Wrecked James Bond car now worth £1m after years of painstaking restoration
A dilapidated Aston Martin DB5 bought for just £900 and left to rot in the 1970s has been meticulously restored and is now worth a staggering £1 million; It’s a remarkable transformation for Welshman John Williams’ iconic James Bond-style sports car.
Mr Williams, a welder and garage owner, was just 19 when he carefully saved up to buy the classic car for £900 in 1973.
He used it regularly for four years before a job in the Middle East mothballed it in his driveway in 1977.
The DB5 holds a special place in automotive history, largely due to its roles in the 007 movie; in fact, Mr. Williams’ car shares the famous Silver Birch paint finish.
Time and neglect took their toll. The once magnificent machine was so dilapidated that local children played with it, one even breaking the exhaust pipe.
Mr Williams admitted he was “a little embarrassed that I had let him get into this situation” and vowed to bring him back to life, noting that “it has become my goal to get him back to his old self”.
This ambition came to fruition in late 2022 when he entrusted the car to Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, for a full three-year restoration.
Painstaking efforts paid off. Mr. Williams expressed great satisfaction in seeing his beloved car restored to its former condition.
“It’s been a long time coming, it’s been a long time saving, but it’s been worth every penny,” he said. Driving it again nearly 50 years later, he found the experience “extraordinary” and “incredible”, adding: “My daughter is back and running. She’s back to her former glory.”
Paul Spires, president of Aston Martin Works, praised the team’s determination. “Although the car was in an extremely dilapidated state when it arrived, we always enjoy a challenge and I knew we had the skills, dedication and expertise to restore the car to a better than new condition,” he said.
After more than 2,500 hours of dedicated work, Spiers believes the car is “absolutely stunning.” He speculated on its market value, suggesting that “a value of up to £1 million would be appropriate” given its specifications and provenance. Only 1,022 units were produced between 1963 and 1965.
