A 1960s James Bond-style Aston Martin DB5 – once so dilapidated that local children played on it – has been painstakingly restored and is now valued at £1 million.
John Williams, 71, from Mold, Flintshire, purchased the car second-hand in 1973 for £985, the equivalent of around £15,000 today. The iconic vehicle, featured in the films Goldfinger and Thunderball, was last driven by Mr Williams in his twenties before being left to rust on his driveway.
Mr Williams invested £400,000 in a three-year restoration at Aston Martin’s Buckinghamshire works, where experts had to first remove a mouse nest before undertaking 2,500 hours of repairs.
He first fell in love with Aston Martins at the age of eight when he was given a toy car. By 19, he had saved enough to buy one he had spotted in a motoring magazine. However, after securing a job in the Middle East at the end of the 1970s, the DB5 went into storage and later sat on the drive, exposed to the elements – and curious children.
“The neighbours’ kids used to bounce on the bonnet and we used to tell them off,” recalled his wife, Susan. “And then one was jumping on the roof thinking, ‘does it work?’ because he’d seen the Bond film and thought it was going to come up.”
Saved and Sacrificed
Only 1,022 DB5s were produced between 1963 and 1965. Their fame was cemented when James Bond, played by Sean Connery, drove one complete with an ejector seat and revolving number plates.
The silver birch grey DB5 Vantage owned by Mr Williams is one of just 39 such models in existence. Even in its rusting, undriveable condition, Aston Martin valued the car at £500,000, tempting the couple to consider selling it. They received multiple offers.
Susan said: “Money comes into it and reality, and sitting at the kitchen table he said ‘what do you think?’ And I said, ‘well, you’ll never get another one’. So he said, ‘no, we’re keeping her’.”
The decision to restore the car led the couple to “save and sacrifice” over three years to bring it back to life. After removing the mouse nest, technicians replaced countless parts and painstakingly restored the original paintwork. The Williamses made regular visits to the Newport Pagnell workshop to monitor progress. The finished result has been valued at £1 million.
Aston Martin historian Steve Waddingham said: “It would almost be easier to build a brand new car, but to actually repair and put new sections into a very heavily corroded car like this one took an awful lot of skill and patience.” He added: “It’s such an overwhelming car to be in the presence of – the smell of it, the feel of it, the noise it makes. They are very special and you cannot get out of your mind those various famous film scenes.”
After taking his first drive in the car in more than 45 years, John said: “It must be better now than it was when it came out of the factory originally. It was mind-blowing. I wish they could do a number on me to make me look 27 again. I definitely feel 27 today.”
Susan, who had only previously sat in the car while it was being towed from storage, enjoyed her first proper ride with John at the wheel. She said: “The sound of her was wonderful. And then when we were going a bit faster I thought, ‘Yeah, go a bit faster. Let’s see what she can do’.”
Although John has achieved his lifelong ambition, he does not intend to drive the car frequently. “You’re limited to where you can take it and leave it. And the weather affects it. I don’t want to be taking it through big puddles of water, and I’ve neglected it once. I’m not going to do that again,” he said.
