An Aston Martin DB5 with an unusually personal history has been revived after a 50-year wait, following a full factory restoration by Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, England. The car, a 1965 DB5 Vantage, remained with its original owner through decades of changing circumstances before finally returning to the same site where it was built nearly 60 years ago.
John Williams purchased the DB5 in 1973 after spotting an advertisement in Motorsport magazine. At the time, the car stood out for its specification, finished in Silver Birch and equipped with a Vantage engine, Weber carburetors, chrome wire wheels, Sundym electric windows, a heated rear screen, and a five-speed gearbox. The configuration closely mirrored the DB5 made famous in the 1964 film Goldfinger. The asking price was £985, though Williams secured the car for £900, equivalent to roughly $19,000 today, and drove it home at age 19.
The DB5 served as Williams’ daily transportation until 1977, when his career took him to Saudi Arabia. Left behind on a driveway and exposed to the elements, the car suffered visible deterioration over time. Despite the decline in condition and external damage, Williams declined to sell the vehicle, even as its rarity became clearer. Of the 887 DB5 saloons produced, only 39 were built with the same combination of Silver Birch paint, Vantage engine, and right-hand drive.
In late 2022, the car was delivered to Aston Martin Works for a comprehensive restoration. The project involved rebuilding the chassis, renewing the Superleggera frame originally developed by Carrozzeria Touring of Milan, and hand-forming every aluminum body panel. The interior was fully retrimmed, while original seat frames and the repaired gauge binnacle were retained to preserve the car’s character.
The restoration required three years and approximately 2,500 man hours. The completed car now represents a factory-certified example, a designation that places it in the same category as other manufacturer-backed restoration programs. With values for restored DB5s of this specification reaching up to £1 million, the project underscores the lasting significance of originality, documentation, and factory involvement in the collector car market.
Images: Aston Martin
Shawn Henry