OLDTIMER GARAGE AUSTRALIA P/L

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Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this very rare and highly desirable 1957 Aston Martin DB2/4 MKII.
The factory records on file confirm that this is an Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example that was delivered new to the Penfold family in South Australia. The car was delivered through Aston Martin agent D Brown (Australia) on the 8th July 1957. The original colour choice for this car was stunning. It was originally finished in sea green with a green interior, which is how the car is presented today.
This particular car is fitted with the desirable special series VB6J/***/L1 engine quoted as delivering 165 bhp, being 25 bhp more than the standard engine. It is also fitted with a larger sump.
The factory records note that a replacement engine, with the same number, was despatched to David Brown Australasia on the 13th November 1957.
It is understood that the Penfold family owned the car for many years. The history file picks up the ownership of the car in the 1980s when it was owned by former politician John Goss from Brisbane, Australia. It may well be that Goss acquired the car from the Penfold family. Goss used and enjoyed his Aston Martin for many years before selling to Donald Lane from Buradoo, near Bowral in the NSW southern highlands in 2001. The current Melbourne based owner acquired the car off Lane in c2005.
Over the last 20 years the current owner has used and enjoyed his Aston Martin as its makers intended. Even though the car presents beautifully, he is unashamedly a driver and not a polisher! To ensure the car is a reliable classic and available to be driven on a whim, he has had it maintained and regularly serviced. In 2017 the front Alfin brake drums were overhauled by TypeCast in the UK. In 2018 the cylinder head was overhauled. The car has been upgraded with a Jaguar differential to enhance drivability.
Today this Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII presents resplendently in its original colour scheme of sea green with a green interior. The current owner chose to remove the bumpers for two reasons. Firstly, to give the car that Aston Martin GT look and secondly to reduce the cars weight. The bumpers are heavy! The paint work, which was refreshed by Lane some 20 years ago, is in very good condition with some minor blemishes and stone chips evident. Its presentation is totally consistent with a well cared for car that gets driven. The external trim is minimalistic, particularly with the bumpers removed. The trademark Aston Martin grill is in excellent condition and a real feature.
The chrome wire wheels and spinners really compliment the paintwork beautifully. All of the wheels are in reasonably good condition with no kerb rash or damage. The chrome has started to pit/peel in places. The wheels are shod with Michelin X tyres, size 185R16 all around.
The cabin of the Aston Martin DB2/4 is quintessentially British. It is relatively simple, elegant and beautifully presented. The timber steering wheel is a feature and in excellent condition. The timber dash facia houses the cluster of Smiths instruments and both are also in excellent condition. The leather upholstery is soft and supple with no splits or tears. The seats are comfortable and provide good support. An Aston Martin DB2/4 has occasional rear seats which look to have been sparingly used.
Opening the rear hatch provides access to a large boot area. This area can be expanded by folding a panel down over the rear seats. There is plenty of room for the golf clubs here! The boot presents well, with very minor wear evident.
The massive bonnet hinges forward to reveal a beautifully presented engine bay, revealing the unique independent coil spring front suspension and chassis components as well as the 2,922cc Lagonda twin cam engine. The engine itself is a work of art, resplendent with polished aluminium features, traditional red cylinder head and proper finishes. Everything is neat, clean and tidy.
This Aston Martin DB2/4 MkII is a drivers car. The car starts easily, settling into a smooth idle without hesitation. Out on the open road it performs superbly offering a very spirited and rewarding driving experience. The engine has loads of power on tap and it pulls strongly through the rev range. The gearbox is tight and with a relatively short shift it provides slick gear changes. The car delivers a firm yet comfortable ride, direct steering and excellent braking.
Accompanying the car is an original leather bound Aston Martin DB2/4 Mk II handbook, an original and well used workshop manual, a copy of a parts catalogue, a factory sales brochure, Aston Martin factory records and a thick history file with many service receipts.
There are also the original bumpers, which are in excellent condition, the original differential, a spare wheel as well as the jack and basic tools which are stored in the engine bay.
If you are looking for an early pre DB4 Aston Martin it would be hard to find a better example.
Aston Martin only built 199 DB2/4 MkIIs, of which 146 were saloons. Of these 146 cars only a small number would be factory right hand drive with the high performance engine.
This car presents exceptionally well and drives superbly.
Highlights:
- Rare Australian delivered, factory RHD example.
- Sold new to the Penfold family in Adelaide.
- Fitted with the desirable special series VB6J/***/L1 high performance engine.
- Fabulous, original colour scheme.
- Great driving car.
Price $399,950
Background:
Aston Martin has produced bespoke sports cars for over 100 years. The company began in 1913, when founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford realised their desire to build distinctive, high quality sports cars that were both exhilarating to drive and a beauty to behold. Martin regularly competed in hill climb races at Aston Clinton, and a simple combination of the name of the event and the driver gave birth to one of the most famous automotive marques. Source: www.astonmartin.com.
Whilst Aston Martin produced some wonderful cars in their early years, business was always a struggle and the company was severely disrupted during both World War I and II. The company went bankrupt on more than one occasion and has endured many different owners throughout its history.
David Brown acquired Aston Martin in February 1947 and the first car produced during his ownership was the Aston Martin 2 Litre Sports, later known as the DB1, which was built in extremely limited numbers from 1948 to 1950. This was succeeded by the Aston Martin DB2 in 1950, which featured a new double overhead cam straight six engine of 2.6 litre (2580 cc) capacity, and was a car that really put post war Aston Martin on the map. Some 411 cars were built from 1950 to 1953, of which circa 100 were the convertible or drop head coupes. Its successor, known as the DB2/4, was first shown at the London Motor Show in 1953 and production started soon thereafter. Initially the car had the same engine as its predecessor, however, it was enlarged to 2,922cc in April 1954. Compared to the DB2 the DB2/4 had an extended roof line with a larger rear window, a one piece curved windscreen and real bumper bars. The biggest difference between the two cars was inside the cabin where the successor had far more roomwith two small occasional rear seats. The DB2/4 sold well through until 1957. In total 764 DB2/4s were built which included 565 of the Mk Is and 199 of the Mk IIs. The biggest change for the Mk II was that the bodies were made in-house by the recently acquired Tickford Coachbuilding Works in Newport Pagnell, otherwise the differences between the Mk I and Mk II were subtle. The DB2/4 was available as a four seat fixed head coupe or two seat drop head coupe from the start of production with a two seat coupe introduced on the Mk II. The DB2/4 MkII was succeeded by the DB MkIII and 551 examples were built from 1957 through until 1959.
The David Brown era was arguably Aston Martins finest with the company winning LeMans in 1959 and the iconic early DB series cars of the 1950s paving the way for the legendary DB4, DB5 and DB6 models of the 1960s.

