This car was introduced to Britain in 1963 and, at the
time, was considered to be an aristocrat amongst sportscars
of its time.
It was extremely pricey, with the E-Type Jaguar being
about half of its cost, but its use on the James Bond
movie "Goldfinger" (1964) released the Aston Martin
name to the entire world.
The DB 5 was David Brown's
5th model. It sprung as a development of the DB 4 that
had existed in one form or another since the late 1950's.
It was fitted with a bigger four-liter version of the
twin-camshaft six cylinder engine, and with a five-speed
ZF gear box it boasted more power and punch that its predecessor.
Top speed was 225 km/h with meaty acceleration and an optional
Vantage tuned motor. Like its predecessors, the DB 5 did
not break any new technical ground, but it did keep up
with developments.
Discs brakes that were normally fitted
to fast cars like the DB 5 were seen as suspicious from
Aston who preferred to rely on its solid axle. This probably
resulted in the DB 5 performing better on the open road,
rather than bouncing around on country lanes.
Rich leather was abundant and extras such as electric
windows (rare in 1963) and push button radio that glowed
the words "Aston Martin" put this car above the rest.
As well as the fastback model, Aston built the swish
Volante convertible which some say were amongst the
most beautiful cars ever built.
Selling just over 1,000 in the space of 2 years puts the
DB 5 as the most successful of all the Astons. It is certainly
the most memorable, being a slender and beautiful highlight
of its era.