelay sold the right-hand drive Aston to a Mr. Desmeules. At that time, the Aston probably still looked like this:
The new owner had the front of the coupé redesigned in Switzerland to deal with the DB2's then well-known overheating problem, but probably also to repair a fender bender, as observers recall. A large radiator grille, probably not entirely coincidentally reminiscent of the Michelotti/Pinin Farina designs for Ferrari, was produced and the entire front was redesigned.
The result was reminiscent of the Ferrari sports car of the fifties in its overall appearance. The rear window was also enlarged and a few other adjustments were made.
Mr. Desmeules remained faithful to the modified Aston until 2016, when his widow sold it after the owner's death. The car had previously been partially restored.
Bonhams will now auction the 1953 Aston Martin at the Grand Palais in Paris on February 8, 2018. An estimate of EUR 220,000 to 260,000 (CHF 260,000 to 310,000) has been set. It will be interesting to see whether this modified Aston is valued higher or lower than a completely original example.
