Description
Details:
Oldtimer Australia is delighted to offer for sale this very rare and highly desirable 1964 Aston Martin DB5.
The Heritage Certificate on file confirms this UK market factory right hand drive example was built on the 16th October 1964. Finished in California Sage (light metallic green) with a fawn interior, the car left the factory on the 10th December 1964. The Heritage Certifcate notes the car was delivered with Selectaride shock absorbers, chrome wheels and a heated rear window.
The car was delivered new through J Blake & Company Limited for Hills Garage in Woodford Green, Essex in the UK.
The Heritage Certificate also notes a recorded registration of YYW 327G. Interestingly, the suffix G indicates this is a plate issued between 1st of August 1968 and the 31st of July 1969, so it is most likely the car carried a different registration before that.
Importantly this car retains its original ID tag and the stamped chassis and engine numbers are visible. The Heritage Certificate confirms all the numbers are correct and matching.
There is a UK V5 on file from May 1997, which is when the car was acquired by Alistair Jefferey from London. Jefferey is an Australian who was living and working in London at the time. The V5 states the car had three former keepers since January 1982.
Jeffery acquired the car from Nigel Mark Osmond Smith from Lingfield, UK who himself had acquired the car on 22 September 1995. When Jeffery acquired the car it was blue.
In early 2000 Jeffrey moved back to Sydney and brought the car with him. There is an Australian Import Approval on file dated 26th July 2000.
After arriving in Australia Jefferey had the car assessed by Concours Sport Restoration in Tuggerah on 27th September 2002. At that time the odometer read 153 km. The car was serviced and some rust repairs completed. He was given the advice that the car probably needed to be restored in the not too distant future.
In 2005 he engaged the services of The Classic Connection in Riverstone a suburb in Sydney’s west to restore his Aston Martin to its former glory. A decision was made to strip the car and repaint it in the iconic Aston Martin colour of silver birch.
The job progressed slowly over the next few years and in 2009 Jeffrey decided to sell the car as a partially completed project. By then a significant amount of mechanical work had been completed, the car had been mostly reassembled and the refurbishment of the interior had commenced.
The car was purchased by a Brisbane based Aston Martin enthusiast. The car joined a significant collection, which included an Aston Martin DB4 and DB6 as well as a number of Jaguars and other British classics. He continued the restoration, which essentially involved finishing off the assembly and refurbishing the interior. In 2012 the car was back on the road. This Aston Martin DB5 was the pride of his fleet and it was only used sparingly throughout his ownership.
In 2022 the car’s owner had decided to start downsizing his collection and the DB5 was sold quietly in April 2022 to the current owner. Over the last three years the car has continued to be used sparingly, though it was shown publicly at Motors & Masterpieces held at the Melbourne Showgrounds in November 2024.
Oldtimer Australia took great pleasure to exhibit the car on our stand at the recently held Rippon Lea Concours d’Elegance in Melbourne where it attracted a lot of attention.
Today the odometer reads 429 km.
The Aston Martin DB5 is an iconic car and finished in silver birch it is one of the most recognised cars on the planet. It was made famous of course for its role in various James Bond films, starting with Goldfinger in 1964.
First impressions of this car are really good. It certainly has a presence and it just oozes sophistication. Designed by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, there is no doubt the Aston Martin DB5 is a beautiful car. Walking around this example you cannot help but be impressed. The car just ‘pops’!
Even though this car was repainted some 20 years ago, the paint still retains a strong depth of colour and a nice gloss finish. Up close you will notice a few small imperfections but generally the car presents well. The panel gaps are generally good, though the bonnet would benefit from a minor adjustment. Both bumpers require minor adjustment.
The chrome is a real feature on an Aston Martin DB5. There is plenty of it and on this car it is generally in very good condition. The one defect we noticed is a small chip on the left side of the rear bumper. The chrome wire wheels are stunning and in excellent condition. They are shod with Bridgestone SF-373 tyres, size 205/ 70 R15 all around. The tyres are still in excellent condition, but they might need to be replaced based on age if the next owner would like to do some serious driving in the car.
When you open the door you are greeted with a very elegant interior that is just so quintessentially British. The first thing you will notice is the correct style Moto-Lita wooden steering wheel which is in excellent condition and really suits the car. The dashboard has every instrument you need and everything is in excellent condition. In the centre of the dashboard you’ll find a beautiful clock and the chrome switches for the windows. There is an abundance of leather which is soft and in great condition with no rips or tears to be found. The seats are firm and provide ample support. The rear seats probably have never been used and present similarly well. All the carpets are in excellent condition.
The important question to be answered is of course . . . how does the car drive? It was an early Sunday morning and it was time to channel our inner 007 and find out! It was a beautiful morning and the sun was shining, so a perfect start to the day. From cold the car needs a full choke to start and it does so easily. As soon as the engine is running you can ease the choke off to about a third and then wait patiently as the engine warms up. As soon as the temperature gauge start moving the choke can be turned off all together.
