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Iconic vehicle cost just £900 when owner purchased it in 1973
Neil LancefieldWednesday 03 December 2025 16:08 GMTComments
CloseAston Martin stunt car from James Bond film No Time To Die expected to fetch up to £2m
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A dilapidated Aston Martin DB5, bought for just £900 in the 1970s and left to rot, has been meticulously restored and is now valued at an astonishing £1 million, a remarkable transformation for Welshman John Williams’s iconic James Bond-style sports car.
Mr Williams, a welder and garage owner, was just 19 when he saved diligently to acquire the classic vehicle for £900 in 1973.
He used it regularly for four years before a job in the Middle East led him to mothball it on his driveway in 1977.
The DB5 holds a special place in automotive history, largely due to its 007 film roles, with Mr Williams’s car even sharing the famous Silver Birch paintwork.
open image in galleryThe Aston Martin DB5 is famous from the James Bond movies (Chris Jackson/PA) (PA Archive)Time and neglect took their toll. The once-magnificent machine became so rundown that local children played on it, with one even snapping the exhaust pipe.
Mr Williams admitted he was "a bit ashamed that I’d let her get into that state" and vowed to bring it back to life, stating it "became a goal of mine to get her restored."
His ambition came to fruition in late 2022 when he entrusted the car to Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, for a three-year full restoration.
The painstaking effort paid off. Upon seeing his beloved car returned to its pristine condition, Mr Williams expressed immense satisfaction.
"It’s been a long time coming, a long time saving, but it’s been worth every penny," he remarked. Driving it again after nearly 50 years, he found the experience "phenomenal" and "unbelievable," adding, "My girl’s back and up and running. Back to her former glory."
open image in galleryJohn Williams with his restored DB5 (Aston Martin/PA))Paul Spires, president of Aston Martin Works, lauded the team’s dedication. "Although the car was in a profoundly run-down condition when it arrived, we always relish a challenge and I knew we have the skills, dedication and expertise to return the car to a better-than-new condition," he stated.
After more than 2,500 hours of dedicated work, Spires believes the car is "absolutely stunning." He speculated on its market value, suggesting "a value of up to £1 million would be in order," given its specification and provenance. Only 1,022 of the cars were produced between 1963 and 1965.
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