A little more about this car, with thanks to Zwischengas:
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First owner was the Vaud-domiciled Alfred Ouvelay, head of the Department of Finance of the city of Lausanne. He kept the car for a few years and it is surprising that in those days a high-ranking civil servant could drive around in perhaps the equivalent of today’s Pagani Zonda, the Aston certainly having a similar status.
In 1960, after seven years Ouvelay sold the right hand drive Aston to a Mr. Desmeules. At that time, the Aston was most probably still original.
The new owner redesigned the front of the Coupé in Switzerland in order to conquer the well-known overheating problems of the DB2, but also to repair sheet metal damage, as observers remember. A large grille, which was probably not accidentally reminiscent of Michelotti / Pinin Farina designs for Ferrari, was made and the entire front redesigned.
The result’s appearance was reminiscent of Ferrari sports cars of the fifties. The rear window was also enlarged and a few more minor changes made.
Mr. Desmeules remained faithful to the modified Aston until the year 2016, when his widow sold it after the death of its owner. Before then the car had been partially restored.
Now Bonhams will auction the 1953 Aston Martin on February 8, 2018 at the Grand Palais in Paris. The estimated value is EUR 220,000 to 260,000 (CHF 260,000 to 310,000). It will be interesting to see if this modified Aston is rated higher or lower than a completely original one.
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