The DB2/4 was built around the same Lagonda straight-six engine — designated the VB6E — that had powered the Vantage version of the DB2. This dual overhead cam unit was designed by W. O. Bentley and initially displaced 2.6 litres, producing 125 hp. In September 1953 the saloon received an uprated 2.9-litre VB6J variant developing 140 hp, with the drophead coupé following in April 1954. The larger engine raised maximum speed to 120 mph.
Beyond the rear seating and tailgate, other changes over the DB2 included a single-piece windscreen, larger bumpers, and repositioned headlights. Coachbuilding was initially handled by Mulliner's of Feltham; a significant behind-the-scenes change for the Mark II was the transfer of that responsibility to Tickford's works in Newport Pagnell, which David Brown had purchased in 1954 and where all subsequent Aston Martin production would be concentrated.
A total of 565 Mark I models were produced, of which 102 were drophead coupés. A 2.9-litre example tested by The Motor in 1954 recorded a top speed of 118.5 mph, a 0–60 mph time of 10.5 seconds, and fuel consumption of 23.0 miles per imperial gallon; the test car cost £2,621 including taxes.
Aston Martin prepared three works cars for the 1955 Monte Carlo Rally and two for the Mille Miglia, though the company pursued its competition ambitions more seriously through the DB3, which was designed specifically for sports-car racing.
A Mark I drophead coupé gained cinematic exposure when it appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's 1963 film The Birds.
The DB2/4 Mark II, introduced in 1955, offered an optional large-valve, high-compression engine (8.6:1 compression ratio) developing 165 hp. Styling changes included small tailfins, bubble-type tail lights similar to those on the Morris Minor, and additional chrome trim. The bonnet's horizontal split line was moved from door-sill height to a line running back from the top of the front wheel arch.
The Mark II introduced a 2-seat fixed-head coupé body style in addition to the drophead, with 34 of the 199 Mark II cars built in this form. David Brown favoured the fixed-head style for his own car. Three Mark II chassis were sent to Carrozzeria Touring in Italy to be clothed as Spider models; Touring would later assist Aston Martin with the Superleggera construction method used on the DB4.
Six Bertone-bodied spider bodies were constructed on DB2/4 chassis (plus one coupé), commissioned by Stanley H. Arnolt II. These coachbuilt rarities sat outside the standard production run and are among the most distinctive DB2/4 derivatives.
Mark I saloon and drophead coupé: 565 total (102 dropheads)
Bertone Spider: 6, plus 1 coupé
Mark II total: 199 (34 fixed-head coupés, 16 dropheads, 3 Touring Spiders)
The DB2/4 bridged Aston Martin's immediate postwar sporting identity and the more refined DB4 era. Its practical rear seats and tailgate demonstrated that grand touring usability need not sacrifice performance, and the shift to Tickford in Newport Pagnell during the Mark II phase established the production home Aston Martin would use for decades. The collaboration with Carrozzeria Touring on the spiders prefigured the deeper partnership that produced the DB4's Superleggera body — one of the most celebrated automotive designs of the twentieth century.