An Aston Martin DB2/4 coachbuilt by Bertone will cross the auction block in the USA soon expected to fetch $1.2–1.6 million despite its 69 years of age. It is believed that only seven such cars were made, this being the only hardtop in existence.
The idea to create an Aston Martin with a Bertone body belonged to the American entrepreneur Stanley Arnolt, who imported British vehicles in the early 50s. He ordered seven different examples from the Italian coachbuilder, six of them convertibles.
It seems likely that Bertone and Arnolt had intended to produce a limited series of their Arnolt-Aston-Martin coupe. However, the automaker must have refused to supply them with the required components. For this reason, the DB2/4 with the LML/765 chassis ended up being a one-off.
The history of the car is carefully documented. It changed owners more than once, received periodical restoration and upgrades. It underwent its most extensive restoration so far in the early 2020s by the current owner, costing them approximately $800,000.
The coupe has been reverted to its original paint job and interior trim. The custom front bumper and taillights were fabricated from scratch after one of the previous owners had them replaced with aftermarket parts. The original 2.9-liter engine that the coupe received at the factory almost seven decades ago is still under the hood.