Which British company manufactured the classic Aston Martin DB5?

The classic Aston Martin DB5 was manufactured by Aston Martin, the British sports-car company associated with hand-built grand tourers and high-performance automobiles. The DB5 was produced from 1963 to 1965 and assembled at Aston Martin’s Newport Pagnell works in England.

The DB5 evolved from the Aston Martin DB4, retaining its front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout while receiving a larger 4.0-liter inline-six engine and other mechanical improvements. Its “DB” name refers to David Brown, who acquired Aston Martin in 1947 and helped shape the company’s postwar identity. Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera of Italy designed the body using its lightweight Superleggera construction technique.

Many people know the DB5 primarily as James Bond’s car. It appeared in Goldfinger in 1964 and became one of cinema’s most recognizable vehicles. That association sometimes leads to confusion with Jaguar, Bentley, or Rolls-Royce, but none manufactured the DB5. Aston Martin produced roughly 1,059 examples in the original run, including coupé and convertible variants.