A 50 Year Wait: Aston Martin Works Revives a rare DB5 that carries an Incredible Story

You rarely encounter a restoration story that feels quite as special as this one. Plenty of people admire the Aston Martin DB5 from afar, especially for its James Bond (Sean Connery) 007 connection and but very few spend 50 years holding on to one through early adulthood, career changes, and decades of everyday life passing by.

John Williams did exactly that, and back in the early 1970s, he decided that he wanted a DB5. In 1973 he spotted one in Motorsport magazine; a 1965 DB5 Vantage, Silver Birch, Weber carburetors, chrome wires, Sundym electric windows, a heated rear screen, and a five-speed box. Ironically, it was very close to the example that appeared in Goldfinger (1964).

Side view of a rare Aston Martin DB5 coupe in silver, parked indoors against a brick wall with large windows—a stunning example of classic design from Aston Martin Works.

The ad listed it for £985, but he paid £900, which is about $19,000 today. After a brief test drive, he bought the car and drove the car back home, at age 19. The DB5 served as his daily driver until 1977, when he left for a job in Saudi Arabia. The car stayed on the driveway exposed to the elements. Sue Williams remembered kids bouncing on the bonnet and a child snapping the exhaust. The car’s condition continued to deteriorate, but Williams refused to sell.

As time went on, he would realize how rare his specification was. Out of the 887 DB5 saloons, only 39 left the factory with the combination his car carries: Silver Birch, Vantage engine, and right-hand drive. That level of rarity matters in the collector car market, and you see why he held onto it.

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A rusted, partially disassembled rare DB5 is lifted on jacks inside a well-lit auto repair workshop, with other vehicles in the background, hinting at an incredible story reminiscent of Aston Martin Works.

Close-up of a weathered Aston Martin DB5 with peeling blue paint, highlighting a metal "DB 5" badge, part of a round taillight, and chrome bumper—an authentic classic seen at Aston Martin Works.

Close-up of a worn Aston Martin DB5 emblem on a car hood with peeling blue and white paint, capturing the vintage charm of this rare DB5.

Close-up of the hood and grille of a rare DB5 with peeling paint, rust, and the Aston Martin emblem visible—each mark tells an incredible story of its journey from Aston Martin Works.

Close-up of a weathered car badge reading "DB5" on a rusted, peeling blue vehicle surface—a glimpse at a rare DB5 once crafted by Aston Martin Works.

Rusty and deteriorated engine exposed in the hood of an old, weathered classic car, with peeling paint and corroded metal parts—this rare DB5 holds an incredible story beneath its worn exterior.

The image shows the worn and dirty backseat of a rare old car, possibly an Aston Martin Works DB5, with torn upholstery, exposed seatbelts, and visible signs of age and neglect.

The interior of this rare DB5 reveals an old, heavily rusted car with torn seats, loose wires, and significant decay on the dashboard and floor—a true restoration project for Aston Martin Works.

Open glove compartment of an old car, filled with leaves, debris, and papers; dashboard controls and buttons visible nearby—like uncovering an incredible story behind a rare DB5 at Aston Martin Works.

Close-up of a dusty, old Aston Martin DB5 steering wheel and dashboard with visible cobwebs and worn surfaces—capturing the vintage charm of this rare DB5.

The interior of a rare car, possibly an Aston Martin DB5, shows worn leather seats, a damaged dashboard, and visible rust and mold.

A heavily rusted and corroded Aston Martin DB5 engine with visible damage and debris in the engine bay, once a prized example from Aston Martin Works.

Close-up of a car interior showing torn and deteriorated upholstery, with exposed foam and wood beneath the damaged seat covering—an incredible story behind this rare DB5 awaits at Aston Martin Works.

In late 2022 he delivered the car to Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, England the same place that built it almost six decades ago. Sending it back to its birthplace made sense. The DB5’s timeless shape came from renowned Italian coachbuilder, Carrozzeria Touring of Milan. Their Superleggera method created a light steel framework wrapped in hand formed aluminum panels and the result gave the DB5 its balanced proportions and clean surfacing, continuing to inspire Marek Reichman’s latest creations and modern Astons.

The Works team had their work cut out in bringing this car back to life. They rebuilt the chassis, and renewed the Superleggera frame, reshaped every aluminum panel by hand, retrimmed the interior, and preserved original seat frames and the repaired gauge binnacle to retain character. After three years and 2,500 man hours, the team revived what is considered one of the coolest cars of all time. It was their combined experience that made this possible, leaving John teary-eyed when the car was finally revealed to him.

Three people stand and smile near a covered car, possibly a rare DB5, inside a building with brick walls and large windows; an Aston Martin Works 70th anniversary sign is visible.

A close-up view of a classic Aston Martin DB5’s engine bay, showcasing an inline-six engine with polished metal components and visible fuel lines, surrounded by a silver-painted chassis.

A man stands next to a classic silver Aston Martin DB5—revived by Aston Martin Works after a 50 year wait—its KPJ 86C license plate hinting at an incredible story, all set in a spacious room with brick walls and large windows.

Classic car interior featuring a wooden steering wheel, manual gear stick, analog gauges, and black leather seats—evoking the timeless elegance of a rare car like the iconic Aston Martin DB5.

A restored DB5 example with this specification would be in order at up to £1 million, roughly $1.26 million, placing it amongst the most expensive Aston Martins, with screen accurate DB5s fetching considerably more. When it receives a full factory restoration at Newport Pagnell, the market views it the same way it views a Ferrari with Classiche certification or a Lamborghini rebuilt under Polo Storico. These factory-backed programs confirm authenticity, preserve originality, and document every stage of the work. That level of verification strengthens long-term value and reduces risk for collectors.

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