Chassis No. DB5/2051/L

Engine No. 400/2045

Sir David Brown's latest creation in a lineage of curvaceous grand tourers carrying his initials emerged in 1963 as the Aston Martin DB5. Its instantly recognizable silhouette owed much to that of its iconic predecessor, the DB4, maintaining its Touring-designed Superleggera coachwork draped over a small-diameter tube frame. The main external differences from the Series V DB4 included sporting covered headlights pioneered on the short-wheelbase DB4GT by Zagato and twin fuel filler caps on both of the rear wings.

While outwardly similar, the DB5's most notable improvement was nestled underneath its handsome bodywork in the form of a Tadek Marek-designed alloy six-cylinder engine enlarged from 3.7 to 4.0 liters. Topped with triple SU carburetors, the bigger engine delivered 282-horsepower through a fully synchromesh ZF five-speed manual transmission for relaxed cruising. Electric windows, reclining seats, wool pile carpets, and a leather-swathed cabin ensured the DB5 was the most luxuriously refined and comfortable grand tourer of the 1960s.

The Aston Martin presented here, chassis DB5/2051/L, is one of 180 DB5s completed from the factory in left-hand drive specification – identified chassis number ending in "L" rather than "R" – with a five-speed manual and finished Silver Birch over a Red Connolly leather interior. A copy of the car's original build sheet on file details its luxurious factory options, including Normalair air conditioning, engine breather scheme, chrome wheels, and Britax lap and diagonal front safety belts. The build sheet also records the original owner as Mr. Bruce B. Pierce of Hollywood, California. According to previously sourced documentation included with the car, chassis DB5/2051L remained on the West Coast for the entirety of its recorded history through today. Classically finished in silver over a red leather interior, DB5/2052/L was the recipient of a complete restoration in the early 2000s under previous ownership which included refinishing the brightwork, chrome wire wheels, and rebuilding the suspension system. The marque specialists of Steel Wings in Warminster, Pennsylvania conducted the disassembly and complete rebuild of the numbers-matching engine as part of the restoration.

Since its acquisition by the Academy of Art University Museum collection in 2006, chassis number DB5/2051/L has been diligently maintained and carefully exercised when not on view in the Academy's climate-controlled exhibition space. Showing little evidence of the almost two decades that have passed since its restoration, the car presents wonderfully throughout, attesting to both the quality of its restoration and the care and maintenance it has received. In fine mechanical and cosmetic condition, including a clean undercarriage, and gorgeously presented in its factory-inspired colors, this 1965 Aston Martin DB5 is offered with its service book and a digital copy of its build sheet. Available for the first time in 17 years, chassis DB5/2051/L offers the opportunity to own an exceptionally rare, left-hand drive, factory air conditioning-equipped example of Aston Martin's most sought-after grand tourer.