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Auction archive: Lot number 59

1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 2.6 Litre Competition Saloon

Auktion 25.09.2010
25 Sep 2010
Estimate
£65,000 - £75,000
ca. US$101,117 - US$116,674
Price realised:
£63,000
ca. US$98,006
Auction archive: Lot number 59

1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk1 2.6 Litre Competition Saloon

Auktion 25.09.2010
25 Sep 2010
Estimate
£65,000 - £75,000
ca. US$101,117 - US$116,674
Price realised:
£63,000
ca. US$98,006
Beschreibung:

Mr Noel Cunningham-Reid was a British racing driver who began his career in 1954, perhaps one of the forgotten greats of motor racing, his ability was recognized early on by legendary Aston Martin team manager John Wyer who signed him up to race a works DBR1 for the factory in 1957. Indeed his career began in an Aston Martin in 1954, that car was a DB2/4 Mk 1, chassis LML 659, the car we are proud to offer for auction today. In an interview with Chris Nixon published in Classic and Sportscar magazine in 2003, Mr Cunningham-Reid remembers the car 'Early in 1954 I bought an Aston Martin DB2/4 from Brooklands of Bond Street and with it came a year's membership for the AMOC. Then, in the post came an invitation to take part in an AMOC meeting at Snetterton in April.' He finished third overall and continued to compete and modified the DB2/4 until deciding to purchase a Lister Bristol to race. He went on to race an HWM for George Abecassis achieving third place in the 1955 Redex Trophy race at Castlecombe. He continued to race with Abecassis in an HWM for the next season and showed great ability, giving drivers such as Ron Flockhart, Dick Protheroe and Duncan Hamilton a good run for their money. John Wyer had noted Cunningham-Reid's performance and invited him to Silverstone to test a DB3S with three other potential drivers. His first race with the Aston works team was at the British Empire trophy at Oulton Park in early April, driving a DB3S alongside Roy Salvadori who was driving the new DBR1. Cunningham-Reid finished 5 th overall but the Nurburgring 1000kms race is where he would shine. He drove a superb consistent race with Tony Brooks who had started the race extremely well, and the pair would win outright after 44 laps, 4 minutes and 13.7 seconds ahead of the Collins/ Gendebien 4.1 Litre Ferrari. The pair also drove together at Le Mans driving a works DBR1 but gearbox problems and an accident marred their performance. Cunningham-Reid also drove for the works at Spa-Francorchamps using a DBR2. The guarantee for LML 659 was first issued on 14 th April 1954 and its first owner was noted as Mr. Cunningham-Reid, the car bearing the registration OXW 676. It was Cunningham -Reid's intention to race the car and the record shows a number of modifications including heavy duty shock absorbers and RJ needles. The record card also notes that the car was racing at Snetterton in June 1954 with the owner's modifications. Having achieved 3 rd overall at Snetterton, the car was sent back to the works in September where triple racing Solex carburetors were fitted with special manifolds and controls. The rear axle ratio was changed to 3.5 to 1and a set of Alfin brake drums were fitted. In addition an exhaust camshaft for the inlet side was fitted as were modified axle buffers, rear springs and a twin exhaust system from fellow racer Tommy Sopwith's car. The car was maintained by the factory throughout his ownership and the records indicate that occcasional body damage repairs were undertaken so there can be no question Mr Cunningham-Reid made full use of the car! The second owner was Mr Young of Bond Street, London who purchased it in June 1955 and barely a month into his ownership sent the car back to the works for a full engine rebuild. In February 1958 a replacement engine was fitted by the factory, as detailed on the works record and also confirmed in a letter from Captain Ivan Forshaw written in 1978, which states the original engine VB6E/50/1388 was replaced by VB6E/50/1413, the engine which is still in the car today. Interestingly in the same letter Forshaw also states 'Both these engines are 2.6 litre Vantage units, 2580cc.' Captain Forshaw also refers to the original registration OXW 676 being changed to 760 GBL but is not sure when this transfer occured. The record card shows details of a further three owners and then in the late 1960's the car came into the hands of Mr Bryan Parnell who is understood to be Reverend Parnell

