After crossing the block in Monterey, this British beauty rolled away victorious.
While not the most expensive Aston Martin to be auctioned during Monterey Car Week, this 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake was able to surpass high estimates of $1.4 million, going for $1.765 million. Of course, this vehicle is incredibly rare, so accurately predicting what it would go for at auction is a difficult proposition.
The shooting brake as famously created at the demands of David Brown, who was frustrated his hunting dog was chewing on his DB5’s leather seats. Using the DB5 chassis, his team of engineers requested something which was both utilitarian and elegant. Several other customers caught wind of Brown’s special vehicle and requested one as well. Brown tapped Harold Radford of Radford Shooting Brakes to make 12, thanks to the Aston Martin factory being unable to accommodate the requests. A mere 4 were created with a left-hand-drive configuration like this one, making them exceptionally rare.
This particular model, Chassis DB5/2273/L, comes with folding rear seats, so expanding the cargo room is an option. It was purchased by Rainer Heumann of Switzerland, who drove it every day for 30 years. He optioned for many extras like two seatbelts, a detachable front passenger headrest, a power-operated radio aerial, and his initials inscribed on both doors. In the 1980s the man had it repainted Cumberland Gray.
When the second owner, who was also Swiss, purchased the car in 2003 he had it completely restored. The work was carried out by Aston Engineering, which upgraded the engine for its 4.2-liter specification and replaced the automatic transmission with a five-speed ZF manual. Aston Engineering also finished the body in Grigio Quartz and reinforced the roof structure. Taillights like what David Brown’s shooting brake had were swapped into the vehicle.
While the front end of the Shooting Brake looks like a regular Aston Martin DB5, from the windshield back it’s a completely different design. Among the striking details is a single-piece hatch.
Images credit: RM Sotheby's
