The Aston Martin DB5 has long been considered one of the world’s most seminal sports cars, owing to its 282-horsepower race-developed aluminum-alloy engine, advanced chassis, and distinctive lightweight sports saloon coachwork built with Touring’s Superleggera construction technique. Further popularized by its association with the James Bond film franchise, the DB5 was the ultimate combination of beauty, brains, and brawn, a car that was no doubt specifically developed for the sporting British gentleman. While 899 saloon examples were ultimately built, only 193 of these cars were completed in left-hand drive, making this beautifully presented example even more desirable.

Claiming what is believed to be a short ownership history, as well as an appearance in the Leonardo DiCaprio movie Catch Me If You Can, this handsomely presented factory left-hand-drive DB5 is a stellar example of Aston’s venerated sports saloon. According to a factory build record and a trace certificate from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, chassis number 1715/L completed assembly in August 1964, factory equipped with an array of options that included Selectaride adjustable rear shock absorbers and a Powr Lok limited-slip differential. Specified for North American export, the Aston Martin was finished in the classic livery of Silver Birch over a Red interior, externally similar to the car driven by James Bond in Goldfinger.

It is worth noting that, according to the build record, the DB5 was originally equipped with Normalair air conditioning, which was a reasonably rare factory option. Unfortunately, the system was removed at some point during the car’s life, but a future caretaker willing to source the proper components might be able to return the car to an even greater state of authenticity.

Dispatched in September 1964 to Aston Martin American distributor R. Dick & Company, the DB5 was sold new to Dr. Henry St. John Smith of South Lancaster, Massachusetts. From him, the car was acquired by Dr. William Crowell of New Hampshire, who sold it in the late 1970s to Theo Gruttman, a photographer based in New York. Mr. Gruttman was on his way to a successful multi-decade career in fashion photography, and over the years his work would regularly appear in popular magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Better Homes & Gardens, among others. His career was so successful that he was able to commission the build of a sprawling home on the exclusive Shelter Island, New York, at the eastern tip of Long Island, where a garage was built specifically to house his small collection of four exceptional Aston Martins (including a DB2 Drophead Coupe).

Under Mr. Gruttman’s multi-decade long-term ownership, the DB5 was routinely serviced by the esteemed marque specialist Steel Wings of Ivyland, Pennsylvania. In 2003 the matching-numbers engine was rebuilt and upgraded for improved power with an enlarged displacement of 4.2 liters, performance camshafts, and triple Weber carburetors. The engine is currently mated to a correct ZF five-speed manual gearbox, combining for impressive torque and improved top speed. Externally, the Superleggera coachwork has been tastefully massaged with flared rear fenders, providing space for larger wire wheels.

Perhaps most significantly, this fetching DB5 achieved its own temporary celebrity when it was used in the filming of the 2002 Hollywood blockbuster Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. In the film, DiCaprio’s character Frank Abagnale, a young con man in the making, comes to understand that the media are referring to him as “the James Bond of the Sky,” in reference to his exploits impersonating commercial airline pilots. Impressed with the favorable comparison, the impressionable Abagnale starts affecting a Sean Connery accent, buys custom suits as seen in Goldfinger, and, at the suggestion of a none-the-wiser tailor, buys a DB5. Cut to a Manhattan intersection, where chassis 1715/L screams through a left-hand turn while narrowly avoiding collisions with several other cars—Abagnale’s imaginary transformation into 007 is complete.

Following Mr. Gruttman’s passing in 2020, the DB5 was offered by Steel Wings in 2022. In preparation for this availability the car was refreshed with a round of service that included attention to the brakes and clutch, installation of new master and slave cylinders, new servos, a new battery, and a complete fluid service. Acquired then by the consignor, the handsome Aston Martin continues to feature the factory-original color combination of Silver Birch paint over an interior upholstered in Red Connolly leather.

It is important to recognize that 1715/L retains its matching-numbers engine, which considerably bolsters the car’s authenticity. Offered with a toolkit, this nicely presented factory left-hand-drive DB5 is a striking example of Aston Martin’s most legendary model. It is ideal for display at local shows and cars-and-coffee gatherings, or it can be enjoyed on driving and touring events, sure to deliver a 007-like thrill to the next caretaker.