1957 ASTON MARTIN DB 2/4 MKII

Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this sophisticated and timelessly elegant 1965 Bentley S3.
The original build sheets on file confirm this Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example was ordered by York Motors for GH Martin Ltd on the 20th April 1965. The car was delivered in tudor grey (ICI.M.151-258) with a fine blue line (pinstripe). The interior was finished with a blue hide (R.3244) with blue piping (R.3244), grey head cloth (R.6517) and ambassador blue carpet (03).
The cars final inspection was on the 17th June 1965. It was delivered to Mr George H Martin from Sydney, NSW on the 2nd September 1965 and registered in NSW as KX782. The car remained with Martin until 1979. The late Mr Theodore (Ted) Berman from Toorak in Melbourne, Victoria purchased the car on the 20th February 1979 from Rod Lawrence Ford in Campbelltown, south west of Sydney for $15,000,
Berman was a long term owner of this car. The current and only third owner of this Bentley S3 acquired the car from Bermans estate in September 2017.
There are service records and documentation on file from Martins ownership (York Motors) and from Bermans ownership (McDermotts), which substantiate the mileage of this car as genuine.
Berman used the car sparingly throughout his ownership. A McDermott job card dated 27th November 1981 noted the mileage as 41,265 miles, another dated 9th November 1995 notes the mileage as 43,694 miles and another dated 27th February 2001 notes the mileage as 44,305 miles. The car essentially remained in static storage for many years. There is a Victorian roadworthy certificate on file dated 26th March 2007 which notes the odometer as 44,767 miles.
It is understood that the car was repainted in its current colour scheme by Berman in the latter years if his ownership.
Today the odometer reads 54,357 miles.
The current owner is a Bentley tragic and throughout his period of ownership he has continued to maintain and improve the car.
The most recent maintenance work carried out in October 2024 involved overhauling all the wheel cylinders and replacing the rear shackle bushes.
Over the years, Oldtimer Australia has been fortunate to find new homes for a number of Bentley S-Types and Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds. There is no doubt that this car is one of the very best examples we have had the privilege to offer for sale. It is not a freshly restored concours car, rather a beautifully persevered car that has been well maintained and refreshed from time to time over the years.
Today this Bentley S3 presents exceptionally well. Whilst the car was repainted quite some years ago, it has been done to a very high standard. Rolls-Royce Silver Clouds and Bentley S-Types are very colour sensitive and the colour combination of silver over blue on this car is simply stunning. It suits this car perfectly, giving it a very elegant and sophisticated appearance. The paint work presents in excellent condition with a strong depth of colour and high gloss finish. Defects are hard to find. All of the external trim, glass and the chrome work are in really good condition.
Inside this Bentley S3 is all class. The upholstery is most likely original and it presents beautifully with light patina. The most noticeable wear is to the outside top and bolster of the drivers seat. The leather has some cracks, but it is not split or torn. The colour of the seats and door cards perfectly complements the exterior colour scheme and makes the interior of this Bentley S3 just a very nice place to be. All of the woodwork, including the dashboard, is in perfect condition. The same can be said for all the instruments and controls. The carpets were replaced by the current owner and present as new. As you would expect, a car of this caliber has the over mats which are also in excellent condition. This car is fitted with aftermarket air conditioning which works very well, making it a very useable classic all year round in Australia. Whether you are the driver or a passenger being chauffeured around, youll feel right at home and very comfortable in this Bentley S3.
