1957 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk III

I was disappointed. The Aston Martin I was supposed to drive was in the shop. But, Alberto Gutierrez had another Aston waiting for me, and my disappointment quickly turned into joy. Sitting next to the Arnolt Bristol I was to profile (see Wacky? Hardly!—1954 Arnolt-Bristol Bolide) was an absolutely gorgeous Caribbean Pearl Blue DB 2/4 MKIII. Gutierrez said, “I’m an Aston guy, I’ve had a lot of them, and this is one of my favorites. I want you to drive it and see what you think.” Well, I’ve always lusted after an Aston Martin. I drove a DB4 years ago, and have always thought of it as my ultimate automobile, until I saw this DB2/4 MKIII. It was a design evolution from the previous DB2/4 models with a grille treatment that influenced that of the DB4. A transition model? The MKIII seems to have been designed to be the bridge between the older Aston Martin style and what the company believed would be their future.

The company came to be the same way as a few other British sports car manufactures– with an available car modified for competition. In the case of Aston Martin, it was a 10-hp, four-cylinder Singer that Robert Bamford and Lionel Martin modified for trials. Its first event was a hillclimb, at Aston Clinton, on May 24, 1914. It took first in its class, with “The Autocar” writing that it was “remarkable . . . [for its] smooth running and easy climbing.” That win fixed the name of the new marque – it would be Aston Martin. Martin and Bamford’s first Aston Martin prototype used a Coventry-Simplex, 1388-cc, four-cylinder engine in an Isotta Fraschini chassis. Progress on this prototype was delayed as the world engaged in what was called “The War to End All Wars.”

After the war, Aston Martin got off to a slow start and subsequently experienced a succession of owners. The second car to be produced had an engine enlarged to 1486-cc so it could compete in a 1 ½ liter class. The company moved into larger facilities but lost Bamford, who resigned from the company. Production didn’t get started until 1921, and the company produced less than 50 cars in its first four years. By then, John Benson was the company’s owner, but slow production resulted in the company going into receivership in 1925.

The next owners would last seven years, but in that time they did some good things, such as getting the company back into racing. Augustus Cesare Bertelli and W.S. Renwick had produced only one Enfield-Alldays automobile when they took over Aston Martin Motors. They used a 1495-cc, four-cylinder engine on various length chassis and built around 15 cars. They took their cars to Le Mans in 1928 but failed to finish. The cars, LM1 and LM2, continued to compete with some success. 1928 was also the year that they introduced the International, with a variety of body styles. It had a good engine and decent chassis, but it was heavy. A new International was introduced in 1932 with a higher compression engine, producing 60 bhp, and a Laycock gearbox, but production numbers were too low, and, as reported by Michael Bowler in Automobile Quarterly Volume XXI, Number 4, the company “passed into the control of Sir Arthur Sutherland” and, subsequently, to his son, Gordon Sutherland. The MK II, with a stiffer chassis and 1 ½ liter engine producing 73 bhp, raced to good class results at Le Mans in 1932 and 1933. In 1934, there were three new racers – LM11, LM12, and LM14. LM11 did not finish, but the other two finished 10^th and 11^th overall.

The next model was the Ulster, a 100 mph car with an engine producing 85 bhp at 5250 rpm. There were 17 production Ulsters, with four going to the Le Mans team. Racing successes were resulting in sales, but by 1936 Gordon Sutherland believed that the company needed to produce road cars to be profitable. A touring version of the new two-liter Speed model was designed by Claude Hill and Bertolli, with a wet sump and single overhead camshaft engine. Sales were good – 174 cars were sold up until the beginning of World War II.

Post-war, the model was continued with a new 2-liter engine. The prototype won the 24 Hours of Spa, in 1948, but a lack of funds resulted in only 15 being produced before the company was taken over by David Brown Gears. The models would now have a new designation – DB – that continues to this day. The DB1 used the design of the pre-war car that Aston Martin had initially produced after the war. When David Brown brought Lagonda into the company, he got the technical bits from the W.O. Bentley-designed Lagonda saloon. The Lagonda was independently sprung and was powered by a 2.6-liter, straight six, dual overhead cam engine. It was this engine that went into the DB2, a car that became Aston Martin’s first true grand tourer. The body of the DB2 was designed by Frank Feeley. A total of 411 were produced from 1950-’53. The DB2 engine produced 105 bhp, or 125 for the Vantage, giving the car a stop speed of 120 mph.