Auction archive: Lot number 59
Auction:
Datum:
25 Sep 2010
Auction house:
Historics at Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd
Thorney Lane North
Iver, SL0 9HF
United Kingdom
auctions@historics.co.uk
+44 (0)1753 639170
+44 (0)1522 262177
Beschreibung:

Mr Noel Cunningham-Reid was a British racing driver who began his career in 1954, perhaps one of the forgotten greats of motor racing, his ability was recognized early on by legendary Aston Martin team manager John Wyer who signed him up to race a works DBR1 for the factory in 1957. Indeed his career began in an Aston Martin in 1954, that car was a DB2/4 Mk 1, chassis LML 659, the car we are proud to offer for auction today. In an interview with Chris Nixon published in Classic and Sportscar magazine in 2003, Mr Cunningham-Reid remembers the car 'Early in 1954 I bought an Aston Martin DB2/4 from Brooklands of Bond Street and with it came a year's membership for the AMOC. Then, in the post came an invitation to take part in an AMOC meeting at Snetterton in April.' He finished third overall and continued to compete and modified the DB2/4 until deciding to purchase a Lister Bristol to race. He went on to race an HWM for George Abecassis achieving third place in the 1955 Redex Trophy race at Castlecombe. He continued to race with Abecassis in an HWM for the next season and showed great ability, giving drivers such as Ron Flockhart, Dick Protheroe and Duncan Hamilton a good run for their money. John Wyer had noted Cunningham-Reid's performance and invited him to Silverstone to test a DB3S with three other potential drivers. His first race with the Aston works team was at the British Empire trophy at Oulton Park in early April, driving a DB3S alongside Roy Salvadori who was driving the new DBR1. Cunningham-Reid finished 5 th overall but the Nurburgring 1000kms race is where he would shine. He drove a superb consistent race with Tony Brooks who had started the race extremely well, and the pair would win outright after 44 laps, 4 minutes and 13.7 seconds ahead of the Collins/ Gendebien 4.1 Litre Ferrari. The pair also drove together at Le Mans driving a works DBR1 but gearbox problems and an accident marred their performance. Cunningham-Reid also drove for the works at Spa-Francorchamps using a DBR2. The guarantee for LML 659 was first issued on 14 th April 1954 and its first owner was noted as Mr. Cunningham-Reid, the car bearing the registration OXW 676. It was Cunningham -Reid's intention to race the car and the record shows a number of modifications including heavy duty shock absorbers and RJ needles. The record card also notes that the car was racing at Snetterton in June 1954 with the owner's modifications. Having achieved 3 rd overall at Snetterton, the car was sent back to the works in September where triple racing Solex carburetors were fitted with special manifolds and controls. The rear axle ratio was changed to 3.5 to 1and a set of Alfin brake drums were fitted. In addition an exhaust camshaft for the inlet side was fitted as were modified axle buffers, rear springs and a twin exhaust system from fellow racer Tommy Sopwith's car. The car was maintained by the factory throughout his ownership and the records indicate that occcasional body damage repairs were undertaken so there can be no question Mr Cunningham-Reid made full use of the car! The second owner was Mr Young of Bond Street, London who purchased it in June 1955 and barely a month into his ownership sent the car back to the works for a full engine rebuild. In February 1958 a replacement engine was fitted by the factory, as detailed on the works record and also confirmed in a letter from Captain Ivan Forshaw written in 1978, which states the original engine VB6E/50/1388 was replaced by VB6E/50/1413, the engine which is still in the car today. Interestingly in the same letter Forshaw also states 'Both these engines are 2.6 litre Vantage units, 2580cc.' Captain Forshaw also refers to the original registration OXW 676 being changed to 760 GBL but is not sure when this transfer occured. The record card shows details of a further three owners and then in the late 1960's the car came into the hands of Mr Bryan Parnell who is understood to be Reverend Parnell

Auction archive: Lot number 59
Auction:
Datum:
25 Sep 2010
Auction house:
Historics at Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd
Thorney Lane North
Iver, SL0 9HF
United Kingdom
auctions@historics.co.uk
+44 (0)1753 639170
+44 (0)1522 262177
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