Open the bonnet and youll find a clean, tidy and well-presented engine bay. Purists will note that the firewall and under bonnet are presented in their correct colour. The boot is similarly well presented and the boot mat is in particularly good condition. In the boot you will find a complete toolkit, a jack, tyre pump, as well as a spare wheel. The most often missing torch is also there and it actually works. All these items are in very good condition.
Whilst we were tempted to have the chauffeur open the rear door so we could sit in the back and read the paper, it was probably most prudent for us to get behind the wheel! On our test drive the car performed as expected. The car starts easily from cold with the assistance of the automatic choke and quickly settles into a smooth idle. Once youre out on the open road this Bentley just glides along like a magic carpet. The gear changes are smooth and the engine just goes about its business without announcing its presence, as you would expect in a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. The brakes pull the car up effectively and in a straight line. Despite it being almost 60 years old, this car easily keeps up with modern day traffic.
What an absolutely fabulous car!
Highlights:
- An Australian delivered, factory right hand drive example, with matching chassis, engine and body numbers.
- Finished in the most stunning colour combination.
- A beautifully presented car.
- Fitted with aftermarket air conditioning.
- 1 of only 1,286 Bentley S3 saloons built.
Price: $127,950
Background:
The Bentley motor car company was founded back in 1919 by brothers W.O. and H.M. Bentley. The Bentley brothers were involved in the motor industry having acquired the agency to sell French built DFP (Doriot, Flandrin & Parant) cars in 1912, however, they desperately wanted to build their own cars. So that they did and the first Bentley motor car, being just a chassis with a dummy engine, was shown at the 1919 London Motor Show and in late 1921 the first production Bentleys were built and delivered to their new owners.
Bentley got the formula right and their cars proved to be luxurious, reliable and fast thus attracting buyers from the elite of society in period. The cars were also incredibly successful on the race track with Bentley achieving the ultimate success winning Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.
The difficult economic times in the late 1920s had a major impact on Bentley and they stopped motor racing soon after winning Le Mans in 1930 and ultimately fell into receivership in 1931. Rolls-Royce acquired the assets of Bentley in late 1931. In this period Bentley produced some fabulous motor cars including the 3 Litre, 4½ Litre, Blower Bentley, 6½ Litre and 8 Litre models that are all today highly sought after by enthusiasts and collectors all over the world. The first new Bentley produced following Rolls Royces acquisition was the Bentley 3½ Litre which evolved into the Bentley 4¼ Litre. Bentleys of this era are also known as Derby Bentleys as they were built at Rolls Royces factory located in Derby in the north of England. Subsequent models included the Mark V, Mark VI and R-Type.
Rolls-Royce introduced the Silver Cloud and the Bentley S-Type in 1955 and for the next eleven years these models were at the cornerstone of Rolls-Royce / Bentley production. The Silver Cloud / S-Type evolved through three major model iterations, being the Silver Cloud I / Bentley S1, Silver Cloud II / Bentley S2 and Silver Cloud III / Bentley S3 until superseded by the Silver Shadow / Bentley T-Series.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III and Bentley S3 were introduced at the Paris Motors Show in October 1962. The most visible difference to their predecessors was the twin dual headlamps. The interior was also upgraded. The S3 received individual seats for the front passengers and leg room was increased for the passengers in the rear. The V8 engines had more power and there was a weight reduction of 100kg. The last iteration of the Silver Cloud and S-Type were very successful models for Rolls-Royce and they were sold to the rich and famous, including celebrates and movie starts. Many were chauffer driven.
Rolls-Royce built 2,578 Silver Cloud IIIs of all configurations and body style, compared to Bentley built who built only 1,629 S3s. Bentley built 1,286 standard S3 saloons.

