The Aston Martin DB5 is the ultimate gentleman’s cruiser; it’s perhaps the most iconic Aston Martin, in history; and, without question, it’s the best-known Bond car. Meticulously restored examples or those produced as part of Aston’s DB5 Continuation program can be priced well into the millions of dollars. But even those can’t touch the exclusivity of the ultra-rare shooting brake DB5 — and one of those two-door station wagons is coming up for auction later this month.
The shooting brake DB5 began with a conundrum. David Brown, then the owner of Aston Martin, needed a car that could accommodate his polo gear and his dog. Most would just buy a bigger car, but Brown — the man after whom Aston named its “DB” series of cars — had a coachbuilding company custom-build him a DB5 with extra room.
Aston Martin eventually produced 12 shooting brake versions of the DB5. This one, which ended up in Switzerland as a daily driver, is one of only four built in left-hand-drive form. Subsequent owners performed two specialist restorations on the car. They also swapped in a five-speed manual and upgraded its straight-six engine to an Aston Martin 4.7-liter V8, making it less than period-correct (but likely a little more entertaining to drive).
RM Sotheby’s estimates the DB5 Shooting Brake will fetch $1–$1.4 million at auction. American bidders should note there’s a 2.5-percent import duty, which, given the price range, could add up to the price of a new Honda. Still, no CR-V will ever look nearly as cool toting a couple dogs to the park as this Aston.
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