It is perhaps the most coveted classic car of all time, forever immortalized on screen in the James Bond film franchise.
And now deep-pocketed buyers will be able to get their hands on four rare examples of the Aston Martin DB5.
The DB5s go on sale today at classic car specialist Hilton & Moss and, unsurprisingly, they all have an asking price, so it’ll take a lot of money to get your hands on one.
Recent DB5 007s have gone on sale for over £1 million, and it’s well documented that Bond movie engines obliterate their usual values, so high rollers need only ask.
Hilton & Moss general manager William Garrett says they are offering Aston Martin DB5 buyers “something rarely offered in the rarefied world of Aston Martin DB5s: the luxury of choice” with an extraordinary line-up of four DB5 on sale at the same time.
Aston Martin DB5s aren’t cheap – a recent Bond DB5 stunt car costs more than £2 million.
In what is believed to be a world first, the DB5s, which range from a perfectly restored iconic James Bond ‘Silver Birch’ car to a ‘shell’ car ready to be rebuilt from the ground up, are all available at the same time. .
Interested buyers can view the beautiful vehicles in the Hilton & Moss Hertfordshire showroom. It is an extremely rare opportunity for classic car collectors to have complete choice when considering “the most famous car in the world.”
First released in 1963, the DB5 made its Bond debut in 1964’s Goldfinger, with its most recent appearance as 007 in 2021’s No Time to Die, captivating legions of fans in the process.
The DB5 has an incredible legacy. It was an evolved version of the popular DB4 sports car, which heralded the new era of Aston Martin.
In addition to being present in the most exquisite cars ever made, it is also one of the rarest, since only 1,059 examples were built by hand in a period of two years. And only 65 high-performance Vantages were built.
The DB5 features an aluminum body sculpted by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera and a 4.0-liter inline-six engine designed by Tadek Marek. The standard version had 282 horsepower, rising to 314 hp in high-performance Vantage specification.
Customers had the option of a modern 5-speed manual transmission (an improvement over the DB4’s 4-speed gearbox) and could expect a top speed of 150 mph in the standard version.
William Garrett, managing director of Hilton & Moss, said: “We are privileged to offer this truly iconic selection of four Aston Martin DB5s for sale at the same time, something no dealer has done before.”
‘With this sale, Hilton and Moss are offering customers something rarely offered in the rarefied world of Aston Martin DB5s: the luxury of choice.
‘As a global leader in the sale and preparation of exceptional automobiles, we are known for offering extraordinary automotive opportunities, but even for us this is something quite special.
“Seeing all four examples of the DB5, a beloved and coveted icon in equal measure, lined up together is truly a sight to behold.”
The DB5 has become the “most famous car in the world” thanks to its legendary status as the car of 007 himself. It first appeared as the engine of choice for fictional MI6 agent James Bond in Goldfinger, driven by Sean Connery in the 1964 film.
The DB5 has made many memorable Bond appearances, most recently in 2021’s No Time To Die. It also had a starring role in Daniel Craig’s Skyfall, where Bond piloted M across the Scottish Highlands in the iconic classic.
Before Bond’s fame, the DB5 had an almost unparalleled legacy. It was an evolved version of the popular DB4 sports car, which heralded the new era of Aston Martin. Only 1,059 DB5 examples were built by hand in the span of two years. And only 65 high-performance Vantages were made
The jewel of the Hilton & Moss DB5 line-up is the car finished in the iconic ‘James Bond’ specification with gleaming Silver Birch paint.
The interior is a rich black Connoly leather interior and the car has been completely restored in recent years.
Having been treated to a handful of discreet and carefully selected upgrades, including an upgraded suspension, a Becker Mexico Retro in-car entertainment system, air conditioning and selectable power steering, it is in exceptional concours condition.
The engine was recently rebuilt by Aston Martin Works to factory 4.2-litre Vantage specification and cost £57,000.
It was originally purchased new by actor and comedian Dick Emery in September 1965.
The ‘Silver Birch’ Bond-spec DB5 is the crown jewel of the four-car line-up, but beautifully flanked by a race-ready ‘Pacific Blue’ DB5 and a sympathetically restored 1964 light green ‘California Sage’.
For a collector and racing driver, the second DB5, finished in Pacific Blue with black interior, could be even more exciting. It has been owned by enthusiasts for a long time, hitting the road, FIA drag races, hill climbs and rallies on the classic car circuit.
Having been meticulously maintained inside and out by brand specialists, it has just undergone a no-expense-spared interior revitalization.
And thanks to the rebuild of the straight-six engine to the 4.2-litre ‘fast road’ engine, the installation of a Harvey Bailey transformer handling kit and a complete rebuild of the 5-speed gearbox, it’s now one of the best driving DB5s out there.
It was originally delivered new in 1965.
In third place is a lovingly restored light green ‘California Sage’ specimen – a real eye-catcher. This ZF 5-speed equipped 1964 car was delivered by Brooklands of Bond Street in June of that year and has remained in the UK ever since.
The interior of the DB5 ‘Silver Birch’ is a rich black Connoly leather interior, and the car has undergone a complete restoration in recent years. It is in exceptional competition condition. The engine was recently rebuilt by Aston Martin Works to factory 4.2-litre Vantage specification and cost £57,000 alone.
All three restored DB5s have been worked to the highest level of classic car craftsmanship, with the interiors in absolutely perfect condition – no expense spared is the level buyers can expect.
For a collector who wants to realize his DB5 dreams in a once-in-a-lifetime individualistic way, the fourth DB5 is something of a blank Aston Martin canvas. It’s an unrivaled opportunity for a wealthy customer to specify their own perfect DB5.
The fourth DB5 is something of a blank canvas for Aston Martin. It’s an unrivaled opportunity for a wealthy customer to specify their own perfect DB5.
Hilton & Moss, world-class restorers and coachbuilders, can rebuild this model from the ground up exactly to the new owner’s wishes. The restored chassis and body have already been thoroughly prepared in the Hilton & Moss body shop.
It was first delivered in July 1964 and then headed to the US before spending 30 years in dry storage.
Now it’s up to a true Aston lover to make their own.
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