1965 BENTLEY S3

Details:
A new offering at Oldtimer Australia is this incredible Bugatti Type 51 Grand Prix by Pur Sang.
Back in the 1920s and 1930s Argentina rivalled almost any country in Europe. It was the place all the wealthy Europeans went to get away from the war time chaos. Buenos Aires was often referred to as the Paris of the South. They brought everything they had from Europa to Argentina and as a result Argentina became well known as a leader in wine making, horse racing, polo and of course motorsport.
Some of the worlds great cars, from marques such as Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo, were delivered new in relatively significant numbers into Argentina. However, when the owners needed parts, they still needed to order them from Europe and it would often take months for them to arrive. As a result, when something broke, the mechanics had to be innovative and creative. Necessity is the mother of invention and this resulted in some serious craftsmanship being developed in a highly skilled workforce.
Pur Sang Argentina was founded over forty years ago with its roots firmly linked to countrys industrial past. The business was established in the 1980s in Paraná, a city some 500 km north of Buenos Aires. It soon developed an excellent reputation for creating excellent tool room copies of Bugattis from the 1920s and 1930s. In more recent times they have been building Alfa Romeo and Mercedes-Benz recreations from the same era.
The Bugatti Type 51 by Pur Sang has been produced using original factory specifications, both in design and material. Whilst the cars produced by Pur Sang are close to tool room copies, they do make subtle improvements and small modifications. Most of these are not visible but make for a more reliable and usable car. The application of forged pistons, plain bearings and modern oil seals to make the engine, gearbox, and rear axle oil tight have helped increase performance while reducing maintenance. The frame is hand formed in the same fashion as it was originally built by Bugatti way back in the 1930s.
The current owner ordered this car directly from Pur Sang, Argentina in October 2006 and took delivery of the car in July 2007. He immediately decided to further improve the car with modifications including: the manufacture and installation of a new manifold, the fitting of 2 inch SU carburettors, electronic ignition as well as a modified Magneto. He also fitted an electric fuel pump.
The owner used and enjoyed his Type 51 on various club runs and social outings, however, he is a perfectionist and became frustrated with light surface corrosion that appeared on the bare steel components of the car. His solution was to take the car to well respected classic car restoration specialists Historic and Vintage Restoration (HVR) in Melbourne to nickel plate all the bare steel parts on the car. At the same time he decided to have the car repainted and fit a new set of period correct alloy wheels from Crosthwaite & Gardiner in the UK. This work was completed around five years ago.
Today this Type 51 presents like a new car. The striking yellow over black colour scheme really suits the car and the paint is still in excellent condition. One has to look hard to find any imperfections. The only one we found is a small chip on the top of the bonnet. All of the external trim, including the trademark radiator are similarly well presented.
The wheels are shod with soft compound Dunlop Racing tyres size 5.00 19 front and rear. Both the wheels and the tyres are in excellent condition.
The interior is functional yet very basic as you would expect in a car like this. Everything is in excellent condition and presents essentially like new.
The more you look at the car the more detail you will notice. The devil is in the detail and some of its features are the delicate gear lever and hand brake levers, the safety wire for the external bolts, the leather straps to secure the bonnet and of course the oh so cool bonnet mascot!.
The original Bugatti Type 51s are not to be underestimated when it comes to performance. With a healthy 160hp from its supercharged, dual overhead cam, straight eight, 2.3 litre engine and the car only weighing around 800kg . . . they were frighteningly fast! Our Bugatti Type 51 by Pur Sang would most likely outperform an original car and even by todays standards it is a very fast and capable car.
Driving this car is an incredible experience. The theatre begins with the process of starting the car. You cannot simply jump in, turn the key, fire up the engine and drive away. There is a process to be followed but once you have completed all the steps you are rewarded with a magnificent symphony from the jewel of an engine and the relatively inconspicuous twin exhaust pipes. The car is a little cranky as she fires up, but in no time at all the engine is soon firing on all eight cylinders. The instructions are to wait for everything to warm up before taking the car out on the road.
The positioning of the gear lever is quit interesting. The car is right hand drive and like many similar cars of this period it features a right hand gear shifter. The gate is inside the car and the lever sticks out through the body work at an angle. This creates quite an interesting experience when you are driving the car but one you quickly get used to. Once you master the gear changes the driving experience is most rewarding.
