THE WASHBOARD REGISTER

ASTON MARTIN DB2

LML/50/9 (VMF 65)

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO SEND CONTRIBUTIONS !

WORKS TEAM CAR.

CHECK THIS PAGE FOR THE FOUR DIFFERENT BODY STYLES.

Engine number: LB6B/50/143, LB6B/50/144, DP/101/22, LB6B/50/612
No body number.
Cadillac green paint and rust interior.

                                (Source: Bonhams)

LML/50/9 was intended for 1950 Le Mans race along with LML/50/7 and LML/50/8 but Jack Fairman had an accident near Argentan. His pregnant wife and him went to hospital. The car didn't take part and LML/49/3 was used as a replacement.

LML/50/9 was then rebuilt with a new engine: LB6B/50/144.
Looks like it has also been painted in grey.
This car is one of the most repainted DB2s as you'll see later...

1950 : Silverstone B.R.D.C. (Thomson) 4th in class 77.3mph
      Ulster T.T. (Abecassis) 5th, 2nd in class 72.4 mph

1950 Tourist Trophy
(Source: POST)

Here is a zoom on this very nice shot:

1950 : Shelsley Walsh (Abecassis) 5th in class Team prize
MCC Daily Express 100 mille Rally (S Moss/L Macklin)
Road tested by Autocar November 17th

As tested by Autocar:

(Source: AM Magazine vol 20 no 82)

Here is the article:

(Source: 48-59)

Note that the car had been repainted Cadillac green!!!

1951 : British Empire Trophy I.O.M. (Abecassis), 11th 57,59 mph
      Ramsgate Speed Trials (Rob Walkers), 1st in class
      B.A.R.C. Members Goodwood (Rolt), 3rd & 4th
          Brighton Speed Trials (Rob Walker), 1st
      Ulster T.T.Dundrod (Thomson), 8th 78,06 mph 3rd in class
      Road tested by Autosport (2 March 1951):

(Source: FRO)

The car had been repainted once more and a 105 bhp low compression engine re-fitted.
It was still capable of 8.2 sec for the 0-50 mph and 35.4 sec for the 0-100 mph

Here is the article:

(Source: 48-59)

1951 : Ramsgate Speed Trials (Rob Walkers), 1st in class

Rupert recently sent me information about Ramsgate Sped Trials :

There were two Ramsgate events in 1951 - July 15 and September 30. Rob Walker was a class winner at the first event:
MAIDSTONE & MID-KENT M.C.
RAMSGATE SPEED TRIALS (July 15th)
FASTEST TIME OF THE DAY: E. Lloyd-Jones, (Triangle Flying-Saucer) 13.97 sec
FASTEST SPORTS CAR: Gordon Parker, (Jaguette) 16.45 sec
FASTEST ROAD-EQUIPPED SPORTS CAR: V. J. Hern, (Amilcar) 17.52 sec
FASTEST SALOON CAR: R. Walker, (Aston-Martin) 20.09 sec
FASTEST TIME BY A LADY: Mrs. Lorna Snow, (Jaguar XK120) 18.85 sec
FASTEST 500-c.c. CAR: Claude Tipper (Monaco-Norton) 17.94 sec
Source: Motor Sport, August 1951, Page 376.

July 1951 Ramsgate Speed Trials (Rob Walkers)
(Source: Old Classic Car site, full of nice vintage photos)

Also seen at a 1951 Silverstone AMOC meeting alongside some really nice cars that were to gain some pretty nice competition successes...

Nice line up !
From left to right: LML/50/34, LML/50/64, LML/50/57, LML/50/59 and LML/50/9
(Source: AM Magazine v20 n82)

1952 : AMOC Meeting Snetterton (Thomson) 1st 60,13mph
Ramsgate SpeedTrials (Rob Walker) 1st in class (or 1st?)
Tarrant Rushton Sprints (Rob Walker) 1st in class (or 1st?)
London & N Herts Speed Trial (Rob Walker) 1st in class (or 1st?)

1952 Daily Express (Moss & Macklin) 1952 Snetterton

(Source: AM Magazine vol 20 no 82)

Had you noticed it was Cadillac green again...?

1953 : Ramsgate Speed Trials (Rob Walker), 1st in class (or 1st?).
          3 litre engine DP 101/22 fitted from DB 3/6. Or was it in 1954?

1954 : Wethersfield Speed Trials (Rob Walker), 1st in class (or 1st?).
      Gosport Speed Trials (Rob Walker), 1st 72.21 mph.
      Autosport road test 10th September

"Converted back to original specification".
One wonders which "original" that means... Indeed it kept its then current body style.
Maybe that stands for "PRODUCTION SPECS" hence (maybe) the DB2/4 style bonnet (with high headlamps).
That's sure it's that for the engine...

1955 : Engine LB6B/50/612 fitted (ex LML/50/212).

1981 : seen at Dubay.

1987 : Mille Miglia retrospective.

1988 : Featured in "Me and my Car" Autocar (31 August).

Much more recently, seen at Silverstone in 2001:

All the DB2 works cars were there:

(Thanks José for this photo)

More recent photos:

(Source: Anamera)

VMF 65 is to be sold by Bonhams on 22 May 2010.
Information found here by Sport Car Digest.

Here is the PDF:

Will be sold with LML/50/12 by Bonhams.
Estimate is £ 380,000 - 440,000.

On cover of Ignition, issue 15:

Catalogue page (PDF):

The 21 photos in a zipped file:

Much stripped interior ...

Sold £513,000.

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