Legacy Metrics

1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I Sports Saloon

LML/526roadUnited Kingdom
Engine
2.6L inline-six, Vantage tune, ~125 bhp
Colour
Sea Green

A left-hand drive 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mark I sports saloon with coachwork by Mulliners of Birmingham, chassis LML/526, delivered new to Belgium through the importer Mannès for Baron Maurice Solvay of the Château de La Hulpe. One of a total production run of 565 Mark I DB2/4s, it was comprehensively restored in Belgium and England between 2008 and 2010 in the spirit of Le Mans-competing DB2s, using original components and simplified interior trim. It holds a FIVA passport and is eligible for the Mille Miglia.

Ownership

  1. 2019-06-30Auction sale
    Sold €180,000 (≈ $198K)

    Bonhams catalogue lot →

  2. 1953 →Factory delivery
    Baron Maurice Solvay
    full documentation

    First registered owner, took delivery via Belgian importer Mannès, resided at Château de La Hulpe. Original build records confirm left-hand drive configuration with Sea Green paintwork and beige interior.

  3. 2003 →Private sale
    Current vendor, Aston Martin collector
    partial documentation

    Collector with prior ownership of King Baudouin's DB2/4; commissioned a full restoration in Belgium and England between 2008 and 2010, after which the car saw minimal use.

Competition

No competition history extracted from the catalogue.

Maintenance & restoration

  1. —
    Modification

    At some point a replacement engine was fitted; the unit currently installed carries stamp VB6A/50/474, differing from the originally listed engine VB6E/50/1265.

    Timing of the engine change is not stated in the catalogue.

  2. —
    Restoration

    Comprehensive restoration carried out in both Belgium and England, conducted in the spirit of the Le Mans-racing DB2: original components retained and non-essential interior trim removed to give a competition-style character. An extensive file of invoices and photographs documents the work.

    Restoration spanned 2008 to 2010; car has been driven very little since completion.

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How this record is sourced

Each chassis record is compiled from public auction archives and links to its source material. Ownership, competition and maintenance entries are extracted from those catalogue listings by an LLM, which can make mistakes — please contact us with any corrections. The summary is Legacy Metrics’ own writing; we do not reproduce catalogue text.

“Full” and “partial” documentation labels indicate how well each entry is corroborated in the underlying sources, not an audit of the car’s physical paperwork. Names of recent or living owners are withheld for privacy.