1965 Aston Martin DB5 Volante Convertible Coupe

Industrialist Sir David Brown (DB) bought the Aston martin firm in 1947 and began the DB series of Aston martin automobiles. He commissioned a new inline 6-cylinder engine that secured a debut victory in the Spa 24-Hour of 1948. The first production car in the DB line was introduced in 1948 as the DB1 with the new engine and advances in chassis and suspension design that were among the most impressive of the era. This helped establish Aston Martin in the arena of refined GT cars of high performance.

Hand crafted aluminum bodies and leather interiors, the DB line was well received, then bolstered by the driving team of Carroll Shelby and Roy Salvadori racing the DBR1 3-liter factory team car to victory in the 1959 24-Hours of LeMans, securing the World Manufacturer's Championship for Aston Martin. The firm then retired from competition to devote attention to road cars, continuing the DB designation.

An improved engine of 4-liter displacement was introduced in the DB5, first show during October of 1963. Variations of the DB engine powered all the production DB models until modern times. The DB5 was so well received that production had to be doubled, largely due to the 'Goldfinger' DB5 of agent 007, James Bond. Among the last of the DB5 models produced, thirty-seven convertibles (Drophead Coupes) were fitted with some DB6 features. The 4-inch longer wheelbase DB6 replaced the DB5/6 making these Volante models among the rarest of the Aston Martin series.