Some Assembly Required: A 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Project Car

This partially assembled car is actually the first production Aston Martin DB2 that was ever made. It was initially driven by David Brown himself before it was sold to George Schrafft, the car would go on to race at the first ever running of the Sebring 12 Hours on the 15th of March 1952.

The car is now for sale in mostly restored condition, it requires a little more work and of course it needs to be assembled. The engine, gearbox, and axle have all been rebuilt, the chassis has been prepared, and the body is nearly ready for primer and paint.

Fast Facts – The Aston Martin DB2

• The Aston Martin DB2 is undoubtably one of the most important cars ever made by the British automaker. It’s the model that proved the racing mettle of the new line of “DB” Astons, and the company sold over 400 of them between 1950 and 1953.
• Named “DB” after David Brown, who purchased Aston Martin (and Lagonda) in 1947, the DB2 was the successor to the DB1 – importantly the DB2 used the twin cam straight-six from Lagonda, providing it with far more power than the earlier pre-WWII Aston inline-four.
• The Aston Martin DB2 debuted at the New York Auto Show in April of 1950, later in the year a Drophead Coupé (convertible) version would be offered. Aston was targeting export sales to the USA in order to bring in much needed revenue.
• The car you see here is the first production DB2 that was made. It’s said to have been used by David Brown himself while he waited for his own Drophead DB2 to be completed. The car is now for sale in almost ready-to-assemble from with a price guide of £250,000.

David Brown Buys Aston Martin For £20,000

In 1947 a man named David Brown saw a classified ad offering the sale of a British sports car marque for the price of £20,000, approximately £546,000 in today’s money.

Above Video: This documentary takes a deep dive into the complex history of Aston Martin, one of Britain’s most enduring automakers.

He enquired to learn more, after discovering the company for sale was Aston Martin he bought it. In the same year he also bought storied British automaker Lagonda, acquiring their twin cam straight-six and a talented engineering/design team at the same time.

Brown had been born into a world dominated by vehicles, his family’s business was a major manufacturer of gears, gearboxes, and tractors. With the purchase of Aston Martin he was seeking to to diversify into a new, and perhaps more glamorous realm occupied by iconic motor races, beautiful cars, and international jet setters.

After Brown’s purchase he initials, DB, have been added to many of the most important cars made by the company, including the legendary Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond (and Paul McCartney.)

The Aston Martin DB2

The Aston Martin DB2 would be the first production car from the newly revived company to be fitted with the double overhead cam straight six from Lagonda. This engine has been developed by William (Willie) Watson and the great W.O. Bentley.

This is a correct Aston Martin DB2 engine, the transmission is sitting just to the left of it there. Both have been rebuilt and are said to be ready for fitment.

Prior to this, the Aston Martin DB1 had been fitted with the company’s pre-WWII inline-four cylinder unit. This was an engine that was showing its age and wasn’t going to be seriously competitive against the raft of new vehicles being released by the likes of Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati, and Mercedes-Benz.

The DB2 used a modified version of the Claude Hill-designed tube-frame chassis used on the earlier Aston Martin 2-Litre Sports. The body was penned by Frank Feeley, a stylist who had moved to Aston from Lagonda after both companies had been acquired by Brown. Earlier in his career Feeley had designed a number of vehicles including a special body for Sir Malcolm Campbell’s tuned Rapier.

Three pre-production Astons were entered into the 1949 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of which was the development prototype for the upcoming DB2 model fitted with the Lagonda-sourced 2.6 liter straight-six.

Later in the year a Lagonda-engined Aston finished 3rd in the Spa 24 Hours and in 1950 the new Astons would take 1st and 2nd in class finishes at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans.

There are a slew of additional parts that come with the car, including many hard to find items.

Across the Atlantic Briggs Cunningham drove his DB2 to 2nd in class at the inaugural Sebring 12 Hours, a slew of other wins, class wins, and podium places would follow for the DB2.

