The Aston Martin Heritage Trust holds many cars and objects that tell the story of the marque. Some speak to engineering, others to design. A few, however, connect Aston Martin to a much wider cultural world.
One such car is the Aston Martin DB2/4 Vignale, the only surviving example of its kind.
Its story begins not in Britain, but in Italy!
By the early 1950s, Alfredo Vignale had established a strong reputation as a coachbuilder, producing distinctive bodies for Ferrari. Vignale developed a style that treated each chassis as an individual project. His work was more expressive than many of his contemporaries, and it attracted an international attention.
Among them was Princess Lilian of Belgium, who commissioned a Vignale design bodied in 1954. During its development, a number of design ideas were explored, including a distinctive windscreen and a hatchback-style rear. These features would go on to influence another car made by Aston Martin, one that would be fit for a King!
King Baudouin of Belgium, became king in 1951 following the abdication of his father, Leopold III of Belgium. His reign, which lasted over four decades, was marked by a strong sense of duty and a deeply held Catholic faith. He married Queen Fabiola of Belgium, and together they were known for a shared life shaped by faith and service. In recent years, his life has drawn public attention, with discussion around the possibility of his canonisation by the late Pope Francis. This is an indication of how strongly his personal example continues to resonate.
It was through Baudouin’s interest in contemporary coach built design, particularly the Ferrari created for Princess Lilian, that the link to Aston Martin was made. After seeing the car, he requested that Vignale apply a similar approach to an Aston Martin chassis.
The result was the Vignale-bodied DB2/4, chassis LML/802.
The car carried forward elements first explored in the Ferrari design, including glazing and it’s rear profile. Finished with a silver roof, it stood apart from standard Aston Martin production, reflecting both Italian design influence and the individuality of coach built work.
Baudouin owned the car for only a few years before selling it in the late 1950s. From there, it passed through several hands, including a period in the Moselle region before being acquired by an American serviceman working with NATO in Paris. The car was later taken to the United States, where it continued its life in with a private owner.
Today, it remains the only surviving example of a Vignale-bodied Aston Martin from this period.
The car is currently on loan to the Aston Martin Heritage Trust from Aston Workshop, who shipped the car back from the US and embarked a loving restoration project which has brought it back to its former glory, just as King Baudouin originally commissioned it. It will remain on display at the museum until the summer of 2026. Its rarity and strong history mean that it will almost certainly return to the market soon, where it is likely to attract considerable interest, especially due to the fact that its original owner could be canonised a saint!
Cars such as this reflect a moment when Aston Martin was still closely connected to the European coachbuilding tradition. Designs were not fixed, and individual clients could shape the final form of a car through collaboration with independent designers.
In this case, the result is a car that sits at the heart of British engineering and Italian design, with a direct link to European royalty. It is also connected to a figure whose life continues to be reflected on today, not only as a monarch, but as a man remembered for his character and convictions.
Like many objects associated with Aston Martin’s early history, its significance lies not only in its rarity, but in what it represents such as a network of designers and craftspeople, each contributing to the final result and the Vignale DB2/4 is one such wonderful example!
Clare Hirst – Collections Manager
Image of King Baudouin as a young man.
