Beschreibung:

Photo Credit: James Mann Formerly the Property of His Majesty King Hussein of Jordan 1964 ASTON MARTIN DB5 CONVERTIBLE WITH FACTORY HARDTOP Chassis No. DB5C/1290/L Engine No. 400/1497 Red with tan leather upholstery and fawn soft top Engine: six cylinder, in-line, twin overhead camshafts, 3,995cc, 282bhp at 5,500rpm; Gearbox: five-speed manual; Suspension: coil spring, independent at front; Brakes: four wheel disc. Left hand drive. The acquisition of Aston Martin along with Lagonda in the late 1940s by David Brown brought new security to the two companies. It also gave Aston Martin access to W.O. Bentley's splendid twin cam engine, a layout favored on all subsequent six cylinder cars. The DB5 was announced in 1963 as a logical follow-up to the DB4. The DB4 engine was bored out to 96mm that produced a 3,995cc displacement, and on an 8.9:1 compression ratio with three 2 inch SU carburetors, 282bhp was produced at 5,500rpm. A five speed ZF gearbox was an option that became standard fairly early on in production. Other improvements over the DB4 series five were an alternator, a handbrake light which also served as a brake fluid level warning light, Sundym glass and Girling tandem master brake cylinders with dual brake servos. Acceleration figures remained superb. The Motor reported 0-60mph in 7.1 seconds and a maximum speed of 145mph. Even though the DB5 was 250 pounds heavier than the DB4, the car retained the fine handling characteristics. This unique Aston Martin DB5 was originally custom ordered by King Hussein of Jordan who made two visits to the Newport Pagnell Factory, one to order the car and the second to "progress chase" the manufacturer. It was shipped to Jordan, hence the left-hand drive, and included such particulars as a Radiomobile 530 TB short/medium wave radio (still in the car) with twin speakers, the five-speed transmission and the factory-made detachable hard top. The latter is extremely rare. The third owner kept the Aston for twenty-four years; by chance he had met a young man who knew and had worked on this car while an employee at King Hussein's stables in Amman, Jordan. He explained the mystery of the custom-fitted tow bar built inside the curvature of the rear bumper. Apparently, King Hussein used to tow a boat down to the water and either while putting the boat into the water or while taking it out, he crumpled the right-rear wing of the car. The car was then taken back to Newport Pagnell for repair and was never returned to Jordan, as King Hussein gave it to his English brother-in-law. The factory completely replaced the right rear quarter panel and the welds can be seen inside the trunk (when the lining has been detached), one above the right rear wheel arch and the other weld just to the right of the trunk lock. The present owner purchased the Aston in 1997 for display in his private museum collection. The DB5 has subsequently been repainted to the original bright red, and the interior has also been renewed with tan leather upholstery piped in red with light beige carpeting. A new set of Borrani wire wheels are fitted. Otherwise, this low-mileage 32,000 mile car appears all original. Documents proving the provenance of this exotic car include the factory specification data sheet, the English log book showing registration of the car to His Majesty King Hussein at the Royal Jordanian Embassy in London, and a receipt from His Majesty's Customs and Excise for the Purchase Tax payed on this automobile upon re-entry into England from Jordan. While this DB5 has its own unique royal history, it is worth noting that only 123 convertibles were produced, of which a significant proportion were built in right hand drive form. This remarkable example retaining its original matching numbers comes with the very rare factory hard top.