Aston Martin DB5 enters production (again!)

By: Alex Affat, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 02.06.2020

You can buy a brand spanking new Aston Martin DB5 in 2020, but it won't come cheap

Late in 2018, Aston Martin announced their intention to build 25 brand new DB5s, and now - after over 50 years since the last one rolled off the line – they’ve rebooted production at the Newport Pagnell Aston Martin Works factory.

‘Continuation’ cars have been gaining steam over the past few years, as manufacturers such as Jaguar and Shelby increasingly realise the value of their back-catalogues; and choose to produce new-old cars with continuing and correct serial numbers and exacting classic manufacturing techniques.

Aston Martin can be seen as one of the pioneers, having already produced 25 continuation DB4 GT Lightweights, 54 years after production ended and increasing the production pool by 25%. They sold out immediately to the tune of AU$2.7 million each, and they’re not even road legal.

The Goldfinger DB5 Continuation project is their latest batch of modern classics, which takes an estimated 4,500 hours to complete, with virtually every piece and component especially made for the bespoke run of new old Astons.

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Faithful to the original cars, a 4.0lt naturally-aspirated inline-six takes pride of place under the bonnet backed by a five-speed ZF gearbox and mechanical LSD.

Aston Martin Heritage Programme Manager, Clive Wilson, stated: "we have not, as a business, made a new DB5 for more than 50 years, so to be involved in the building of these cars, which will go on to form part of Aston Martin’s history, is something I’m sure all of us will be telling our grandkids about!".

Of course, being a Goldfinger car Aston Martin have enlisted EON Production’s award-winning special effects wizard Chris Corbould in helping to integrate a number of 007’s famous gadgets into each of the 25 continuations.

Each car will be fitted with revolving licence plates, a rear smoke screen, simulated oil slick system, bullet-proof rear shield and replica machine guns. Inside the cabin sees a simulated radar screen, gear knob actuator button, under-seat weapons/storage tray and even an optional ejector seat – though perhaps for obvious reasons, the 25 cars aren’t road legal.

Corbould – who supervised on eight different Bond films - spoke of the feat, saying: "the main challenge has been to recreate the gadgets of the film world and transfer them into a consumer product. We have licence in the film world to ‘cheat’ different aspects under controlled conditions".

"For instance, we might have four different cars to accommodate four different gadgets. We obviously don’t have that luxury on these DB5s a all the gadgets have to work in the same car all the time".

In a neat piece of historical continuity; each of the 25 Goldfinger DB5 continuations will roll off the same Newport Pagnell production line that the original 898 DB5s did back in 1965.

Each car will be finished in Bond’s iconic Silver Berch paint over black leather interior, and will command a portly £2.75 million each – or roughly AU$5 million converted.

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