Dead-original low-miler classic kept under wraps since 1980
Aston Martin DB5 ‘barn find’ for auction
From auction house Bonhams: An original-condition, ‘barn-find’ Aston Martin DB5 Sports Saloon is an early consignment for the annual Bonhams sale of Aston Martin and Lagonda motor cars at the factory’s Works department in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, UK, on Saturday, 18 May.
The 1964 model, with less than 48,000 miles (77,000km) on the clock, is offered from a deceased estate in good condition but in need of restoration. It is estimated to realise AU$220,000-300,000.
The car’s most recent owner, Aston Martin Owner’s Club member David Ettridge, bought it for £1500.
After use in the 1970s, the car has remained parked his garage since 1980.
The engine had not been started since that date, as a result of which evidence of a mouse nest made of shredded newspaper can still be seen in the engine bay.
However, after careful preparation, the car’s engine was fired up after 30 plus years of silence with David Ettridge’s daughters in attendance to witness the momentous occasion.
With fully-restored examples of this type typically selling for upwards of AU$480,000, this car represents a rewarding restoration project for a true Aston Martin enthusiast.
James Knight, Group Motoring Director, said: “The Bonhams Motor Car department has handled the sale of numerous ‘barn-find’ Aston Martins over the past 15 years, but none of them have been in as good condition as this DB5.
“It requires restoration in the true sense of the word, restoring existing original components as opposed to replacing them. There is a growing appreciation of preserving cars to remain as original as possible, and this is an ideal candidate.
“The car returns to Newport Pagnell and will be offered for sale where it was originally built. There can be no greater satisfaction for the true enthusiast than restoring a once-great motor car to its former glory, and we hope the new owner of this time-warp will preserve as much of its original integrity as possible.”