Having set the tone for all the DB Astons that were to come, the DB2 was succeeded by the Aston Martin DB2/4 in 1953.

The 1950 Aston Martin DB2 Shown Here

There can be no doubt that this is one of the most historically significant Aston Martin DB2s extant, and certainly one of the most significant of the era.

It’s the first production DB2 that was built, it was initially driven by David Brown himself, and its first official owner was George Schrafft. It was later sold to amateur racing driver David Hirsch who raced it in the inaugural Sebring 12 Hours.

The chassis has been prepared and the alloy body is listed as being almost ready for primer and paint.

This would be followed by entries in the 100 Mile SCCA Bridgehampton Sport Car Road Race, the Convair Trophy Race, and the Watkins Glen Grand Prix.

The car is said to have stayed in Hirsch’s ownership until 1959. A number of other owners followed and at some point the original engine was swapped out for a Jaguar unit. Later in the cars life a restoration was undertaken but never finished, and the car is now being offered for sale in, what appears to be almost ready to reassemble condition.

A correct Aston Martin DB2 engine has been sourced as well as a transmission and they’ve both been rebuilt along with the axle ready for assembly. The car is also accompanied by many other smaller parts that are currently sitting in shelves (pictured above).

RM Sotheby’s are offering this historically important DB2 for £250,000 (~$300,000 USD) out of Bournemouth in the United Kingdom. If you’d like to read more about the car or enquire about buying it you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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For Sale: Al Capone’s Bulletproof 1928 Cadillac V8

This 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan was bought new by Al Capone and modified at his direction into an armored bulletproof car – making it one of the first of its kind in the world.

The bulletproofing included the fitment of one inch thick glass windows, steel armor inside the doors and body, and a drop down rear window that would allow occupants to return fire on pursuers.

Fast Facts – Al Capone’s Bulletproof 1928 Cadillac

• The 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan was one of the top luxury automobiles of its day, it was also one of the quickest thanks to its 341 cubic inch (5.6 liter) V8.
• It’s likely that the high-torque Cadillac V8 was the key reason that Al Capone chose the model for conversion into his new armored car – the additional weight of the steel plating and thicker glass is said to have added 3,000 pounds to the vehicle’s curb weight.
• Capone would have little time to use the car, he was imprisoned in 1929 and would spend the next few years in and out of various penitentiaries until he was finally released on medical grounds in 1939.
• Due to its remarkable connecting to such a major 20th century American figure this car’s history has now been traced back and confirmed. It’s currently being offered for sale for the (negotiable) sum of $1,000,000 USD.

The 1928 Cadillac 341 Series

Interestingly the company we now know as Cadillac actually started life as the Henry Ford Company. Ford left the company in 1902 after a disagreement with some of the investors and established the Ford Motor Company.

This is Al Capone’s criminal record from a U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia circa 1932.

Production was re-started at the Henry Ford Company under the new name “Cadillac,” named after French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who had founded Detroit in the year 1701.

General Motors bought Cadillac in 1909 and it’s been their luxury automotive marque ever since, over 100 years later in 2019 the company sold over 340,000 vehicles in a single year, a new record.

In 1926 Cadillac had released their all-new 314 cubic inch (5.1 liter) V8 engine, a successor to the highly respected V8 they had released back in 1915 which had played a major role in establishing the company as a manufacturer of fast, luxurious automobiles.

Two years later in 1928 Cadillac unveiled an upgraded version of this V8, now with a displacement of 341 cubic inches (5.6 liters) and a corresponding increase in torque, horsepower, and speed.

Building Al Capone’s Armored Cadillac

Although we don’t know for certain, it was likely the additional power go the 1928 Cadillac that attracted Capone as he planned to make it bulletproof – the additional armor would add thousands of pounds in weight.

Above Video: This full length documentary tells the story of Al Capone’s life, it runs approximately 45 minutes in length.

