1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage for sale
Chassis number DB5/2163/R
One of only 11 Vantages originally delivered in Silver Birch
Kept in the UK since new and fastidiously maintained

This Aston Martin DB5 is one of 65 cars that were fitted with the more powerful Vantage engine, and it’s thought to be one of only 11 that left the Newport Pagnell factory in the now-iconic colour combination of Silver Birch with a black interior.

Production of the DB5 ended in September 1965 and chassis number DB5/2163/R is a late example that would have been built during that year. It was delivered on 5 February 1966 to its first registered owner – Burlington Marketing Associates Ltd, which was based on Old Burlington Street in London’s upmarket Mayfair district.

Additional owners who are listed on the DB5’s factory build sheet include a Mr Mash of Little Marlow in Buckinghamshire and a Mr Phelps of Coomb Lane in London.

That same build sheet includes a hand-written note recording the engine number as being 400/2653/V – all genuine Vantage engines featured the V suffix. However, a note on the factory service records that is dated 23 February 1966 – only three weeks after delivery – states the following: ‘New engine fitted, tuned and car road-tested’. The engine that is now installed in the car is 400/2338/V.

By July 1967, the DB5 had covered 9554 miles and the service records show that it was being maintained at the factory until at least November 1968.

A little later in the car’s life, subsequent custodians included the Honourable Michael OW Pearson, who is now the fourth Viscount Cowdrey. He owned the Aston Martin between 1989 and 1991.

More recently, this DB5 was retained by a single owner for 20 years and was cared for by Aston Martin Works, with the history file containing invoices from the Newport Pagnell company going back to 2005. Before being sold by its previous owner in 2020, it went to Aston Martin Works, where the engine was removed. The carburettors and cylinder head were overhauled – during which a new composite head gasket was fitted – and the engine bay was detailed.

The gearbox was also removed and the clutch assembly and flywheel were replaced, while the brake calipers were overhauled and zinc-played. The old underseal was removed from the underside of the car and the engine bay, and both areas were given a new coat of Dinitrol rustproofing treatment.

This Aston Martin DB5 Vantage is now being offered for sale at The Classic Motor Hub having been in the UK for its entire life and used only sparingly in recent years. The most powerful model presented in its most famous colour combination, it is an extremely desirable and collectable example of this legendary British Grand Tourer.

MODEL HISTORY
For many enthusiasts, the bloodline of DB4, DB5 and DB6 defines the classic Aston Martin. The DB5, in particular, remains one of the most recognisable cars ever built thanks to its role in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger.

When it had been launched in 1958, the DB4 featured styling by Touring of Milan and was built using its lightweight Superleggera construction method. Beneath the bonnet, meanwhile, was a new twin-cam, six-cylinder engine that had been designed by Tadek Marek.

The DB4 was regularly updated until it was replaced by the DB5 at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. The new model looked almost indistinguishable from the last of its predecessors, but it featured numerous refinements. Most significantly, the engine had been bored-out from 3670cc to 3995cc, while a five-speed gearbox soon replaced the old four-speeder. A Borg Warner automatic transmission was also offered.

In standard form, the engine featured SU carburettors and produced about 280bhp. From September 1964 onwards, however, a Vantage option was offered. With three Weber carburettors, altered camshaft timing and larger ports, this engine – which had been developed under the in-house code of DP217 – gave in the region of 315bhp.

When Autocar tested a DB5 in the autumn of 1964, it recorded a top speed of 140mph and a 0-60mph time of 8.1 seconds. It also noted how easily and comfortably the DB5 would cruise at speeds in excess of 100mph and concluded that it ‘ranks in the very top bracket of the world’s high-performance cars.’

Motor magazine managed to reach 145mph with its test car, a speed that it had bettered only with the Jaguar E-type and Chevrolet Corvette. In terms of the DB5’s handling, it noted that ‘straight-line stability and cornering both reach the high standards expected from Aston Martin with their illustrious competition record.’

The DB5 was in production for only two years, during which 1021 of all types were built, before it was replaced by the longer-wheelbase DB6.