1964 Aston Martin DB5
Original colour combination of Black Pearl and Fawn
Matching numbers and fully restored
Factory certification to Gold standard

Beautifully presented throughout, this Aston Martin DB5 has been extensively restored in recent years and certified by the factory to coveted Gold standard.

Chassis number DB5/ 1878/ R was completed at Newport Pagnell on 8 November 1964 as a right-hand-drive UK-market car. Finished in Black Pearl with a Fawn interior, it was first registered on 29 December and dispatched to dealer Cyril Williams of Wolverhampton. It’s thought that its intended first owner – A Jackson & Son Ltd of Birmingham – never took delivery, and instead it was bought by George Styles on 3 March 1965.

The DB5’s history file includes an unbroken record of ownership from then all the way up to the present day. Mr Styles kept the car until November 1986, when it passed to Paradise Garage in London. It was then bought by Mark Longe in 1991, and he sold it the following year via RS Williams to Howard Giles.

Giles took the DB5 back to Aston Martin at Newport Pagnell so that it could be fully assessed, and he decided to embark on a complete restoration. The process took nearly two years, with Aston Martin being entrusted with the bodywork and interior, while RS Williams took care of most of the mechanical work.

Giles sold the DB5 in June 1999, and after being cared for by two further owners, it passed to a new custodian in October 2014. With 20 years having passed since the restoration, he commissioned marque specialist Oselli to carry out a further full restoration such were the demands of the meticulous owner. This was thoroughly documented – including photographs – in the history file and resulted in stripping the Aston Martin down to nothing more than a shell.

A full bare metal repaint in original colour scheme was carried out, the interior was completely re-trimmed, and all other mechanical components and electrical items on the car were rebuilt as new at a cost of just over £400, 000. The result is an immaculate example of this iconic British grand tourer that retains its original colour combination and matching-numbers status. Now also resting on brand new stunning Borrani Wire Wheels at a cost of over £15, 000.

Now being offered for sale at the Classic Motor Hub, this Aston Martin DB5 comes with an extensive history file that includes an original instruction book, plus a wealth of invoices showing the work that has been carried out over the years – testament to how well its enthusiast owners have cared for it.

MODEL HISTORY
For many people, the DB5 remains the definitive classic Aston Martin, despite being in production for only two years. Its immediate predecessor was the DB4, which had been launched in 1958 and featured a new styling direction courtesy of Touring of Milan. It was also built using Touring’s lightweight Superleggera construction method, while beneath the bonnet was a new twin-cam, six-cylinder engine designed by Tadek Marek.

The DB5 was launched at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show, and while the new model looked almost indistinguishable from the last of the DB4s, it featured numerous refinements. Most significantly, the engine had been bored-out from 3670cc to 3995cc, while a five-speed gearbox replaced the old four-speeder early in production. A Borg Warner automatic transmission was also offered.

In standard form, the engine featured SU carburettors and produced in the region of 280bhp. From September 1964 onwards, however, a Vantage option was offered. With three Weber carburettors, altered camshaft timing and larger ports, this engine gave more than 300bhp.

When Autocar tested a DB5 in the autumn of 1964, it recorded a top speed of 140mph and a 0-60mph time of 8. 1 seconds. It also noted how easily and comfortably the DB5 would cruise at speeds in excess of 100mph and concluded that it ‘ranks in the very top bracket of the world’s high-performance cars.’

Motor magazine reached 145mph with its test car, a speed that it had bettered only with the Jaguar E-type and Chevrolet Corvette. In terms of the DB5’s handling, it noted that ‘straight-line stability and cornering both reach the high standards expected from Aston Martin with their illustrious competition record.’

DB5 production totalled 1021 of all types before it was replaced in autumn 1965 by the longer-wheelbase DB6.