While the Aston Martin DB5 Saloon achieved worldwide fame through its association with a certain British man of mystery, the model’s more exclusive and desirable expression was reserved for a far more select clientele. Conceived for discerning owners in sunnier climates, the DB5 Convertible combined the elegance and performance of the closed DB5 with enhanced luxury, exceptional rarity, and the unique pleasures of open-air grand touring.

The convertible retained all the saloon’s mechanical strengths, most notably its 4.0-liter straight six-cylinder engine fitted with triple SU HD8 carburetors, which delivered approximately 283 horsepower and enabled a top speed exceeding 140 mph. Unlike the saloon, however, the convertible was equipped with a more comprehensive array of standard features, including a five-speed ZF transmission, power windows, reclining seats, chrome wire wheels, and expansive Connolly leather trim.

The absence of a fixed roof lends Carrozzeria Touring’s celebrated Superleggera design an even greater sense of elegance and visual lightness. Delicate chrome accents, restrained proportions, and gracefully sculpted rear haunches combine to create a silhouette that appears poised even at rest. With the roof lowered, the experience becomes immersive—the mechanical note of the straight-six, unfiltered through the open air, transforms every journey into an event.

While nearly a thousand saloons were constructed, just 123 convertibles were produced, elevating it from mere derivative to a true connoisseur’s choice and ensuring that today it remains one of the rarest and most coveted British cars of any type.

The exceptional DB5 Convertible offered here is especially desirable as one of 85 right-hand-drive examples built for the British home market. According to a history report on file from the British Motor Industry Heritage Trust, chassis 1297 was dispatched from Aston Martin’s Newport Pagnell works on 15 May 1964 and delivered directly to Watling Tool & Gauge Company in Markyate, Bedfordshire. Originally finished in Goodwood Green over Fawn upholstery with a matching Fawn convertible top, the car was factory equipped with chrome wire wheels, a Motorola radio with power antenna, Ace Silver Peak number plates, Girling brakes, and a Powr-Lok limited-slip differential.

Soon after its acquisition by the consignor in 2010, the car was entrusted to the highly regarded craftsmen at Steel Wings of Warminster, Pennsylvania, for a comprehensive, body-off restoration that was completed in December 2016. Extensively documented through photographs and invoices, the process involved a complete disassembly down to the Superleggera chassis, followed by a meticulous reconstruction to exacting factory specifications. As part of this effort, significant portions of the bodywork were newly fabricated, with more than $100,000 invested in the restoration and refinement of the coachwork alone.

Converted to left-hand drive prior to its restoration, the car was subsequently restored in that configuration, with every mechanical component receiving the same meticulous level of attention, including its correct-type replacement 4.0-liter engine. Finished in an elegant shade of silver over a richly trimmed red leather interior, the car displayed just 8,108 kilometers (~5,038 miles) since the completion of its restoration at the time of cataloguing.

Evoking sunny Riviera boulevards and leafy English country estates alike, the Aston Martin DB5 Convertible is far more than transportation: It reflects an appreciation for design and an understanding that true luxury lies in subtlety rather than excess. This exquisitely restored example, presented in a striking livery, perfectly captures the elegance and emotional appeal that have made the DB5 Convertible one of the most coveted grand tourers of all time.