1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Bertone Drophead Coupé

In 1953 the managers of Brown & Bigelow pitched in to buy this unique Drophead Coupé for their president and manager Charles A. Ward. They turned to Stanley H ‘Wacky’ Arnolt, and his dealership to source a unique car and he ordered a design from Bertone. The design was used again for chassis LML/506.

At Bertone Giovanni Michelotti penned the new car which added Italian flair while still retaining the essential design of the DB2, with it’s moustached front grill. Unique features include a monogrammed horn button, monogramme knock-off wheel hubs and a set of tools housed in a custom box behind the driver, essentially limited the car to just 2 passengers.

Under the hood, the engine was trimmed and included a plaque with all Brown & Bigelow’s 60 sales managers. A similar treatment was used on a dashboard plaque that read “This motor car especially designed and created for Charles A. Ward by S.H. Arnolt, Chicago and Carrozzeria Bertone, Torino, Italy.” The car cost $13,000 USD.

Charles A. Ward used the car until he died at the age of 79 in 1959. It was later sold and appeared in a 1988 issue of Automobile Quarterly and in 1987 it attended the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. It later went into the distinguished collection of Michael Schudroff who showed it at Pebble in 2007 for Aston Martin’s feature display.

In 2009 it was sold by Gooding and Company’s Pebble Beach Auction. They described the car as ”
More than 55 years have passed since it was built, yet this car still retains each and every feature specified by 60 Brown & Bigelow employees for their revered employer, Mr. Charles A. Ward. Quite simply this was and still is an exceptional car, crafted especially for an exceptional man. It speaks directly to what a coachbuilt automobile is all about and it will always be regarded as one of the most fascinating Aston Martins ever constructed.”