Aston Martin DB5 Reborn: The Williams Family’s Remarkable Restoration Journey

As a teenager, John Williams set his sights on owning an Aston Martin DB5. After a year of saving and taking every overtime shift he could, he finally gathered enough money to fulfill the dream. In 1973, at just 19 years old, he bought a 1965 DB5 Vantage coupe for £900—about $8,800 in today’s money. But like many youthful sports car ambitions, life soon took over, and the DB5 spent decades untouched. Years later, John and his wife Sue decided it deserved a second chance, entrusting its full restoration to Aston Martin Works at the brand’s historic Newport Pagnell site.

Lawn Ornament Turned Priceless Heirloom

After John bought the Aston, it served as his daily driver until 1977, when a job transfer to the Middle East forced him to put the car in storage. When he eventually returned, the welder and mechanic often considered selling it, but Sue reminded him he’d never be able to find another one like it. Even though the family could have used the money, they held onto the DB5. Over the years, it became a familiar sight in their yard—a fading landmark that proved irresistible to neighborhood kids. They climbed all over it, and one youngster even snapped off the exhaust finisher while trying to balance on it.

As time went on, it became a goal of mine to get her restored; to be able to drive her again. Being a garage man, I was a bit ashamed that I’d let her get into that state. I worked hard to buy her, and we’ve worked hard to get her repaired.

–John Williams, owner of the Aston Martin DB5

ventually, the Williams family decided it was time to return the Aston Martin to the road. In 2022, John and Sue delivered the car to Newport Pagnell—the brand’s former headquarters until its move to Gaydon in 2007. The historic site now houses Aston Martin Works, the division dedicated to parts, service, and restoration of classic models. It was the ideal place for the Williamses to entrust their long-cherished DB5.

A Steady, Three-Year Restoration

When the Aston Martin DB5 arrived at Aston Martin Works, it was in a severely neglected state. Even so, the car’s corrosion-resistant aluminum body panels and Superleggera frame had survived well enough to allow a full restoration using the same period-correct methods employed in Newport Pagnell back in 1965. Throughout the process, John and Sue stayed closely involved, visiting the shop to monitor the car’s transformation.

In 2023, they returned to see the freshly applied Silver Birch paint and newly restored bodywork—a milestone that made the project feel real. “It looks like an Aston Martin now,” John remarked. “It’s great to see all the old ways of building a car have been passed on, and that the younger people here are keeping up the tradition.”

At last, more than three years after handing it over, the Williams family was reunited with their 1965 DB5. After years of planning and saving, John was thrilled to see his beloved car restored to its original splendor. The Aston Martin Works team, meanwhile, took pride in tackling what division president Paul Spires described as a “profoundly run-down” vehicle. “After more than 2,500 hours of dedicated work by our teams in the Panel, Paint, Trim, and Heritage workshops—along with crucial support from our in-house Parts Department—the car is now complete and, to my eye at least, looks absolutely stunning,” Spires said.

Looking back, Sue’s advice not to sell the car—despite the family needing the money—proved remarkably wise. With its desirable specification, including Silver Birch paint, coupe bodywork, right-hand drive, and the uprated Vantage engine, combined with a meticulous nut-and-bolt restoration, the Aston Martin DB5 has transformed from a three-figure purchase made by a 19-year-old laborer into a seven-figure family heirloom. It’s a car that now carries both history and heart, and we hope it remains in the Williams family for generations to come.