To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$700,000 - $900,000
- The fifth DB5 saloon built
- Retains its original matching-numbers engine
- Nearly 40 years in current ownership
- Maintained by the esteemed Kevin Kay Restorations
- Documented with factory build sheet and extensive service
invoices
- A well-maintained and important early example of Aston Martin's
legendary saloon
Not merely the best-known model produced by Aston Martin, the DB5
saloon (as the factory called it for tax purposes) is generally
regarded as one of the most famous automobiles ever built by any
marque. Introduced at the 1963 Earls Court Motor Show, the DB5 was
an obvious extension of the DB4, featuring similar Touring-designed
coachwork and an enlarged 4-liter update of Tadek Marek's
race-engineered aluminum engine.
With 170 improvements over the preceding model, the DB5 was
undoubtedly a superior driver's car, and the company landed one of
history's most famous marketing coups when the DB5 was chosen as
superspy James Bond's transport for the 1965 film Goldfinger. With
a modest production of 1,021 examples built through 1965, the DB5
has evolved into the marque's most timeless classic, appealing to
dedicated enthusiasts and casual observers alike.
Claiming an extremely early position in the model's build sequence,
this highly original and well-maintained DB5 benefits from nearly
40 years of consistent care by the current owner. According to a
factory build record, chassis no. 1305/L was optioned with
overdrive and a brisk final-drive ratio of 3.77:1. Also equipped
with three-eared hubcaps over chrome wheels, and Ace number plates
reading "DB5 1964," the Aston Martin completed assembly in October
1963 finished in Platinum (white) paint and trimmed with dark blue
Vaumol leather from Connolly Brothers. By virtue of its chassis
number, the DB5 is just the fifth saloon built, and correspondence
from the manufacturer confirms the car is among the first
half-dozen examples completed.
Retailed through British Motor Car distributors in San Francisco,
the DB5 was one of the very first of its kind on the West Coast. It
was purchased new by the Washington Fruit and Produce Company of
Yakima, Washington, on behalf of John Bloxom, the company's owner
and manager. According to his son, after taking delivery of the DB5
in mid-June 1964, Mr. Bloxom took great pleasure in driving the
car, commuting 120 miles several times each month to a related
business division in Hood River, Oregon. Relishing Oregon's winding
roads, Mr. Bloxom received at least a few speeding tickets along
the way and even ran the car in a local hill climb at Maryhill
Loops.
By the mid-1970s, Mr. Bloxom sold the Aston Martin, and it passed
to one or two intermediaries over the next few years before
becoming available for sale in 1981 in Sausalito, California.
Purchased then by the current owner, a collector based in nearby
San Francisco, the DB5 has gone on to enjoy 38 years of consistent
care under the consignor's conservancy. The DB5 has always been
maintained and serviced while in the consignor's ownership, with
extensive service work performed by the respected Kevin Kay
Restorations of Redding, California, in recent years. A large file
of service invoices documents a regular history of maintenance with
some cosmetic refurbishments along the way. Some years ago the
front seats were reupholstered in Connolly leather, and the body
was taken down to bare metal and repainted in lacquer, all in
keeping with the proper original color scheme of Platinum over dark
blue. The owner also bolstered the car's documentation by
contacting Aston Martin and sourcing the build record, as well as
with correspondence confirming the car's important early position
as just the fifth saloon built.
Never completely restored, this highly authentic Aston Martin
retains the majority of its original mechanical components,
including the factory-equipped matching-numbers engine. It may be
enjoyed and driven as is, or considered a straightforward candidate
for a full concours restoration. As just the fifth example
produced, the car is a wonderful testament to the purity of the
original DB5 design, and it is desirably documented with 35 years
of service invoices, a heritage certificate from the BMIHT, the
original owner's manual, and the aforementioned build record and
factory correspondence. Period workshop and parts manuals and a
jack are also included.
An important Aston Martin that displays the rewarding benefits of
nearly 40 years of care by a single conservator, this DB5 should
appeal to any marque enthusiast as a particularly desirable example
of Newport-Pagnell's most legendary model.To view this car and
others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM
website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.
