VINTAGE: Paul McCartney's Aston Martin Sells, But It Misses The ...

VINTAGE: Paul McCartney?s Aston Martin Sells, But It Misses The Celebrity Boost

The 1964 DB5 coupe once owned and driven by the former Beatle is auctioned in London for a solid but not-exceptional $490,460.

What seemed like a perfect storm of celebrity provenance, James Bond movie frenzy and the rapidly rising prices of Aston Martins in general turned into a fairly routine sale for Paul McCartney?s DB5 at RM Auctions? recent London sale.

While still drawing a respectable ?307,000 ($490,460), the freshly restored 1964 coupe that once belonged to the former Beatle did not reach the lofty celebrity-fueled heights of, say, anything once owned by Steve McQueen.

The DB5 has the options originally ordered by McCartney, including a 45-rpm-record player. (Photo: AM Auctions) The Aston Martin exceeded RM?s pre-auction estimate of ?300,000, but the McCartney connection apparently failed to ignite the red mist of over-the-top bidding that can occur when a famous name is connected with a great car at auction.

According to the Sports Car Market price guide, the current auction value for a 1964 DB5 coupe ranges from $375,000 to $675,000.

McCartney bought the DB5 new in 1964 before the Beatles set out for their first world tour, famously marked by the incessant screaming adulation of teenage female fans. The young Beatle had the car outfitted with such options as leather interior with musical-note stitching, and chrome wire wheels.

He also upgraded the audio system with a high-end Motorola radio and a record player for 45s, which supposedly could play them while the car was in motion.

Another Aston Martin at the RM sale did hit the heights; a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 convertible with a connection to the James Bond film Goldfinger sold for $1.01 million. Besides its quasi-celebrity status, the car has very low mileage and is outfitted with its original five-speed ZF manual transmission.

The top-selling car at the RM Auction was a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta Tour de France that reached $3.14 million. Overall, the sale held last week totaled $23 million.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at

Source: http://automotive.speedtv.com/article/vintage-paul-mccartneys-db5-sells-but-it-misses-the-lift-of-celebrity-statu/

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