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1963

Aston Martin DB5

The most famous car in the world, thanks to one secret agent.

ADB 5A
Aston Martin DB5
Photo: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The story

The DB5 was a DB4 with a bigger engine and more comforts, its aluminium panels laid over a web of thin steel tubes in the Italian Superleggera way. Then Sean Connery drove one in Goldfinger in 1964 and it became a legend overnight.

Inside

Connolly leather, Wilton carpet, electric windows and a hooded binnacle full of Smiths dials. It was a hand-built car for crossing continents, not a racer.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Silver Birch
Did you know?

It cost roughly the price of a decent house in 1963.

On screen

Goldfinger Film, 1964
James Bond's silver DB5, with machine guns, revolving number plates and an ejector seat. It has returned in several Bond films since.

Meanwhile, in 1963

The Great Train Robbery made headlines, Beatlemania took hold and Doctor Who began.

Best-selling single of 1963: She Loves You by The Beatles

Buying and running

Before you buy a 1960s car

  • Check the sills, floorpans, wheel arches and the bottom of the doors for rust.
  • Ask for any old MOT certificates, service records and bills.
  • Parts for popular cars are often available from specialists, but trim and body panels can be hard to find.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.

Flat out 020406080100120140160 MPH
145 mph
First builtAutumn 1963
Age today63 years since launch
Built atNewport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire
On sale1963–1965
Years in production2 years
Number madeJust over 1,000
Kerb weight1,470 kg (approx.)
Fuel economy17 mpg combined (approx.)
Engine4.0-litre straight-six, triple SU carburettors
Power282 bhp
Top speed145 mph
Speed rankingJoint 40th fastest of 164
0–60 mph8 seconds
Price when new£4,175
In today's moneyAbout £113,000
Designed byCarrozzeria Touring, Milan

Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.