Out on the road this car is heaps of fun to drive. It is quick, responsive and very nimble. It also feels surprisingly solid on the road. The car is equipped with original style drum brakes all around and that also takes a bit of getting used to but they do pull the car up well and in a straight line when required. The engine in this car is something special and it just wants to go. Did we mention the noise . . . incredible!
We can only imagine what it must have been like to own one of these cars back in the 1930s and drive it in anger.
Since arriving in Australia, the car has been used sparingly. The owner estimates he has probably only travelled around 800 km, the majority of which were completed prior to works completed by HVR.
This car is documented in Bob Kings fabulous book Bugattis in Australia and New Zealand 1920 to 2012.
Highlights:
- Beautifully presented recreation of an iconic prewar sports car.
- Powered by a supercharged, dual overhead cam, straight eight of 2.3 litre capacity.
- Fabulous colour scheme.
- Recently refreshed to a very high standard by HVR.
- Ready to show, use and enjoy
Price AUD $399,950
Background:
Ettore Bugatti was born in Milan Italy on the 15th September 1881. He was part of a very entrepreneurial and creative family. His grandfather was an architect and sculptor, his father a furniture and jewellery designer of some note and other members of the family were sculptors and artists. Ettore was obsessed with the evolution of the automobile and in 1898 he built his first car as a teenager. Over the next ten years he built a number of cars, however, it wasnt until the 1st January 1910 that he founded Automobiles Ettore Bugatti in the then-German city of Molsheim, Alsace. Bugatti started building cars in earnest and the Type 13 is today considered to be the first real Bugatti. The First World War proved to be temporary roadblock for Bugatti and once the Treaty of Versailles was signed on the 28th July 1919 it was back to work! Following the War, the region of Alsace became part of France and Ettore Bugatti lost no time in refocussing his energy on automobiles. At the last minute, Bugatti wasable to obtain a stand at the 15th Paris Motor Show held in October 1919. He exhibited three light cars and not surprisingly all of them were closely based on their pre-war equivalents. Each model was fitted with the same overhead camshaft 4 cylinder engine of 1,368cc capacity with four valves per cylinder. The three cars were the Type 13 (built on a 2,000 wheelbase), the Type 22 (built on a 2,250 mm wheelbase) and the Type 23 (built on a 2,400 mm wheelbase).
The Bugatti name soon became synonymous with high performance cars. Their road cars were purchased by the rich and famous and their race cars dominated on circuits all around the world. By the mid 1930s Ettore Bugattis son, Jean, was effectively running the factory overseeing the production of the cars, whilst Ettore spent most of his time in Paris. Times were good, however, things changed quickly and when Jean Bugatti was killed road testing a Type 57 race car in August 1939 it was the beginning of the end. The Second World War broke out shortly thereafter and the Bugatti factory was essentially destroyed and seized. The War ended in September 1945 and attempts to restart the factory were ultimately futile Ettore Bugatti died in August 1947. A handful of cars were built from 1945 through until the original incarnation of Bugatti ceased operations in 1952.
Models such as the Type 35, the Type 41 (Royale), Type 57 and Type 59 have become legendary and are amongst the most desirable cars ever built.
One of Bugattis most significant cars was the Type 30 that was introduced in 1922. The Type 30 was powered by the same 1,991 cc engine used in the Type 29 race car. It shared its chassis, axles and gearbox with the Type 13 Brescia. Around 600 examples were built from late 1922 through until 1926 in varying specifications. The successor to the type 30, the type 35 was first introduced at the 1924 French Grand Prix. It was powered by a single overhead cam eight cylinder engine with a capacity ranging from 1,092cc to 2,262cc. Some engine were even supercharged and delivered up to 130hp. The type 35 and its variations was a huge success and over 1,000 races were won.
In 1931 its successor went into production, the Type 51. It was power by a straight eight, twin overhead cam, engine with a capacity of 2,262cc which produced 160hp. Though the Type 51 struggled in competition against newer and more technologically advanced state-sponsored machines from Italy and Germany, the model was a long term success with marque enthusiasts and vintage racers. During its four years of production some 40 examples were produced. The Bugatti Type 51 is today considered to be at the pinnacle of Bugattis most celebrated race car design.
Incredibly, Bugatti built almost 8,000 cars through until 1956.

BUGATTI TYPE 51 Grand Prix by Pur Sang

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1957 ASTON MARTIN DB 2/4 MKII

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BUGATTI TYPE 51 Grand Prix by Pur Sang

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