[ MONTH IN CARS ] Barn finds
Fancy a quick winter classic project? Best not take on this Aston Martin then…
Engine, gearbox, front axle and wheels missing
This is one of 301 Aston Martin DB2 Sports Saloons, of which as few as 43 were left-hand drive, and not many of these built to high-compression Vantage specification. Among the survivors, if that’s the right term to use in this case, this is one of those. The bad news is that the engine, gearbox, front axle and front wheels went missing a long time ago and are not with the car. Quite how long this 1953 example was stored in a red timber barn in rural Massachusetts, USA, is not quite clear – nor is the reason for its original removal from use. However, going on its current state and lack of some vital components, it seems likely that a restoration process began some years ago, and split the drivetrain and front suspension from the car, the rest of which was left to deteriorate.
Were bonnet scoops added to fix cooling problems?
Although storage seems to have been dry, the interior trim has suffered and will need total replacement. Happily, the main dash cluster was removed and more carefully treated, and remains intact. The body is painted white under all the grime, but it’s impossible to tell if this was the original shade. What remains of the interior leather trim appears to be pale grey, though this too could have been recoloured.
White or grey? It’s hard to tell
Dash cluster removed and cared for, so survived well
After the tiny production of just 14 DB1 dropheads, the DB2 marked the first serious step by David Brown’s firm towards the noble line of sporting GTs and convertibles that would last into the Seventies. However, high prices and stiff competition from rivals such as the larger-engined Jaguar XK120 (3.4 litres versus the Aston’s 2.6 litres) kept sales relatively slow, though the 125bhp Vantage option gave a credible 121mph top speed to match that of the Jaguar. America would become a vital market for Aston Martin but the first left-hand drive DB2 wasn’t produced until 1952, making this car one of the first lhd Astons in the USA. For sale at $67,500 (£51,000), it’s now awaiting a brave new owner with European and American classic specialist Gullwing Motor Cars of Astoria, NY.
Only 301 – non-dusty– DB2s thought to have been made
Rare Volvo stored for 46 years
Volvo has been in storage since it was six years old
This 1973 Volvo 1800ES has been in the garage since it was only six years old. It’s not exactly clear what took the car into storage in 1979, as it comes to light now as part of, rather aptly, an estate sale. However, visible repairs to the sills, long since finished and covered in red anti-rust paint, suggest the rust had taken a bite during the car’s short on-road life.
Volvo was young at time of its hibernation
The late owner, who kept the car in a spacious wood-and-brick garage at his home in Runcorn, began a programme of restoration work which was sadly never finished. The chrome, wheel trims, rear lights and the rear half of the interior were all removed at the start of the planned restoration, and all appeared to be present and awaiting re-fitment when the property was cleared. Assisting in the extraction of the rare Volvo shooting-brake was Jonny Smith, the TV presenter turned YouTuber, who will be releasing a video of the process on his The Late Brake Show channel.
More racy interior for sports estate
The 1800ES was introduced in 1971 as a replacement for the P1800 coupé, a year before the last coupés were made. Offering an increased luggage capacity and extra space over the P1800, it was only in production for two years but sold well, with most of the 8000-unit run made going to the USA. This means the Scimitar-like sporting estate has always been an unusual sight in the UK. This one was offered at No Reserve at H&H’s Buxton sale as we went to press.
Four-cylinder, 2.0-litre engine appears intact
There is evidence of an unfinished restoration
Was luxury Manta extra special?
Rumoured to be car of ex-Opel UK director’s wife
A council lock-up garage in Walsall has hidden this unusual Opel Manta A for the last 20 years. The car was stored there after an MoT failure, but there is good news, too – deterioration looks to have been slight and additionally, the car’s specification may well be unique.
Odometer points to Manta having done few miles
Luxus-specification included nylon cloth upholstery
This is one of 400 Manta Luxus models produced for the UK market. Launched in In March 1974, these featured sports wheels, a black vinyl roof, a sliding sunroof, nylon cloth upholstery, front seat headrests and the 1.9S engine. The received wisdom, supported by a period Opel advert, is that you could only buy a Luxus special edition in Signal Red or Signal Blue, so why is this one silver? No, not a later re-spray, says the man who extracted it from storage, Adrian Smith.
Mechanicals, including 1.9-litre engine, well-preserved
‘I’ve heard from two separate sources that this car was a special order, built for the wife of one of Opel UK’s directors. It’s an unusual automatic, too, and the history folder contains the names of all seven previous owners. All I’ve done is give it a quick wash, fight my way past the cobwebs to the bonnet release, clean the points and check the lovely clean oil, then fire it up. It needs some welding and paint, but the mechanicals and interior are great.’
Others agreed – it recently sold for £7600 on eBay.
Despite paraphernalia, storage seems to have been kind to Manta