A FORGOTTEN 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead, which spent 30 years hidden beneath a tarpaulin, has gone under the hammer for over £206,000.
The car, originally the property of former Aston Martin owner David Brown, fetched more than twice its top estimate at Barons British Heritage sale at Sandown Park.
Now a rolling restoration project, the Aston emerged after three decades to present collectors with the chance to snap up a piece of British motoring history in the shape of a vehicle originally owned by the man whose initials were given to the legendary Aston Martin ‘DB‘ models.
Interest came from around the world and bidding rapidly passed the £80,000-£100,000 guide price. When the hammer finally fell the successful bidder, a private British collector, paid £206,866.
“It was an amazing lot that attracted a huge amount of attention and exceeded all expectations,” said Barons boss Laurence Sayers Gillan.
“The final result goes to demonstrate how important it is to give these rare or special motor cars the correct level of promotion – when a car is consigned to us, we make sure that the world is told it’s coming up for auction.”
With a sale total of around £700,000 plus premium, it was an outstanding result for Barons.
Other notable sales included KUU 333D - the actual 1966 Lotus Cortina used by Corgi as the basis for its popular Classics model – knocked down for £40,250.
And a 1957 Daimler Conquest Century DHC sold to an Austrian bidder for £29,000 – an exceptional price for the model.