1955 Aston Martin DB2/4

The racing success of the DB2s at Le Mans and the Mille Miglia during the 1950s established Aston Martin as one of the world’s foremost luxury grand touring manufacturers. Among the Feltham-era cars, the DB2/4 Coupé stands out as one of the finest and arguably most underrated models of the period.

Introduced in 1953, the DB2/4 brought notable improvements over its predecessor, including two occasional rear seats and the adoption of the more powerful 2,922cc Vantage engine, producing around 140 bhp. Body construction was entrusted to the highly respected coachbuilders Mulliners Ltd., whose cast-aluminium techniques delivered exceptional rigidity, durability and lightness, qualities seldom seen at the time. The cast-aluminium sills and bulkhead also make the DB2/4 among the most corrosion-resistant and structurally robust post-war Aston Martins, a significant advantage over many contemporaries.

Chassis LML/886 was supplied new by Aston Martin agent E.H. Organ & Sons Ltd on 2 May 1955 to Mr M.M. Johnson of Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. Mr Johnson enjoyed nine years of ownership and achieved early concours success, winning his class at the 1957 AMOC Banbury Concours.

Subsequent ownership included Mr Alan Archer, father of current Aston Martin marque authority Stephen Archer. A long-standing AMOC member who later served as both registrar and chairman, Alan Archer maintained and presented LML/886 to the highest concours standard. Under his custodianship, the car won its class at the 1964 AMOC Fort Belvedere Concours, where it was awarded the Denman Trophy and was campaigned with great success throughout the 1960s. Many original award plaques from this period remain with the car today.

In recent correspondence, Stephen Archer has shared fond personal recollections of the car and supplied a period photograph of himself as a young boy with his father and the Aston Martin. This material is now included within the history file, together with a detailed history report he has recently compiled. That report documents the car’s subsequent American ownership, its return to Europe in 2004, later custodianship, and the most recent chapter of sympathetic mechanical and cosmetic recommissioning.

Crucially, the car is offered as a matching-number example and retains its original first-issued 1955 registration number. Combined with its concours success, unbroken identity and fully documented chain of enthusiast owners, this makes LML/886 a standout example of the model.

Today, the car presents in exceptional condition throughout, having been re-finished in its original colour of Moonbeam Grey. It has benefitted from an extensive and sympathetic recommissioning programme, including a bare-metal repaint, a full engine rebuild and comprehensive trim and mechanical restoration, all carried out by marque specialists. Stephen Archer notes that, following completion, the car drove “tight, rattle-free and exactly as a DB2/4 should.”

The car is offered complete with its original instruction book, correct and original tools housed in the front armrest, ‘Lake & Elliot’ jack, DB2/4 MkII jack, ‘Kismet’ air pump, grease gun and a comprehensive history file, including Stephen Archer’s dedicated report.