It has a few nicks and scratches on its bodywork. But that didn't stop this 'lost' 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII drophead - originally the property of former Aston Martin owner David Brown - selling for more than £206,000.
According to auction house Barons, the car has spent the last 30 years hidden beneath a tarpaulin - and emerged from beneath it to become the star lot at the British Heritage sale at Sandown Park on Tuesday (September 7).
This extremely rare machine - of which just 84 were ever built is now a rolling restoration project. It presented interested collectors with an extraordinary opportunity to acquire and restore a true piece of British motoring history.
 The 'lost' 1958 Aston Martin DB2/4 MkIII |
It was originally owned by the man whose initials were given to the legendary Aston Martin 'DB' models. And this isn't the first time that one of Mr Brown's own cars has rolled onto the auction block.
Last October, his personal 1950 DB2 Team Car - in far better condition - brought £550,000 at RM Auctions. (You can see it in the above video.)
Unsurprisingly, interest in the DB2/4 MkIII came from around the world, and bidding rapidly exceeded the £80,000-£100,000 guide price. When the hammer finally fell, the successful bidder, a private British collector, paid £206,866 (including buyer's premium).
 One for your toy box: the 1966 Lotus on which the Corgi model was based |
Other highlights at Barons' £700,000 classic cars sale included the actual 1966 Lotus Cortina used by Corgi as the basis for its hugely-popular Corgi Classics model, which achieved £40,250. Fittingly, the buyer also acquired one of the Corgi toy models of his new car in the same lot.
Meanwhile, a fine 1957 Daimler Conquest Century DHC sold to an Austrian bidder for £29,000 - an exceptional price for the model.
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