Newscasts - A £900 'James Bond' Aston Martin is restored to £1m dream motor
01/12/2025 14:49
Click the following link to watch video: https://share.newscasts.refinitiv.com/link?entryId=1_s6vf4yrh&referenceId=tag:reuters.com,2025:newsml_RW634701122025RP1_930&pageId=Newscasts Source: 'Reuters - Business videos' Description: Aston Martin owner John Williams finally saw his Vantage DB5, known as the iconic James Bond car, restored to a dream motor over half a century after he bought it - and 40 years since he gave it a spin. Fiona Jones reports. Short Link: https://lseg.group/48tc3OL Video Transcript: For John Williams, this is the moment a lifelong dream came true, driving his newly restored Aston Martin half a century after buying it for around $1,000. Williams fell in love with Aston Martins as a boy, after getting one as a toy. At 19, working as a tractor driver and road gritter in North Wales, he saved up and bought one. And it wasn't just any Aston Martin, but a super rare Vantage DB5, best known as James Bond's car. But without a place to store it or resources to keep it in good repair, the iconic motor deteriorated. Family and responsibilities happened, and I'm afraid it stayed on the driveway for about 40 years in disrepair. His wife, Sue, said children in the neighborhood would use it as a climbing frame. One was jumping on the roof, thinking, does it work? Because he's seen the Bond film, and they thought it was going to come off, and one balanced on the exhaust pipe and broke it off, but it was tatty anyway. Oh, one. Look at that. The pair saved up to have the car restored by Aston Martin Works, the classic car restoration and servicing arm of the esteemed car manufacturer. It was no small job, taking the company four years and with a technician saying at the time that the Titanic was probably in better condition. Paul Spires is president of Aston Martin Works. It's a bit of a unicorn. It ticks the box for so many owners. It's a Vantage, which is super rare. It's Silver Birch, the Bond color. The story and the provenance of the Williams, the passion, the dedication has gone into restoring the car. It's worth probably up to GBP1 million to someone that really understands the essence of what this car is all about. But Williams says he has no plans to sell it, or at least not yet. Oh, the experience is phenomenal. It's just that, that's unbelievable. My girl is back and up and running.