VIN: the David Brown / Lance Macklin Aston Martin DB2 Le Mans Prototype chassis LML/49/4
/ Ben Tyer
HISTORY OF CHASSIS LML/49/4
LML/49/4 was the last of four DB2 Le Mans Prototypes. Unlike the three Almond Green examples destined for competition use, chassis 4 was uniquely equipped with a fully upholstered interior and painted Maroon.
Whereas chassis 1 and 2 had been fitted with the Claude Hill-designed four cylinder engine, chassis 3 and 4 came with the first incarnation of WO Bentley’s dual overhead camshaft straight six.
First registered on April 26th 1949 (along with the other three team cars), chassis 4 spent the early part of its life as David Brown’s personal vehicle.
In May 1949, the car starred in a series of publicity photographs taken at Great Fosters Hotel near Egham.
Within a few months, chassis 4 had racked up nearly 10,000 miles which gave Aston Martin a considerable amount of useful data prior to starting DB2 production.
During this time, the car was road tested by The Motor magazine (1st February 1950 edition).
In March 1950, Aston Martin switched chassis 4 to a floor instead of steering column-mounted gear change. At the same time, a fresh engine was installed and the colour was changed to Dark Green. It was then sold to Lance Macklin who had joined Aston Martin as a works driver in 1949.
Macklin almost immediately set out for Italy with his new acquisition and called in at the Weber factory (Bologna) to have the car fitted with a trio of 35 DCO carburettors. He then headed to Monza for the 295km Coppa Inter Europa and placed second in class.
From Monza, Macklin took chassis 4 south for the Giro di Sicilia which comprised an epic 1078km single lap of the island. Unfortunately, he misread one of the corners and plunged into a mountainous cutting.
Thankfully, Macklin survived uninjured.
Chassis 4 was sent back to the factory for repair. Macklin sold the car to cover the costs.
It subsequently went through the hands of several owners in quick succession, probably on account of its very hot cockpit (cabin ventilation was an issue on all four ‘Sweatboxes’).
One later owner was John Dalton who raced the car in a couple of minor club events in the mid 1950s.
Another custodian was Bill Monk who stripped it for restoration before selling the unfinished machine to Peter Lee in 1965.
Lee completed the restoration and retained chassis 4 until 1989 at which point it was sold by Christie’s in Monaco.
Notable History
David Brown / Aston Martin Ltd.
Six cylinder WO Bentley engine
Maroon
26/04/1949 registered UMC 262
Used as David Brown’s personal vehicle
01/02/1950 featured in The Motor magazine
03/1950 gear change switched from steering column to floor, new engine fitted and repainted Dark Green
Sold to Lance Macklin
26/03/1950 IND Monza Coppa Inter-Europa (L. Macklin) 2nd S2.0+ class (#2)
02/04/1950 IND Giro di Sicilia (L. Macklin) DNF (#453)
Returned to the factory for repair after its crash on the Giro di Sicilia
Sold to the first of several private owners
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Aston Martin - https://www.astonmartin.com
Chassis 0180/L was the first of two GTZs originally painted white although the Australian-bound second example (0186/R) was described as Desert White and came with red upholstery while 0180/L…
Aston Martin chassis DB3S/5 was one of five DB3S constructed in 1953. Built to contest a domestic and World Sportscar Championship programme, the new DB3S wore a beautiful Frank Feeley…
Aston Martin launched the DB4 in late 1958 to replace the ageing DB MkIII which could trace its origins back to 1949. In addition to handsome new Touring of Milan coachwork, the DB4 ushered in a…
By the mid 1980s, the super high end front-engined GT had become something of an endangered species, especially in open-bodied form. Ferrari’s 412 along with the much less expensive Porsche…
Two years after Aston Martin had launched its souped up, short wheelbase, more aerodynamically efficient DB4 GT, the company introduced a visually similar iteration of the regular DB4 with an…
Having experienced a period of relative stability under the stewardship of renowned British industrialist David Brown between 1947 and 1972, Aston Martin Lagonda (AML) found itself in disarray…
Because demand for the V8 Vantage Zagato exceeded the limited run of 50 cars promised by Aston Martin, the British firm was left with a dilemma about how best to satisfy those customers who had…
Chassis LML/50/7 was one of three DB2 team cars produced in 1950. First registered VMF 63 in May 1950, its Cadillac Green sister cars were consecutively registered VMF 64 and VMF 65. For their…
When Aston Martin boss David Brown wanted to create the ultimate low drag super light DB4 GT, he commissioned Zagato of Milan to come up with an air piercing featherweight body. With its…
Amazing period footage from the Aston Martin team’s trip to the 1956 Nurburgring 1000km which was the penultimate round of that year’s World Sportscar Championship.
