‘Lost’ Aston Martin drives up to over £200,000 at auction

A ‘lost’ 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead, originally the property of former Aston Martin owner David Brown, which has spent the last 30 years hidden beneath a tarpaulin, sold for over £206,000 – more than twice its top estimate – at Barons British Heritage sale at Sandown Park on September 7th.

This extremely rare machine - now a rolling restoration project - emerged after three decades to present collectors with an extraordinary opportunity to acquire and restore a true piece of British motoring history, a vehicle originally owned by the man whose initials were given to the legendary Aston Martin ‘DB‘ models. Interest in the car came from around the world, and bidding rapidly exceeded the £80,000-£100,000 guide price. When the hammer finally fell, the successful bidder, a private British collector, paid £206,866 (including premium).

“It was an amazing lot that attracted a huge amount of attention and exceeded all expectations,” said Barons’ Managing Director, 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 results included ‘KUU 333D’, the actual 1966 Lotus Cortina used by Corgi as the basis for its hugely-popular Corgi Classics model, which achieved £40,250. Fittingly, the buyer also acquired one of the Corgi models of his new car in the same lot. And a fine 1957 Daimler Conquest Century DHC sold to an Austrian bidder for £29,000 – an exceptional price for the model.

Laurence Sayers-Gillan concluded, “We were delighted with the results of the sale and, in particular, with the strong level of international interest, demonstrating that British Heritage marques have a worldwide appeal. Bids on a range of lots came from across the globe, with cars going to Hong Kong, Austria, Poland, Germany and Switzerland. We believe this is a testament not only to the standard of the cars on offer but also to Barons’ ability to publicise the cars in our sales, through our website, press office, communication with our database of potential buyers and our advertising activity. We may offer very competitive rates, but this doesn’t mean that we skimp on any aspect of our business!”

Barons’ next sale is at Sandown Park on October 26th. For further information, please visit barons-auctions.com.