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1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone is Classier Than a Top Hat

If anything, the highly collectible Aston Martin that stole our hearts today only misses a cane and a monocle to be a proper convertible for gentlemen drivers. Slated to cross the auction block on May 2nd, RM Sotheby’s estimates that this esteemed blast from the past is worth a mind-bending $1.4 to $1.8 million.
1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone (Charles A. Ward car) 30 photos
Photo: RM Sotheby's
1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe By Bertone
The Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe by Bertone spawned only two units that are said to be unique in their own ways. Chassis LML/504 here is the highly-coveted Charles A. Ward car and it comes with a lot of documentation and three Pebble Beach awards.

Sort of speak, this is the proverbial gentleman’s express thanks to its scarcity and historical importance. To make a long story short, the Bertone-bodied DB2/4 Drophead Coupe was presented to Charles A. Ward, then’s president of the Brown & Bigelow Company, by 60 regional sales managers. Delivered in 1953 by Chicago importer S.H. Arnolt, the bespoke machine is wearing Charles’ initials.

Charles was a curious bloke according to RM. By 1959, Ward turned around the company from annual losses of $250,000 in 1933 to total sales of $55 million. He was also a philanthropist that employed reformed convicts, yet Charles is also known for its flamboyant lifestyle. As such, it’s easy to understand why Charles’ top ranking sales managers decided to order this majestic machine for their president.

Other than the car itself, the man or woman that’ll win the bidding on this 1953 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe by Bertone will be presented with a number of extras. To name the most important accoutrement of them all, Charles A. Ward’s automobile comes with a picnic hamper. Not joking.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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