To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION at RM Sothebys' Amelia Island event, 8 - 9
March 2019.
Estimate:
$1,400,000 - $1,600,000
- One of seven factory-original DB5 Vantage convertibles
- Winner of the 2005 Greenwich Concours Europa Chairman's
Award
- Professionally converted to left-hand drive in 2005
- Complete with British Motor Industry Heritage Trust (BMIHT)
Certificate, copy of build sheet, and restoration invoices
- Includes owner's manual, tools, and jack
The most well-known DB5 is, of course, that Silver Birch super-spy
saloon often seen racing across movie screens worldwide. But James
Bond's DB5 was just a standard saloon model, one of nearly a
thousand. For a rarer, higher-performance DB5, those in the know
look toward the DB5 Vantage convertible. With just seven ever made,
this model comes in at one of the rarest Aston Martins
available.
The high-performance, Vantage-specification DB5 did not make its
first appearance until September 1964. The prototype, DP217, bore
the chassis no. DB5/1451/R and came fitted with triple Weber
twin-choke, side-draft carburetors along with the five-speed
gearbox. The Aston Martin sales brochure for the DB5 Vantage quoted
power output at 325 bhp at 5,750 rpm, some 40 bhp more than the
standard engine, an exhilarating increase.
According to the aforementioned factory information, Vantage
upgrades further included flow-tuned intake manifolds providing a
"ram" effect, the cylinder head featured extra-large ports, valve
timing was modified, and ignition timing was advanced for extra
power and a flatter torque curve. A vacuum reservoir was also added
to the power-assisted brake system. As expected, the DB5's reflexes
were sharpened considerably in Vantage tune, particularly with 0-60
times dropping to just 6.5 seconds.
Appropriately, any original Vantage-specification DB5 is a rare and
highly desirable GT with immensely satisfying driving dynamics.
However, the stellar example offered here, chassis DB5C/1924/R, is
far more so as it is one of the seven Vantage convertibles
originally produced. Completed on 1 April 1965 for the home market
and dispatched five days later to its selling dealer J. Blake and
Company Limited, DB5C/1924/R is indeed an authentic, factory
Vantage convertible.
The original owner was J.V.R. Bullough, a member of the Aston
Martin Owners Club. Mr. Bullough was obviously endowed with good
taste, an appetite for performance, and with the means to act upon
his desires. However, one might presume he was short of physical
stature, as he specified two unusual, additional items�namely a
2-in. clutch-pedal extension and additional padding to the
front-seat squabs. The car's next keeper was T.F. Kennel of
Buckinghamshire, followed by its next recorded owner from the AMOC
Register, J. Denoyer.
Subsequent to its importation to the U.S., under Henry S. Miller,
the DB5C received a comprehensive restoration by experienced Aston
Martin restorers Kent Bain's Automotive Restorations of Stratford,
Connecticut. Completed to concours standards in 2005, the
restoration included a professional conversion to left-hand drive.
All restorative work was fully documented, and invoices for over
$200,000 are included in the history file. It should be noted the
car does not retain its original engine but has been fitted with a
replacement block believed to be from Aston Engineering and which
has been stamped with the original engine number.
The DB5C embarked on a highly successful post-restoration show
career, winning a Class Award at its first showing at the AMOC Lime
Rock Classic in Connecticut. Other show entries included the 2007
Gold Coast Concours at Glen Cove, New York, followed by the Amelia
Island and Greenwich Concours d'Elegance in 2009, the Fairfield
Concours in 2010, and most recently the Cavallino Mar-a-Lago
Concours, where it received a class award. Since its last sale in
2012, the DB5 has been living on the West Coast, properly
maintained by an avid collector of classic cars.
DB5C/1924/R is beautifully finished in attractive Peony Red and
perfectly complemented by tan Connolly leather upholstery with
matching Everflex convertible top and camel Wilton wool carpets. It
is a superb, immensely drivable and extremely rare example of the
marque flagship, in its most desirable, high performance, open-air
form.
To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction,
please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/am19.
