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A company car for 007
We set the time machine's gear lever to 1963 and experience the birth of a legend in Frankfurt.
A company car for 007
The year was 1963. Aston Martin was riding a wave of popularity and the DB4 had been selling consistently well since its introduction in 1958 as a completely new car for the brand. Nevertheless, the British are coming up with a successor in order to stand up to the strong competition from luxury sports car manufacturers at home and abroad. The newcomer DB5 has numerous changes in design, technology and equipment compared to its predecessor. Under the hood there is now a 3.7-liter in-line six-cylinder with two camshafts, which produces an impressive 282 hp for the time. In the short production period of just two years, 887 sedans, 123 convertibles and 12 custom-made shooting brakes are produced at Aston Martin's factory and headquarters in Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire. Even by the standards of the time, these numbers are minuscule, as in 1963 a total of over 1.8 million cars were manufactured in Great Britain.
The fact that the DB5 was chosen as the company car for secret agent 007 is thanks to the decision of the filmmakers from EON Productions. The sports car, which was spectacularly staged in several episodes of the secret agent, is now one of the most sought-after models among collectors of automotive treasures. 007 is by no means the only star to get behind the wheel of the iconic Aston Martin. Famous DB5 owners of the 1960s include the Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison as well as Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. Star comedian Peter Sellers also drives a DB5, as do numerous other celebrities after him such as Robert Plant, Jay Kay, Elle McPherson and Ralph Lauren. This means both the sedan and convertible versions of the car remain in the spotlight. For manufacturer Aston Martin, the popularity of the DB5 was the best springboard for further success. Today the former British sports car manufacturer is a global manufacturer of luxury automobiles. The youngest member of the venerable DB family is called DB12 and bears the label “world’s first super tourer”.