DB2/4 3.0

STORY

Introduced at the 1953 London Motor Show, the DB2/4 evolved the DB2 into a 2+2 with a raised roofline and a rear seat. Most significant of all was its top-hinged tailgate over a folding rear seat, a layout widely credited as the first hatchback grand tourer. It was offered as a hatchback saloon, drophead coupé and fixed-head coupé.

Early cars kept the 2.6-litre Lagonda six before switching in 1954 to a larger 2.9-litre (2,922 cc) version. The Mark II of 1955-57 refined the body and offered a higher-output engine of up to 165 bhp. Coachwork was by Mulliner, with a handful of special bodies by Touring of Milan.

Across the DB2/4 and DB2/4 Mk II roughly 760 cars were built between 1953 and 1957, carrying the DB line forward before the DB Mark III.