Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupé Bertone

The Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupé by Bertone is a limited-production variant of the DB2/4 Mark I, produced in 1953 as part of a short-lived collaboration between Aston Martin and the Italian coachbuilding firm Carrozzeria Bertone. The model was developed at the initiative of American industrialist Stanley H. Arnolt, who arranged for a small number of bespoke bodies to be fitted to standard Aston Martin chassis. Two examples of the Drophead Coupé were completed by Bertone, bearing chassis numbers LML/504 and LML/506. The base platform utilized Aston Martin’s DB2/4 Mark I architecture, which featured a front-mounted 2.9-litre inline-six engine derived from the Lagonda unit developed under W.O. Bentley’s tenure. Output was approximately 140 horsepower, delivered to the rear axle via a four-speed manual gearbox. The vehicle’s suspension consisted of an independent front setup with coil springs and trailing arms, while the rear employed a live axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs. Hydraulic drum brakes were fitted at all four corners. The bodywork, executed under the direction of Giovanni Michelotti for Bertone, introduced significant visual deviations from the standard Drophead Coupé produced by Aston Martin. The Italian influence was evident in the vehicle’s cleaner surfaces, restrained ornamentation, and subtly reworked proportions. The grille retained elements of Aston Martin’s design language, providing visual continuity with the manufacturer’s identity. Interior appointments were in keeping with contemporary luxury standards, including leather upholstery and wood veneer trim. Chassis LML/506 was delivered to Edith Field of California in 1954 and appeared at the 1955 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, where it received class recognition. The car remained in private hands, undergoing a restoration in the United Kingdom between 2006 and 2011, and was subsequently awarded in concours competition. The DB2/4 Drophead Coupé by Bertone represents an instance of mid-20th-century cross-European automotive collaboration. While it did not proceed beyond two units, it remains a representative artifact of coachbuilt customization on British mechanical underpinnings, executed by an Italian firm with growing influence in international design circles. The model is historically notable for its rarity and deviation from Aston Martin’s in-house production bodywork.