Although Aston Martin had not planned to make an open top version of its range-topping V8 Vantage, the early 1980s began to see a handful of special order cars built to such a configuration…
When Ferrari returned to the front-engined Gran Turismo market with the critically-acclaimed 550 Maranello in 1996, Aston Martin suddenly found itself with a big budget rival in a sector it had ruled…
Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October 1965 as the successor to Aston Martin’s iconic DB5, the DB6 most notably offered a more spacious cockpit that was the result of switching to a longer…
Although prior years had seen some spectacular attempts to bring F1 performance to the street, arguably nothing has come closer to achieving that feat than Aston Martin’s radical Valkyrie.
In addition to Kensington’s Radford coachworks, FLM Panelcraft based two miles across London in Battersea also offered a Shooting Break conversion for Aston Martin’s DB6. In a similar vein to…
Having seen how quickly Ferrari shifted over 200 examples of its premium priced 288 GTO, Aston Martin decided to get in on the act with their own low volume special: a short wheelbase Zagato…
During the late 1980s, nothing in class could match Aston Martin’s formidable X-pack-equipped V8 Vantage. Whereas the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini only offered models with north of 400bhp in…
During the 1990s, Aston Martin produced a litany of low volume specials for VIP customers, many of which still remain little known today. One such model is the spectacular Vantage V550 / V600…
Chassis 30036 was one of 37 Aston Martin V8 Volantes built with coachwork by Zagato and one of nine completed during the final year of production: 1989. It was configured in Litchfield Black with…
The 1970s was a tumultuous time for Aston Martin which, owing to the effects of multiple ownership changes, poor trading conditions and labour reforms, seemed to lurch from one crisis to another.
Chassis 30015 was one of 37 Aston Martin V8 Volantes built with coachwork by Zagato and one of 27 completed in 1988. It was configured in Vulcan Black with Black upholstery, right-hand drive and…
Chassis 20021 was one of three V8 Vantage Zagatos supplied new to the Brunei Royal Family, the others having been chassis 20023 (a manual 1986 example finished in Lightning Silver with Blue…
Twelve months after the base DB4 had made its highly anticipated debut, Aston Martin displayed a high performance, short wheelbase version generally supplied without rear seats aimed at those…
Three years after the original V8 Vantage had been launched (the V540), Aston Martin introduced an updated version variously known as the V580 and Oscar India. Most significantly, the V580…
Having been announced at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2002, Aston Martin’s Zagato-bodied DB7 V12 Vantage (officially dubbed the DB7 Zagato) was subsequently given a public launch at the…
It’s no secret that here at Supercar Nostalgia we think, of all the high end machinery produced this century, the Aston Martin Valkyrie is far and away the most impressive. In addition to a…
Aston Martin built 1567 examples of the much-loved DB6 between October 1965 and November 1970 of which just 240 were the updated Mk2 variant. Introduced in July 1969, the Mk2 was a…
Although Aston Martin’s Virage was clearly an accomplished Grand Tourer, some customers wanted a machine with more punch than the standard car offered. From January 1992, those that desired…
Of all the ultra high end supercars produced in recent years, our favourite at Supercar Nostalgia is the Adrian Newey-designed Aston Martin Valkyrie. In addition to a beauty unmatched by its…
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Aston Martin’s victory at the 1959 Le Mans 24 Hours when the DBR1s of Carroll Shelby / Roy Salvadori and Maurice Trintignant / Paul Frere finished first and…