MODEL HISTORY
The Aston Martin DB5 is one of the most instantly recognisable cars ever built thanks to its iconic role in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, but backing up that film-star charisma is an enduring blend of Italian styling and British engineering.
When the DB4 had been launched in 1958, it marked the beginning of a new era thanks to a body shape that had been designed by Touring of Milan - from which Aston Martin also licensed the Superleggera method of lightweight construction. Touring's crisp, clean shape was fitted around a new six-cylinder engine that had been designed by Tadek Marek.
Regularly updated throughout its production run, the DB4 was eventually replaced by the DB5 at the 1963 Frankfurt Motor Show. For this latest model, the engine was bored-out from 3670cc to 3995cc, and very early in production a five-speed gearbox replaced the old four-speeder - there was also the option of a three-speed Borg Warner automatic.
On the standard triple SU carburettors, power output from the twin-cam straight-six was 282bhp, with the Vantage model kicking out 314bhp on triple Webers. Braking was via servo-assisted Girling discs all round, rather than the Dunlop system that the standard DB4 had used.
When The Motor tested a DB5, it recorded a top speed of 145mph, making it one of the fastest production cars of its time. The magazine recorded a 0-60mph time of 7.1 seconds and noted that it 'cruises to 100mph with absurd ease and quietness [and] can be guided through fast corners with great accuracy'.
In 1965, this now-legendary model was replaced by the extended-wheelbase DB6 after just over 1000 had been built. Nearly 60 years later, it remains one of the most desirable and coveted cars ever made.
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