A DB2 from Cuba
Note : all photos are clickable to see them in a much larger size.
all photos have a
'source' given. Please have a look at my bibliography to decode.
Maybe you remember on my unidentified
washboard DB2s page, the #6 car.
Here is what I put:
I found this in a very old
French magazine called Auto Rétro. I cut it up and
forgot to note the date...
This
car was among many others for
sale in
Cuba!
The grille looks like a pre-war put
on a DB2... It has no washboard and
no smaller side grille at left and right of the grille.
Also note louvers on the bonnet.
Here is the full article:
I got a message from the enthusiast owner of this car who kindly
explained the story of this car.
First of all, this car is LML/50/148, so this is not a washboard DB2 ! I let him go
on ...
A friend of mine found it in Havana
on a scrapyard between several other American cars. As he wasn't
interested, he told me about his found knowing my interest. He arranged
the transport with a lot of handicaps:
- At first the scrap dealer wanted $
2,000 - that’s not much – but then …
- He had to sell the car to the Cuban
government, afterwards he could buy it back with export papers for $
4,000
- He expected the transport to cost $
800 – 1000 … as it was usual in that time (1992) from the American
eastcoast. But then anything was different – because of the opening of
the Russian borders. The container was packed – and …disappeared!
From February 1993 until November 1993 nothing was to be heard.
The car was nowhere! Then it
turned up in Venezuela!!!
The Cuban government had no trading partner in Europe or USSR anymore –
so they didn't know where to send.
In January 1994 the container
arrived at Bremerhaven in Germany. The costs were huge. But I could put
the car on a trailer and bring it to Hamburg.
During that travel I had to get gas on an highway petrol station. The
cashier watched the car and said: “You´ve got a nice old
Mercedes!” – The grille is no pre-war grille as you expected – but an
old Mercedes 190 or 220 grille - which the former Cuban owner had put
into the front – unfortunately!
When I arrived at my home and the car was in the garage the whole
disaster came out.
The colour was wall colour in white
over purple, dark red and finally silver grey.
The wheels were from a VW with some spikes like in the James Bond
films.
Seats and steering wheel were missing and so on …
The engine and several small parts were in two extra boxes.
After the first shock I wanted
to find out everything about the history of my “Cuban corpse”. When
B.L. [name erased - Astonuts] and I found the number under many layers
of colour I could get information from Aston Martin Dorset.
This Aston is probably (99,9%) the private car from Ernesto Barcardy.
In 1959 he was dispossessed and the Cuban government became the new
owner. Who used it at that time is unknown. Then a lot of other people
tried to drive this car as long as possible. With their restricted
possibilities they repaired the car until it was no longer driveable.
Now, in the restoration department, it has a complete restored chassis
and body. Seats and wheels are original - the rest is waiting for
my time. But this car is the next project.
Here are some photos sent with the story:
First in Cuba, three following in Germany. Last is the restored chassis.
Just have a look at the dangerous spinners!
I must thank the owner of this car as he has saved an Aston Martin DB2
that would have been scrapped, broken for spares or at best (!?)
modified into a racer...
This is a true labour of love, the work of a real amateur.
Hats off!
Aston Martin Scrapbook
http://astonuts.free.fr
BACK
