BONHAMS TO SELL 1955 ASTON MARTIN ONCE OWNED BY KING BAUDOUIN OF BELGIUM

A 1955 ASTON MARTIN DB2/4 SPORTS SALOON, WHICH WAS OWNED BY KING BAUDOUIN OF BELGIUM, WHO REIGNED FROM 1951 UNTIL HIS DEATH IN 1993, IS TO BE SOLD AT BONHAMS' PARIS SALE OF MOTOR CARS AT THE GRAND PALAIS ON 5.FEBRUARY.2011. THE CAR WHICH IS WAS SUPPLIED TO THE KING IN FEBRUARY 1955, HAS ATTRACTED A PRE-SALE ESTIMATE OF $250,000. KING BAUDOUIN WAS RENOWNED FOR HIS LOVE OF FAST CARS, AS WELL AS HAVING THE ASTON MARTIN, DESCRIBED IN AUTOCAR (1953) AS 'AN EXPENSIVE CAR DESIGNED TO CATER FOR THE CONNOISSEUR OF SPORTS CARS WHO IS NOT LIMITED BY FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS', HE ALSO OWNED A PORSCHE SPYDER AND WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT MASERATIS. ACCOMPANIED BY PHOTOGRAPHS OF KING BAUDOUIN WITH HIS BROTHER, THE PRESENT KING ALBERT II, THE CAR IS IN CONCOURS CONDITION FOLLOWING ITS COMPLETE RESTORATION TO ORIGINAL SPECIFICATIONS BETWEEN 2001 AND 2008. A 1956 BENTLEY S1 CONTINENTAL SPORTS SALOON OWNED BY ANOTHER WELL-KNOWN BELGIAN FIGURE, THE FINANCIER, BARON EMPAIN, IS ALSO TO BE OFFERED IN THE SALE. ESTIMATED AT $300,000, THE CAR WAS DELIVERED NEW TO THE BARON IN 1956 AND KEPT UNTIL 1960 WHEN HE SOLD IT TO A FAMILY MEMBER, COUNT D'ARSCHOT.