The Aston Martin DB5: Review * 75

 Collectors Guide to the Aston Martin DB5

Madan Singh

The Aston Martin DB5 is a luxury grand tourer. It was in production from 1963 and was a refinement over the DB 4. The car designed by the Italian coach builder Carrozzeria was extremely sturdy. The car fetches a handsome price in the second hand market though it is over 40 years old. One can get a Aston Martin DB5 for 100,000 dollars as the base price

History of Aston Martin Aston Martin is a famous British manufacturer of luxury sports cars. The company was founded in 1913 by by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. Over the decades the brand Aston Martin is synonymous with cars for the high end buyer. Aston Martin never produced cars for the general public, but for a select few who could afford and appreciate fine driving. People who own an Aston martin are generally from the elite.

 The company nose dived in profitability in the nineties when in 1993 it produced only 43 cars. But it bounced back and has once again started making a profit, after it was bought by Prodrive boss David Richards, heading a consortium of investors for $479, million pounds. The DB 5 The Aston Martin DB5 is a luxury grand tourer. It was in production from 1963 and was a refinement over the DB 4. The car designed by the Italian coach builder Carrozzeria was extremely sturdy.

 The DB series carried the name DB which were the initials of David Brown, who was head of Aston Martin from 1947-72. Iconic Status The DB5 has got an iconic status and was the first car used by Bond in the film Goldfinger made in 1964. It also made an appearance in the film Thunderball. Both films starred Sean Connery. The DB 5 is a car that is a collector's delight. The early DB5 models command very high prices in today'™s market. In case a car is well documented and maintained and its history clear, the DB 5 can fetch anything from $ 100,000 upwards. It's a much sought after car and a man owning it can consider he is lucky. All Aston Martin cars are right hand drive, as such historically they have a reduction in value when priced in the United States, but this gap has now narrowed down now. DB-5 models have endeared themselves to collectors of classic cars for two reasons.

 Firstly, their superior construction and secondly,their connection with James Bond. Later models of the DB series were not at par in body construction compared to the DB 5. Though the DB 6 had a longer wheel base it has a negative impact in the collectors market. The DB 5 is not for a delicate driver and needs expert handling. Later models to the DB 5 are priced almost 20% less than the DB 5. Value of Second hand DB5 The value of DB 5 can be gauged from the result of an auction conducted by RM Auctions. The car on sale was the DB 5 model used by James Bond in the films Goldfinger and Thunderball. The owner had bought the car in 1969. 

The auction held on 1 June 2010, fetched a record price of 2,600,000 Pounds Sterling. The market for vintage luxury cars, particularly British have gone up. T-Birds cost over $ 60,000 and GTO's touch $50,000. Keeping these prices in view the DB5 is an excellent bargain for a collector, but he will have to pay a price above $100,000.

Hints.While buying a DB 5, a collector must be aware of the history of the car. Most models are over 40 years old and a collector must evaluate whether the car is a restored car or the original version. Restored cars which may have met with an accident are always at a discount compared to original untouched models. The history of the car can be seen from the log provided or the net. All that will be required is the registration, chassis and engine number. The Aston Martin DB5 is a luxury grand tourer. It was in production from 1963 and was a refinement over the DB 4. The car designed by the Italian coach builder Carrozzeria was extremely sturdy.