The appearance of Aston Martin’s suave and Touring-styled DB5 in the 1964 film Goldfinger very nearly outshone Sean Connery’s James Bond as the star turn in the 007 blockbuster. While the film was released around halfway into the lifespan of the DB5, which was built between 1963 and 1965, the warming glow of showbiz glamour was immediate. The DB5 became a near-instant symbol of chic and cool thanks to its portrayal as a gadget-laden sports car fit for a spy. Just before the DB5 was propelled into film folklore and thus into the consciousness of fans young and old, Aston Martin improved on its already impressive design with the DB5 Vantage.

Introduced in 1964, the DB5 Vantage catered for customers who desired greater performance from the standard 4.0-litre engine that offered 282 horsepower and a top speed of 227 km/h. Retaining the same displacement as the regular DB5’s powertrain, Vantage engines featured revised camshaft profiles and three Weber carburettors, offering greater top-end performance and a claimed output of 325 horsepower. The 0 to 100 km/h time was slashed to a blisteringly fast six seconds. It is thought that around 70 Vantage-engined DB5s were built before the DB6 was introduced, with only 17 of those made in left-hand-drive configuration—including the example offered here.

As confirmed by a copy of the original purchase invoice that can be viewed in this car’s history file, chassis number DB5/2228/L was destined for Germany. It had been ordered by one Captain Panos A. Tsargaris, based in Hamburg. The car was completed by the factory on 8 July 1965 and finished in Silver Birch over a Dark Blue interior, a factory-correct colour configuration it wears today. The Aston Martin was specified with a build list featuring many desirable options including Normalair air conditioning, a Blaupunkt Koln TR radio, chrome wheels with three-ear hub caps—and of course, the high-performance Vantage engine.

The original purchase invoice goes on to list warranty work performed up to the middle of 1966. In the decades that followed, the DB5 was maintained by Emil Frey Classics, as the car was retained in Switzerland prior to coming into Kuwaiti ownership. It is thought that at some point in the 1990s, the factory-fitted Vantage engine was largely overhauled and the car was fitted with a re-stamped block.

In 2017, the DB5 was entrusted to Aston Martin Works, the factory-backed heritage restoration department based in Newport Pagnell, for restoration work. As can be seen by photographs of the car undergoing the extensive overhaul (available to view in the history file), the car was presented then wearing a navy blue exterior over a tan leather interior. Aston Martin Works rebuilt the DB5 over the next four years, stripping the car to a bare chassis prior to an extensive rebuild and respray in its original factory-correct colour, further to revisiting the earlier restoration of the engine. With costs exceeding £400,000, the restoration will be completed by the provision of a new “continuation” engine, which will be supplied post-sale by Aston Martin Works and delivered boxed.

Lovingly restored by Aston Martin Works’ own craftsmen, and once again appearing in its original shade of Silver Birch, this DB5 presents a wonderful opportunity to acquire a carefully prepared example of one of the greatest cars to ever appear on the silver screen.