It can happen to the best of us. We work hard to get our dream car, enjoy it for a while, but then life happens, and other things take priority, while the formerly prized possession gets neglected. That’s what happened to a man from Mold, Flintshire (which is the most British name for a town ever) named John Williams, except his car wasn’t a run-of-the-mill Miata, but a 1965 Aston Martin DB5, the car made famous by a certain British secret agent (or was that a British pop singer?) Nearly 50 years after he parked it, Aston Martin Works has completed a three-year restoration that has brought the car back to like-new condition, an impressive accomplishment considering the car’s condition when the restoration began.
Williams bought the car in 1973 for just £900 (about $20,000 today). It was his daily driver for four years, according to Aston Martin. Whether Williams knew it at the time he bought it or not, this car is one of only 39 DB5s equipped with the upgraded Vantage engine with Weber carburetors, right-hand drive, and Silver Birch paint. He parked it in 1977 to take a job in the Middle East, and it has sat ever since. Its condition deteriorated significantly over the years, not helped by the neighborhood kids playing on top of it. Williams got several offers to buy it over the years, but always declined, probably saying the classy British equivalent of, “No lowballers, I know what I’ve got.”
Better than new
In 2022, Williams decided to finally get the car restored and took it to Aston Martin Works to do the job properly. The paint had deteriorated badly, flaking off in places. The interior was also in disrepair, with cobwebs, mouse nests, and damage from rodents harvesting nesting materials from the seats. Still, after three years, 2,500 hours of work, and over $500,000 invested, the restoration is complete, and Williams is thrilled with the result. According to Paul Spires, President of Aston Martin Works:
“While it might be uncouth to speculate on values for the car I think it’s reasonable to suppose that if it ever were to be offered to the market once more, and bearing in mind its specification and provenance, a value of up to £1m would be in order.”
That’s about $1.3 million American dollars. In comparison, Sean Connery’s personal DB5 sold for a bit more than that, while original movie cars sell for over $4 million these days. John Williams’ significant investment in this car would pay off handsomely if he decided to sell it. Instead, however, he seems thrilled just to be driving it again.
“It’s probably almost 50 years since I have driven this car, but the experience is phenomenal. It’s just… unbelievable. My girl’s back and up and running! Back to her former glory.”
That sounds like a genuine enthusiast thrilled about his project’s completion, not an investment firm satisfied that it will soon see a profit on its venture.