The process of armoring the Cadillac took place in two main projects, first the original plate glass was removed in the rear section and replaced with one inch thick glass and correspondingly modified window frames.

The side windows used heavy spring lifts to allow the windows to still be opened and closed. The rear window could be dropped open, allowing the occupants to return fire on any potential pursuers.

“We Don’t Do That Kind Of Work Here”

The second part of the project involved adding plate steel armor wrapped in asbestos within the doors and body of the car. We know a little more about this process as one of the people who was involved talked about it years later, his name was Mr Richard “Cappy” Capstran and he was 93 at the time of his interview.

Capstran had been just 10 years old at the time, helping out in his father Ernest Capstran’s auto body shop. As he explained, Capone’s men had brought him a car for some repairs and he had done such a good job that they later brought him a then-new 1928 Cadillac to have armor fitted.

The 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan was one of the most prestigious American-made cars money could buy in the 1920s, with ample power provided by its 341 cubic inch (5.6 liter) V8.

Capstran senior had said “we don’t do that kind of work here.” To which Capone’s men replied “you do now.” And so it was that the job was done.

When the car arrived at the shop it was reversed in as Capone’s men didn’t want passers by seeing the work that was being done to the rear and sides of the car. When the steel plate arrived it apparently had lead embedded in it from some earlier “testing” to ensure that it was able to stop bullets effectively.

Each steel section was cut to size and installed wrapped in fireproof asbestos. One completed Capone himself came to the garage to collect it. He paid Capstran (senior) double the value of the invoice and then noticed the 10 year old boy in the garage, it was Capstran junior.

After learning that he had played a pivotal role in sanding down the lacquer between coats Capone slipped him $10 USD – a small fortune for a 10 year old in the late 1920s.

As part of the armoring process, the rear window can be rapidly dropped, allowing the occupants to return fire on pursuers.

Capone didn’t get very long to use the car, he was arrested and imprisoned in 1929 and would spend much of the next decade in prison.

After Capone

As Uncle Sam was rounding up Al Capone’s assets and selling them off they seem to have missed his bulletproof V8 Cadillac, possibly because he had two newer and far more exotic Cadillac V16s in his possession.

The Cadillac remained in a garage and was eventually sold to a family in show business who had the car touring around the country as a paid exhibit in the 1930 – the time at which Al Capone was at the height of his fame.

Cadillac became known for its V8, V12, and later V16 engines. They represented the top echelon of power at the time of their release, and they could propel the cars they were fitted to to speeds far in excess of that the roads of the day would allow.

Later the car would be sold to an owner in England who would exhibit the car there for a number of years before it was returned to the United States. At some point in the 1950s the car was restored, sadly the original plate steel armor was removed during this process – probably to reduce the weight back down to a more manageable level.

The car most recently sold through RM Sotheby’s in 2012 with a hammer price of $341,000 USD, a fitting figure when you consider the displacement of the engine.

It’s now being offered for sale again with a $1,000,000 USD asking price through Celebrity Cars in Las Vegas, it’s been on offer for two years with no takers as of yet.

If you’d like to read more about the history of the car you can visit the RM Sotheby’s listing here, if you’d like to buy it or make them an offer you can visit the listing on Celebrity Cars here.

Images courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

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1 Of 200 Remaining: An OSI 20M TS

The OSI 20M TS is arguably one of the best looking “affordable” Italian-built coupes of its time. It’s believed that just 2,000 or so were made and that just 200 now remain.

Sometimes referred to as the OSI-Ford 20M TS, this car has the reliable V6 underpinnings of the Ford Taurus 20M. It’s clothed in a body styled by the great Sergio Sartorelli and two versions were built – the earlier 2.0 liter cars and the later 2.3 liter cars.

