George Harrison’s DB5 For Sale
Who among us would not want to own a legendary Aston Martin DB5? A car that is identifiable with fictional spy James Bond as well as British automotive culture, these vehicles are prized possessions worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. However, when such a vehicle is owned by The Beatles’ own George Harrison the price as well as popularity skyrockets even higher.
With a total of 1,023 vehicles ever produced, this model is an exquisite example of 1965 Aston Martin engineering. However, those of you who are eagerly taking out your chequebooks will be disappointed to learn that the car sold on Wednesday for £350,000 ($547,400). Certainly no small fee, some lucky collector will certainly enjoy this one of a kind find.
The history of the vehicle is traced directly to George Harrison himself. In fact, he was the one that purchased it brand new on January 1, 1965. Since the Beatles disintegration in 1970 the car spent the majority of its life in a Tokyo museum as well as in the hands of a private collector.
The London based auction house Coy’s said that it was one of their “True Greats” auction event. As such, the vehicle felt right at home next to a Cord 810 Phaeton owned by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and a Mercedes Benz 540K owned by F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone. While they initially estimated its worth between £225,000-£260,000, it certainly surpassed that by a large margin.
Little is known about who won the vehicle but sources suggest that it was purchased by a Beatles fan from Houston, Texas. MSN auto’s suggested that the individual who purchased it plans to use the car in order to benefit Christian charities.
The DB5 is the second Beatles member car to go on sale this year. In fact, in February of this year John Lennon’s 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 coupe managed to turn some heads. A gorgeous car in its own right, the baby blue Ferrari was hand picked by Lennon and continues to be in remarkable condition.
Owning a car of this nature must seem quite exciting. Indeed, it is like stepping into an important part of history. With the owner certainly happy with his or her decision, let us hope that the vehicle is kept in its condition so that future generations can enjoy it.