Mold man reunited with his restored Aston Martin DB5
A Mold man has been reunited with his 1965 Aston Martin DB5 more than five decades after he bought the car for £985 as a teenager.
Welder and garage owner John Williams was just 19 when he travelled from Flintshire to London in 1973 to buy the second-hand DB5.
He used it as his everyday car for several years, but when he moved abroad for work in the late 1970s the vehicle was left standing on his driveway in Mold.
Over time the DB5 fell into serious disrepair.
Local children would climb on the car while it sat unused.
Despite this, Mr Williams held onto it, turning down several offers to sell.
He said his wife Sue would often remind him that he would never find another one if he let it go.
He eventually saved enough to have the car professionally restored.
The three-year project, carried out by Aston Martin Works in Buckinghamshire, cost around £400,000.
When engineers began work they found a mouse nest inside the vehicle before starting a full bare-metal rebuild involving about 2,500 hours of labour.
The restoration began in 2022. Mr and Mrs Williams travelled regularly to Newport Pagnell to see the car being stripped back to its chassis and rebuilt panel by panel.
The DB5 has now been returned to its original condition, including its Silver Birch paintwork and Vantage engine.
Only 39 right-hand drive DB5 saloons were originally built with this specification, making Mr Williams’ car a particularly rare example.
The same model became widely known through its appearance in the early James Bond films, which added to its status as one of the most recognisable British sports cars.
Aston Martin Works said similar restorations have been valued at up to £1 million.
On seeing the completed car, John Williams said: “Well, it’s been a long time coming, a long time saving, but it’s been worth every penny. It’s just amazing. It’s probably almost 50 years since I have driven this car, but the experience is phenomenal. My girl’s back and up and running. Back to her former glory.”
Paul Spires, President of Aston Martin Works, said: “This really is a lovely story. We’re delighted that Mr and Mrs Williams brought the car back to the place where it was built for us to restore.”
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