Fast Facts – The OSI 20M TS

• OSI was founded in 1960 just across the river from Ghia in Turin Italy. The company was set up by former Ghia president Luigi Segre and Arrigo Olivetti to be a small-scale independent automaker controlled by Ghia.
• The company name is an acronym for Officine Stampaggi Industriali, which simply means “Industrial Stamping Workshop” in Italian. Making it perhaps the least romantically named Italian automaker in recorded history.
• Early in the company’s life it build the Innocenti 950 Spider, the Fiat 1300/1500 “Familiare,” and the Fiat 2300 Coupe. Starting in 1967 production of the OSI-Ford 20 M TS began at the behest of Ford.
• Intended as a replacement for the Ford Taunus Coupe, the OSI 20M TS was based on the same running gear as the Taunus 20M. It’s believed that over 2,000 were made and that just 200 or so now remain.

Officine Stampaggi Industriali

Officine Stampaggi Industriali was founded in 1960 by two titans of Italian industry, former Ghia president Luigi Segre and Arrigo Olivetti of Fergat, a major manufacturer of automotive components.

This is an image of part of the production line inside the Officine Stampaggi Industriali (OSI) factory. You can see the partially constructed Innocenti 950 Spyder on the left and the Fiat 2300 Coupes on the right.

Best known simply as OSI, the company was set up across the river from Ghia in Turin, in Northern Italy. The purpose of creating OSI was for it to act as increased production capacity for Ghia, a major Italian coachbuilder at the time.

In the mid-1960s OSI was approached by Ford, a long time client of Ghia, to design and build the successor to the Ford Taunus Coupe. The new car was to be based on the Taunus 20M built by Ford Germany and it was to keep as many parts in common as possible, under the new body of course.

The styling of the Taunus 20M has been described by some as divisive. It’s certainly a product of its era, and it’s doubtful that anyone has ever accused it of being attractive.

Although now that I’be said that I’ll be inundated with irate emails from life-long fans of the Taunus 20M. All three of them.

The OSI 20M TS

The new car developed by Ghia for Ford would be called the OSI 20M TS, or alternatively the OSI-Ford 20M TS or the Ford OSI 20M TS.

It was a vastly more handsome coupe than the car it was based on, thanks to the design work of Sergio Sartorelli – also the stylist of the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, the Fiat 2300 S Coupe, the Fiat 126, and a range of other cars.

This is the Ford Taunus 20M, it formed the underpinnings of the OSI 20M TS however the OSI stylist Sergio Sartorelli vastly improved the aesthetics with his new body design.

The car was produced in two key versions, both with essentially identical bodies. The key difference was the 2.0 Ford V6 fitted to earlier cars and the 2.3 liter V6 fitted to later cars.

From an engineering perspective the cars were relatively standard for the era, with a steel unibody inner shell, MacPherson strut front suspension, a live rear axle on leaf springs, front disc brakes, and rear drums.

The elegant design of the 20M TS is still winning it fans today, few people who see them can identify them due to their rarity, and there’s a committed enthusiast base in Europe who find and restore them.

The OSI 20M TS was only produced in 1967 and 1968, some say 2,000 were made, others say 2,200, and some even say 3,500. The one thing that all agree on is that there are 200 or fewer remaining today.

The good-looks of the OSI 20M TS tend t draw people to it when it’s parked, particularly at shows, but very few can identify what it actually is.

The 1967 OSI 20M TS Shown Here

The car you see here is a 1967 example of the 20M TS fitted with the desirable 2.3 liter Ford Cologne V6. This is one of very few examples to have been imported into the USA, and it’s currently being offered for sale out of Bellport, New York.

In more recent years this OSI has been fitted with Jaguar wire wheels and the modern version of the classic Pirelli P5 tire. It has also been resprayed in sea foam green, with the original blue paint still visible lower down in the engine bay.

This OSI appears to be in good condition over all and would potentially make a good daily-drivable classic, if the new owner so wishes they could return it to its original color and freshen up the tan interior a little, but these don’t appear to be pressing issues.

If you’d like to read more about this car or register to bid you can visit the listing here on The Market  by Bonhams.

Images courtesy of The Market  by Bonhams

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