On what date should you be celebrating sixty years of the DB5?

I’m sorry to say, you might have already missed it. I’ve been speaking with Aston Martin aficionado Tim Cottingham from the Aston Martin Heritage Trust (AMHT) and there appear to be a few schools of thought on the matter.

Theory one – The first DB5 was prototype DP216/1:

“What you have to remember here is the DB5 was 'almost' the DB4 Series 6. Not long before the car was launched, they decided on 'DB5'. So it had quite a soft launch at the time. Now deciding on the first car is tricky because the 'first' one was a prototype - DP216/1 - a car that became the Bond car. So, it was that car that launched the DB5 as a model - but it was really a reworked DB4 Series 5 Vantage, first seen in June 1963.”

Theory two – DB5/1301/L was the first real DB5:

“The first REAL DB5 was DB5/1301/L, completed by AML on the 3rd of September 1963 for the German market. Purchased new by Swiss-German race driver Peter Lindner. Also, once the property of Nicholas Cage, the actor - so great history too.”

Further notes and key dates:

- “The first UK car wasn't finished until the 9th of October 1963 - DB5/1307/R.”

- “The first 40 saloons (well 39 as one was auto!) had the David Brown 4 speed gearbox (wonderful), then after this, all the rest were either 5-speed ZF or 3 speed auto (not a nice box).”

Which date do you believe should be celebrated as being the sixty-year anniversary of the DB5?

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The stunning 1965 DB5 pictured is DB5/2035/R, which is currently for sale at ROE for the exceptionally low price of £575,000.00.

ROE also have one of the first 5-speed ZF models (DB5/1346/R) available off-market for £460,000. An ideal candidate for restoration.

Please get in touch for more details on either DB5.