Miguel Sánchez
Among the auxiliary industry in Barcelona, the name of Pedro Serra began to resonate strongly in the fifties. Intuitive and very adaptable to business circumstances, this bodybuilder quickly stood out for its conversions on chassis of all kinds. In this way, during the first years of his history we can find from cabriolet models with an undeniable sporty touch to detailed sheet metal work in crashed vehicles.
Likewise, beyond the hammer and the workshop, Pedro Serra displayed a clear tendency to do business. He is participating not only in initiatives related to SEAT or De Tomaso. He but even in a pioneering company -and ill-fated- in relation to the installation of air conditioning in cars.
In any case, if his name is remembered by the fans, this is mainly due to his interventions on the Pegaso chassis. Made in both Z-102 and Z-103 units, these are an essential chapter in the history of ENASA sports.
In addition, his short series on basis 1400 -collaborating externally with SEAT- represent one of the best convertible creations made in Spain. Of course, what is less known is the facet of Pedro Serra making unique pieces on vehicles of foreign origin.
An area in which the so-called "Spanish Whim" stands out. Neither more nor less than a reconversion "roadster” based on a 2 Aston Martin DB1951. And also, by the way, quite a challenge for motor archaeologists. And it is that, even intuiting that it still exists, his current whereabouts are not entirely clear. Thus, it is best to start at the beginning in order to reconstruct the history of this vehicle recognizable by its LLV 999 license plate.
ASTON MARTIN DB2 PEDRO SERRA, THE “SPANISH WHIM”
Protagonist of a long history, Aston Martin is one of those brands on which a rigorous and methodical hobby swirls when it comes to preserving its legacy. Thus, from monographic publications to various associations with roots in the United Kingdom, there are many parties in charge of collect the fate of your most special units. Thanks to this, we can find relatively recent graphic testimonies on the current state of the Aston Martin bodied by Pedro Serra. Seriously dilapidated and, apparently, since the end of the eighties guarded in the Netherlands.
Now, where do we stand to tell this story? Well, the most advisable thing seems to be in post-war Barcelona. And it is that the Englishman Jim Wears settled there. Representative of Vanderwell bearings and, at the time, owner of this DB2 manufactured in 1951. Common on the roads in the area, this businessman and former RAF pilot He claimed to have put over 10.000 miles on the car before wear began on his bodywork.
At which point, attracted by the reputation of Pedro Serra, he turned to his workshops in order to make it an exclusive «roadster«. However, in his book about the Barcelona bodybuilder, Pablo Gimeno Valledor gives us another version in which Jim Wears doesn't do so well. And it is that, according to his own story in the automobile environment of the city, he would have left a curve near the Collada de Tosas. As a result of that, the DBS would have been left in a sorry state. In fact, its foreseeable destiny was to be sold by parts.
Be that as it may, the truth is that that vehicle came into the hands of Pedro Serra in 1961. And wow, this is where the interesting part began, far from recreating coupé lines the work went towards creating an open-air sports car. Of course, the most curious thing about all this is how a unique model was created that, however, could well be part of Aston Martin itself. In fact, the grill is clearly dependent on the characteristic shape of the piece in that brand.
The greatest sign of visual identity for it, from which some really stylized lines start. Also, the lookbritish” was completed with the original English green - it seems that at some point this changed to blue and later to ivory - as well as the same spoked wheels fitted to the Aston Martin DB4. In short, an excellent design exercise that, as we see in a photograph not included in this article, had an interior care where the center console stands out.
Regarding the delivery time, according to Jim Wears himself, it only took about ten months. Really little time given the result. Presenting itself as one of the most interesting designs of the coachbuilder and, furthermore, in a unique piece. Beyond this, the current fans can only fit know of its whereabouts in order to value it. Not in vain, in the Iberian Peninsula there was history beyond the FIAT license in the Barcelona free zone.
