From rock stars to royalty, the Aston Martin DB5 has gathered numerous notable owners throughout its 60 year history, seven of which we have listed - together with their precious vehicles.
001: Paul McCartney
He's got a ticket to ride.
Paul McCartney ordered his DB5 prior to his departure for The Beatles world tour in the summer of 1964. The vehicle was delivered on September 22nd that year... just five days after the release of "Goldfinger", in which James Bond's Aston became the most famous car in the world.
The DB5 following a Silver Birch repaint (Photo: Bonhams)
McCartney's Aston was originally finished in Sierra Blue with optional extras including a Philips Auto-Mignon record player, and the price was £3,800 10s 0d plus Purchase Tax of £793 6s 8d. The vehicle went through a series of owners and extensive restoration work before being sold by Bonhams for £1,345,500.00 in December 2017.
002: George Harrison
Harrison was not to be outdone by McCartney.
Undoubtedly impressed by Paul McCartney's new Aston, fellow Beatle George Harrison acquired a DB5 on January 1st 1965. The original colour was Platinum Silver, but Harrison had the car repainted in white a couple of years later, to match his beloved Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman.
And I say, it's all white.
Harrison's DB5 was eventually returned to its original colour and sold at the Coys "True Greats" auction in London on December 7th 2011, fetching £350,000.00 from a Beatles fan in Houston who wished to remain anonymous... and just in case you were wondering - baby, you can't drive his car.
003: Robert Plant
Robert Plant finds his stairway to heaven.
In the early 1970s, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant bought a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 from the original owner. He kept the car until 1986 when it was sold to father and son enthusiasts who commissioned Aston Martin agents Chapman Spooner to restore the vehicle.
Plant's DB5 in its original colour. (Photo: Nicholas Mee)
On this occasion, the restoration did not include a repaint in silver livery, and the car retained its original colour of Dubonnet Rosso, which looks very handsome... and sounds rather exotic. The car was sold by Aston specialists Nicholas Mee in 2018 for an undisclosed sum.
004: Jay Kay
Jay Kay's DB5 with appropriate plate.
Continuing the succession of DB5 ownership by British rock aristocrats, it will be no surprise to see Jamiroquai founder Jay Kay's name added to the list. The 1964 model he acquired in 1994 had originally been delivered in Black Pearl paintwork, but was changed to Fiesta Red some years before Kay's purchase.
Repainting in anything other than Silver Birch is virtual insanity. (Photo: Dylan Miles)
Jay Kay set about restoring and upgrading the car to Vantage spec., employing the services of Andrew Thorogood assisted by marque exponent Ian Mason (no relation). The vehicle also underwent another colour change - to Silver Birch - before being sold in 2005.
005: Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson goes topless.
DB5 ownership is not restricted to male rock stars. Supermodel Elle Macpherson knows something that is stylish, sophisticated and sexy when she sees it, and the DB5 convertible ticks all of the boxes.
A rare beauty.
The production numbers for the Aston Martin DB5, manufactured between 1963-1965, total just over 1,000 vehicles, of which only 123 were made available in convertible form, and a mere 19 of those produced as left-hand drive. Adding rarity to beauty is undoubtedly a winning combination.
006: Lord Snowdon
The Earl in Caribbean Pearl.
The above image certainly captures sixties style. The Earl of Snowdon, society photographer married to HRH Princess Margaret, had long coveted the Caribbean Pearl DB5 convertible purchased new by his friend Peter Sellers in 1964. In the late 60s, Snowden persuaded Sellers to part with the vehicle.
Even prettier in colour. (Photo: Bonhams)
In November 1985 Lord Snowdon passed the Aston on to his son as a 25th birthday present. Viscount Linley, now the 2nd Earl of Snowdon, has many vivid memories of the car, in particular its tendency to overheat. However, after more than 30 years of family ownership, the DB5 was sold by the 2nd Earl, as "the pain and pleasure of owning a classic vehicle mounted up". He has regretted selling the DB5 since he parted with it in 1999.
007: Sean Connery
The perfect partnership.
If anyone could be held accountable for the infatuation that so many of us have had with the Aston Martin DB5, it is undoubtedly the world's favourite secret agent, James Bond, and in particular the actor who created the blueprint for the cinematic character, Sean Connery.
Connery's Car. (Photo: Broad Arrow Auctions)
In 2018, more than half a century after the duo had made their collaborative debut on the silver screen, Connery finally acquired his very own DB5. The Snow Shadow Grey Aston was sold at the Monterey Jet Center Auction on August 18, 2022, for $2,425,000.00.