The introduction of the DB2/4, in 1953, brought Aston Martin firmly into the grand touring car market. Changes were made to the chassis and the roofline to allow room for an occasional passenger in the back, including a bit more headroom. There would be more power as well, with the new 2.9-liter engine producing 150 bhp. A DB2/4 MKII was produced next with bodywork by Tickford. Around this time in the middle ’50s, Aston Martin produced the DB3S and the road-going DB3. The DB3S had several good results at Le Mans, and it introduced a wider and lower grille than had been seen previously.

That more attractive grille was adopted for the DB2/4 MKIII that began production in 1957. It was another step by the company toward the design of modern Aston Martin automobiles. The MKIII had some design elements reminiscent of the DB2/4, but with the DB3 grille, it looked more modern. Eventually, it would come with front disc brakes and engines producing from 162-180 bhp, depending on which carburetors were installed. It also gave a hint of what the DB4 would look like. Production of the MKIII reached 290 cars and overlapped with the DB4, whose Touring coachwork was longer and lower than the MKIII. The DB4 also came with a 3.7-liter, all-aluminum, DOHC, inline-6 producing 240 bhp. With the DB4, Aston Martin saw the first of its modern automobiles, and it was the MKIII that provided the step the company needed to reach modernity.

When Gutierrez said, “I want you to drive it and see what you think,” he was serious. He had a route laid out that included some nice, two-lane roads with twisty bits, a stretch of interstate that would allow the car to show its speed, and even some congested areas to show how tractable the car can be. As always, the first thing is to get comfortable and learn the gauges and controls. Settling into the seats was easy—they are nicely padded, but firm— comfortable.

The steering wheel is wonderful – beautiful wood and so nice to hold. Next, the gauges. On the left, in the first bezel, were the ammeter at the top with the temperature gauge below. Directly in front were the large tach and speedometer in separate bezels. Then comes the oil pressure above the fuel gauge in the right bezel. All very visible. The turn signal stalk is on the left side of the steering column, with the headlight dipper switch/stalk on the right. There’s also a clock and an ashtray in the center of the dashboard. The ashtray is interesting – push on one side of the ashtray, and it rotates to open.

The car is simple to start – put the transmission in neutral and turn the key, while giving it a little gas. It starts immediately and settles into a 900 rpm idle, producing a nice burble that anticipates the fine noises the car will be making while underway. Select first – it’s a four speed with reverse right and back next to fourth – and release the clutch to get underway. It’s a long stretch to get the clutch all the way to the floor, but that’s only necessary when stopped. Steering is a little heavy at low speed, but it becomes much lighter and precise as speed increases. First thing you notice, as you press on the gas pedal, is the wonderful growl – such a nice sound. In traffic, shifting is smooth, although the throw is a bit long, especially compared to modern cars. As long as you keep moving, the steering is easy and precise. The car pulls well in all gears from low revs – great torque. Shifting is smooth and the cars accelerates nicely. Out of traffic and into the twisties was a joy. The car handles great – it’s a fun car to drive, and the gauges only gave positive reports on the condition of the car. Gutierrez has driven the car on the Colorado Grand without any problems, and the car gave me a comfortable feeling that all was well no matter where we were. On the way to the interstate, there was a roundabout that I took in second gear with left foot planted – great fun!

Up the ramp onto I-25, the car pulls smoothly in second gear. It might have less power than a DB4, but what it has is plenty and it seems to be always available. Smooth acceleration through the gears and onto the interstate. Speed limit is 75, and we pass a street rod at 80. We check each other out and exchange thumbs up. The car hobby is like ice cream – it’s really the same appeal, just different flavors for different tastes.

In all, we spent about an hour driving the MKIII, and it was one of my most enjoyable experiences since beginning to write for this magazine. It’s one of those cars that’s easy to love because it is such a joy to drive. Gutierrez found this car in California, unrestored. In the seven years he’s owned it, he has had it restored, and he DRIVES it! This is one of those cars that aches to be driven. Thank you, Alberto, for allowing me to enjoy driving it.

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