The Aston Martin DB5 belongs to the rare category of automobiles that are instantly recognisable even to those who are not enthusiasts; for the public at large, to see one is to instantly know it as an “Aston Martin”. It has come to represent the company at large for essentially every generation since it was born, largely on the strength of its co-starring role in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. This etched the appearance of a Silver Birch DB5 firmly in the memory of everyone who saw the film, attended a promotional appearance by one of the cars, or bought the Corgi model. Few cars have ever so defined their manufacturer to the world.

This is perfectly appropriate because the DB5 was, in and of itself, a memorable, wonderful automobile, even without silver screen fame to recommend it. It boasted some 170 improvements over the preceding DB4, most prominently adopting the competition-style covered headlights—originally used for the DB4 GT and subsequently available on late-production DB4s—as standard equipment. Its lines were magnificent, and its performance utterly thrilling.

For once, period advertisements did not oversell, but simply stated fact: “Built by master craftsmen, the Aston Martin DB5 has character, comfort and an abundance of power. Top speed exceeds 150 mph. Stops from 100 mph in 6 seconds. Safe at speed and gentle in traffic. You’ll never understand its appeal unless you get into the driving seat.” Simply put, the DB5 deserved to become legendary on its own.

The DB5 offered here was built on 8 November 1964, finished in right-hand drive for the UK market and liveried in Black Pearl with Fawn interior. First registered on 29 December and sent to dealer Cyril Williams of Wolverhampton, it is believed that the intended first owner, A. Jackson & Son Ltd. of Birmingham, never took delivery, and instead the car was purchased on 3 March 1965 by George Styles.

Understandably highly satisfied with his acquisition, Mr Styles retained the DB5 for a remarkable 21 years, before selling it in November 1986 to Paradise Garage of London. From there, it was acquired in 1991 by Mark Longe, then sold by him the following year via noted marque specialists RS Williams to Howard Giles. Mr Giles had the car restored, with the bodywork and interior handled by Aston Martin at Newport Pagnell, and much of the mechanical work completed by RS Williams; correspondence and invoices describing the highly detailed nature of this work are included in the history file.

The DB5 was sold by Mr Giles in June 1999 and would go on to have three further owners, the last of whom purchased it in October 2014. A meticulous caretaker of his automobiles, he elected to have the 20-year-old restoration freshened, with marque specialist Oselli taking on the work, as noted in a detailed description and photographs included in the file. Such was his standards that this became a total restoration, with the body stripped to the bare metal and refinished in the factory-correct colour scheme, the interior fully retrimmed, and all other mechanical and electrical system components rebuilt. Costs for the restoration exceeded £300,000 and the work was overseen by marque expert Stephen Archer. Power steering was fitted for ease of use on modern roads, and a period-correct altimeter appears in the dashboard.

More recently the car has also been fitted with the crowning touch, a set of brand-new Borrani wire wheels. It received Aston Martin Works Assured Provenance “Gold” certification in July 2021, noting an overall excellent level of correctness excepting a correct but replacement gearbox, replaced in period by the factory, with the certificate on file.

Retaining its matching-numbers engine and finished in its very elegant and appropriate colours, this DB5 boasts an exceptional restoration and well-known, verified and documented history, and has much to recommend it to either gentleman spy or sporting automobile connoisseur.