The most well-known DB5 is, of course, that Silver Birch super-spy saloon often seen racing across movie screens worldwide. With the instant international success of the model, it was only natural that Aston Martin would satisfy those customers who lived in sunnier locales and produce a drophead coupe version of the DB5. The DB5 Convertible was the equal of any open-top Italian gran turismo for style; and if James Bond’s DB5 was “just” a standard saloon model, one of nearly a thousand, only 123 lucky customers were able to drive away in the drophead version—making the DB5 Convertible one of the rarer Aston Martins available today.

Equipped with a soft-top, the convertible version of the DB5 was described as “extremely elegant and completely practical.” The new convertible lacked none of the successful features of the saloon. Under the bonnet, the DB5 Convertible sported Aston Martin’s 4.0-liter engine, which produced a reported 283 brake horsepower and helped the DB5 achieve a top speed of 143 mph.

While the original production run offered a five-speed ZF gearbox as an optional extra, this was offered as standard on the rarified convertibles, as were power windows, an alternator, and exhaust silencers. Other standard equipment included reclining seats, wool pile carpets, twin fuel tanks, chrome wire wheels, an oil cooler, full leather trim in the cabin, and a fire extinguisher.

Priced at £4,490, the convertible cost well above the average house price of the time, assuring that only a privileged few were able to afford one. The epitome of British elegance and class, celebrities snapped them up: Peter Sellers, Beryl Reid, and even HRH Princess Margaret could be spotted in a DB5 Convertible.

Only 39 of the open-top vehicles were produced for the export market, making a DB5 Convertible in factory original left-hand drive, as seen on the car offered here, particularly rare. Though little is known of its early ownership history, an accompanying BMIHT Certificate illustrates that chassis DB5C/1921/L was completed by Aston Martin on 9 April 1965 and dispatched to their distributor in the United States. Its original owner certainly did not skimp on adding optional equipment to make his DB5 more comfortable. A Normalair air conditioning system, a Bosch Koln TR radio with manually operated aerial, two Marchal fog lamps, and chrome wheels are just some of the non-standard equipment items listed. Originally painted the model’s signature shade of Silver Birch and upholstered in Dark Blue Connolly leather, this exceptionally rare DB5 Convertible would have certainly turned heads while driving around the environs of its first owner.

At some point in the car’s history, it was treated to a complete restoration of evident quality and refinished in its current color combination of Dark Blue over Parchment leather upholstery and matching convertible soft-top. A Blaupunkt signal-seeking radio now sits in place of the original Bosch unit, but altogether this DB5 Convertible remains a faithful representation of all the model’s finest cosmetic and mechanical attributes. The 4.0-liter straight-six engine is numbers-matching to the unit listed on the accompanying BMIHT Certificate, and is fed by a correct trio of SU carburetors.

Timelessly styled and instantly recognizable thanks to the model’s movie screen presence, this left-hand-drive DB5 Convertible is an extremely rare example of the Aston Martin flagship in its most desirable open-air form.