1955 Aston Martin DB2/4
Two occasional rear seats and a lift-up hatchback door addressed practical concerns about the DB2’s strict two-seat layout.
The DB2/4 emerged in 1953 with a raised roofline, single-piece curved windshield, and repositioned headlamps set higher on the front wings. Hand-formed aluminum panels covered a tubular steel chassis, available in both fixed-head coupe and drophead configurations.
Mark II revisions arrived for 1955, introducing small tailfins, bubble-style tail lights, and a revised hood split line. The straight-six engine designed by W.O. Bentley displaced 178 cubic inches (2.9 liters), delivering about 140 bhp from twin SU carburetors in standard form.
Higher-compression specification with larger valves raised output to as much as 165 bhp at 5,000 rpm for performance-oriented buyers. A four-speed manual transmission channeled power to a live rear axle.
Contemporary testing by The Motor recorded a maximum speed of around 118 mph, with 0-60 mph acceleration in just under 11 seconds. Production totaled 565 Mark I examples from 1953 through 1955, followed by 199 Mark II cars built through 1957.
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