Aston Martin DB 2

The DB 2 is developed out of the open DB 1, which was successful in the year 1949 in the racing sport, but has not been a sales success. The DB 2 is the first vehicle which brings in money. It is enough to cover its development expenses and even realize some profit. Aston Martin never realized a great deal of profit in spite of its high prices, because the engineers are in charge and not the businessmen. However, this also means technically optimal solutions and few compromises. The frame originates from Claude Hill who uses very form-stable square tubing instead of round pipes, like for the 1939 Atom. The bodywork is done by Frank Feeley whom David Brown has taken over together with the firma Lagonda.
The first DB 2 are recognizable by the split windscreen and the radiator grille in one-piece. The picture on top shows a car of the last series. This car ought to bring in cash for the industrialist David Brown after the racing results of the year before. The tubular frame of the prewar Atom is covered with an aluminum shell. Therefore, the vehicle has hardly any supportive side sections. If the front bonnet is tilted forwards, fenders and body side sections disappear likewise. The engine is almost freely accessible. The battery is accommodated especially low behind the left front wheel, probably for weight distribution reasons just opposite of the steering wheel.
The DB 2 combines the car body technology of Aston Martin with the engine technology of Lagonda. Walter Owen Bentley, who had to give up his own, racing-sportily very successful enterprise to Rolls Royce, has constructed this engine. He is on the payroll of Lagonda. Except for the mixture supply it is the most modern of that moment, and some more moments to come. The engine still has a lot of potential for enlargements. In the year 1950 three vehicles take place in the race in Le Mans. They end up with class victories and the fifth and sixth place in the general ranking. After two years they again make a class victory, and overall a 12^th and 13^th rank. The sporty balance contributes to the sales success.