Aston Martin DB2

Aston Martin DB2
1950 Aston Martin DB2 Vantage Coupé
Overview
Manufacturer	Aston Martin
Production	1950–1953 411 produced
Designer	Frank Feeley
Body and chassis
Class	Grand tourer
Body style	2-seatcoupé 2-seatdrophead
Layout	FR layout
Related	Aston Martin DB3
Powertrain
Engine	2.6 LLagonda I6
Dimensions
Wheelbase	99 in (2,500 mm)
Length	162.5 in (4,130 mm)
Width	65 in (1,700 mm)
Height	53.5 in (1,360 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor	2-Litre Sports "DB1"
Successor	Aston Martin DB2/4

TheAston Martin DB2is agrand tourerthat was sold byAston Martinfrom May 1950 until April 1953. The successor to the2-Litre Sports model,it had a comparatively advanceddual overhead cam2.6 LLagonda straight-6engine in place of the previousoverhead valve enginestraight-four engine.It was available as a closed, 2-seatercoupéwhich Aston Martin called a sports saloon, and later also as adrophead coupé,which accounted for a quarter of the model's total sales. The closed version had some success in racing.

Development and racing

In 1947David Brownbought the Aston Martin andLagondacompanies and incorporated them asAston Martin Lagonda Ltd.Lagonda's 2.6 L (2580 cc/157 in³),dual overhead cam,straight-sixengine, more powerful than thepushrod2.0 Lstraight-fourin the Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports, was the main objective in Brown's acquisition of the company.W. O. Bentleyhad supervised the engine's design, which was largely by William (Willie) Watson, an engineer with the pre-warInvictacompany who had collaborated on Lagonda's pre-war V12 and also designed the short-lived post-war version.

In its original form the Lagonda straight-6 had a 78 mm (3.07 in) bore and 90 mm (3.543 in) stroke, and produced about 105 hp (78 kW) with dualSU carburettors.The DB2 utilized it in a shortened version of thetube-framechassis designed by Claude Hill for the Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports, with afastbackcoupé body designed byFrank Feeley.

Three pre-production cars were entered for the1949 24 Hours of Le Mans.One, which would become the development car for the production DB2, had the Lagonda straight-6, while the four-cylinder Aston Martin 2-litre unit powered the other two. After six laps the Lagonda-powered car, driven byLeslie Johnson,retired with overheating caused by failure of the water pump. One of the 2-litre cars was in 4th place and running without brakes when it crashed two hours short of the finish, fatally injuring driverPierre Maréchal.The other finished 7th, crewed by Arthur Jones and Nick Haines. A month later, the larger-engined car, driven by Leslie Johnson and Charles Brackenbury, finished 3rd in theSpa 24-hour race,where one of the 2-litre cars was driven to 5th by Nick Haines andLance Macklin.

For 1950 all three factory team cars were equipped with the Lagonda engine. At the1950 Le Mans racethe one driven byGeorge AbecassisandLance Macklinfinished 5th, with Brackenbury andReg Parnellbringing another home 6th, which won Aston Martin 1st and 2nd in the 3-litre class. Across the Atlantic,Briggs Cunninghamdrove his DB2 to 2nd in its class at the inauguralSebringrace meeting in December 1950. The factory team cars continued racing in Europe throughout 1951, including atLe Mans,where Macklin andEric Thompsontook 3rd overall, with Abecassis andBrian Shawe-Taylor5th.

David Brown soon embarked on a series of Aston Martins designed specifically for competition use, starting with theDB3.

Production

The DB2 debuted at theNew York Auto Showin April 1950 and continued in production until April 1953, by which time 411 had been made. The first 49 had a chrome-framed front grille in three separate parts, and large rectangular cooling vents in the front wings. Subsequent cars had a one-piece grille with horizontal chrome slats, and no side vents.

The single-piece bonnet was hinged at the front. At the rear of the fixed-head coupé (FHC) a small top-hinged lid gave access to the spare wheel, and luggage space was behind the front seats, accessible only from inside the car.

Later in 1950, a Drophead Coupé (DHC) variant was introduced. At least 102 were built.

In April 1950, an engine with largercarburettors,inletcamshaftthe same as the exhaust (for increasedduration), and highercompression ratiopistons (8.16:1) was made available. Aston Martin's firstVantageupgrade option, it offered 125 hp (93 kW). Initially the higher compression ratio made the engine unsuitable for the British market, as the postwar austerity measures of the early 1950s restricted UK vehicles to 72 octane "Pool petrol".The first DB2 Vantage, LML 50/21, was delivered to, and raced by, Briggs Cunningham in the United States.

Performance

A closed coupé tested by the British magazineThe Motorin 1950 had a top speed of 116.4 mph (187.3 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 11.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of 20 miles per imperial gallon (14 L/100 km; 17 mpg_‑US) was recorded. The test car cost £1914 including taxes.

• 
  The fourth and last DB2 prototype, built in 1949 forDavid Brown's personal use
• 
  Aston Martin DB2 straight-6 engine
• 
  The Aston Martin DB2 closed coupé body was afastbackdesign byFrank Feeley
• 
  1951 Aston Martin DB2 Drophead Coupé
• 
  1953 Aston Martin DB2 competition quasi-Vantage

Further reading

• "Aston Martin DB2".AstonMartins.Retrieved23 June2005.
• AMOCregister for production dates and information on Willie Watson

External links

• Aston Martin Scrapbook on WashboardsAstonunts.free.fr