After we have made ourselves comfortable and the engine has warmed up sufficiently, we gently move the car out onto the road. After only a few miles behind the wheel you are hooked. The engine sounds great and it has loads of power on tap. It responds well to the slightest touch of the throttle and it is a delight to drive. The gearbox in this car is precise both up and down the box and importantly the brakes pull the car up quickly and in a straight line when needed. This car feels really solid on the road and the steering is responsive and provides excellent feedback.
The reality is the Aston Martin DB5 is more than just a ‘movie car’! With a quoted top speed close to a 150 mph in the old money and able to sprint from 0 – 60 mph in just over 7 seconds the DB5 was no slouch back in 1964. It is not a sports car, rather a true gentlemen’s express.
After just getting started we reach our destination all too soon. We would have loved to drive this car all day!
Accompanying the car is a reasonable history file, which includes a Heritage Certificate, an original owner’s manual, a workshop manual (copy), a parts manual (copy) and an original sales brochure. There is also jack and two sets of keys.
It is not often one gets the opportunity in Australia to purchase such an iconic car as an Aston Martin DB5. There are not many examples left on these shores.
This example ticks a lot of boxes and would be a welcome addition to any car collection in Australia or in fact anywhere in the world.
Highlights:
- UK delivered, factory RHD example.
- Matching numbers engine.
- Beautifully presented example in a stunning colour combination.
- Ready to show, use and enjoy.
Price: Enquire
Background:
Aston Martin has produced bespoke sports cars for over 100 years. The company began in 1913, when founders Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford realised their desire to build distinctive, high quality sports cars that were both exhilarating to drive and a beauty to behold. Martin regularly competed in hill climb races at Aston Clinton, and a simple combination of the name of the event and the driver gave birth to one of the most famous automotive marques. Source: - details above.
Whilst Aston Martin produced some wonderful cars in their early years, business was always a struggle and the company was severely disrupted during both World War I and II. The company went bankrupt on more than one occasion and has endured many different owners throughout its history.
David Brown acquired Aston Martin in February 1947 and the first car produced during his ownership was the Aston Martin 2 Litre Sports, later known as the DB1, which was built in extremely limited numbers from 1948 to 1950. This was succeeded by the Aston Martin DB2 in 1950, which featured a new double overhead cam straight six engine of 2. 6 litre (2580 cc) capacity, and was a car that really put post war Aston Martin on the map. Some 411 cars were built from 1950 to 1953, of which circa 100 were the convertible or drop head coupes. Its successor, known as the DB2/ 4, was first shown at the London Motor Show in 1953 and production started soon thereafter. Initially the car had the same engine as its predecessor, however, it was enlarged to 2, 922cc in April 1954. Compared to the DB2 the DB2/ 4 had an extended roof line with a larger rear window, a one piece curved windscreen and ‘real’ bumper bars. The biggest difference between the two cars was inside the cabin where the successor had far more room with two small occasional rear seats. The DB2/ 4 sold well through until 1957. In total 764 DB2/ 4’s were built which included 565 of the Mk I’s and 199 of the Mk II’s. The biggest change for the Mk II was that the bodies were made ‘in-house’ by the recently acquired Tickford Coachbuilding Works in Newport Pagnell, otherwise the differences between the Mk I and Mk II were subtle. The DB2/ 4 was available as a four seat fixed head coupe or two seat drop head coupe from the start of production with a two seat coupe introduced on the Mk II. The DB2/ 4 MkII was succeeded by the DB MkIII and 551 examples were built from 1957 through until 1959.
In 1958 Aston Martin introduced the successor to the DB2/ 4 series, the DB4. The DB4 remained in production till 1963 and a total of 1, 204 were produced.
In 1963 Aston Martin introduced what was to become the most famous Aston Martin ever, the DB5. The DB5 became a legend when it appeared in the 1964 James Bond movie Goldfinger. The DB5 is considered to be the quintessential vehicle associated with the Bond character and it has reappeared in many subsequent Bond films.
Whilst visually similar to the Aston Martin DB4 MkV, the DB5 was a step up mechanically with most changes under the bonnet. The new car was powered by a 4. 0 litre version of Aston Martin’s straight six engine fitted with triple SU carburettors as standard it was quoted as producing 282 bhp and 280 lb-ft of torque. Power was sent through a five speed manual gearbox (a three-speed automatic was also an option) to the rear wheels. It was the first time this engine was used by Aston Martin in a road car, having first seen service in the Lagonda Rapide (based on Aston’s DB4) and some of Aston Martin’s prototype race cars of that period.
The Aston Martin DB5 remained in production through until 1965 and only 1, 059 examples were produced. This figure includes DB5, DB5 Vantage and DB5 Convertible or Volante.
In 2020, as part of their continuation program Aston Martin produced 25 new DB5 Goldfinger-themed cars at the factory in Newport Pagnell.
The David Brown era was arguably Aston Martin’s finest with the company winning LeMans in 1959 and the iconic early DB series cars of the 1950’s paving the way for the legendary DB4, DB5 and DB6 models of the 1960’s.
