Aston Martin
DB2-4 Mk II
Ray Ferner was brought up within a motoring family that owned mainly vintage cars such as Lea-Francis, Alvis and Riley, amongst others. He’d also handled a few do-ups on cars during his student days - the best being a Triumph TR6. Originally from California, Ray converted the TR6 to RHD, as well as giving it a general tidy up. However, the car he remembers best from his student days was the Singer Vogue that saw he and his friends referring to themselves as ‘Team Vogue’ - spending their days away from university touring through the passes and high country stations all around the Canterbury region in fine style.
Fast forward to 2004, and Ray’s Aston Martin journey began whilst searing for a suitable project car - his original intention being to find an E-Type, a car he’d always found very appealing. Soon, however, a decision was made to opt for an Aston Martin. An online search revealed a suitable car being put up for sale by Shannons, and he duly registered for the auction, subsequently purchasing it sight unseen. Ray and his family were hosting a dinner party at the time the auction was in progress, and he recalls having to duck out frequently for a few minutes at a time to up his phone bid. As Ray now says, ‘that probably wasn’t the best way to purchase a classic car.”Luckily, as it transpired, he actually didn’t end up overpaying for the Aston due to it’s very poor condition - just as well, the restoration took him 10 years and a few hard-earned dollars to complete. But it wasn’t until the car arrived in New Zealand that Ray realised the scope of the project ahead of him - basically a total rebuild of everything would be required.
︎
Enquire about your own Relic Book