Sir Paul McCartney\u2019s 1964 Aston Martin DB5 and Ringo Starr\u2019s 1966 Austin Mini Cooper S will both be crossing the block at Bonhams\u2019 December 2 Bond Street Sale in London.<\/p>\n
McCartney\u2019s Aston, chassis number 1653\/R (above, photo courtesy of Bonhams), was completed at Newport Pagnell on July 3, 1964, and delivered on September 22 to Bryce, Hamer & Isherwood, Sir Paul’s accountants at the time. Ordered by McCartney prior to his departure for the Beatles’ world tour in the summer of 1964, the DB5 was subsequently registered in the musician’s name, and Paul greatly enjoyed driving it over the following six years. Accompanying paperwork shows the sale price was \u00a33,800 10s 0d plus Purchase Tax of \u00a3793 6s 8d.<\/p>\n
The BMIHT certificate on file confirms that the first recorded purchaser was Paul McCartney, while showing that the Aston was originally finished in Sierra Blue with black interior. It was fitted as standard with a ZF five-speed gearbox, and a long list of other desirable factory options.<\/p>\n
Though Paul McCartney later owned an Aston Martin DB6, which has enjoyed extensive media coverage, this lesser known DB5 is believed to be the first Aston owned by the musician. He ordered it at a particularly important career juncture, just weeks after the Beatles\u2019 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show<\/em> and the completion of filming\u00a0A Hard Day’s Night<\/em>, their first film.<\/p>\n The car enjoyed excellent care and feeding with subsequent owners \u2014 its current ownership family has had it for 40 years \u2014 and comes to auction in truly immaculate condition, with copy guarantee form, a V5C registration document; current MoT; invoices relating to its recent restoration; and the aforementioned BMIHT certificate. The full story of its life, celebrity owners and restoration is also detailed in a beautifully presented full-color 141-page book, a copy of which accompanies the car.<\/p>\n Ringo\u2019s Cooper S boasts features such as a hatchback conversion by coachbuilder Harold Radford that was offered as an option on his company\u2019s up-market Mini de Ville GT, introduced in October 1965. Ringo\u2019s rationale was that he needed the extra access for his drum kit. Ringo\u2019s Mini was purchased new by band manager Brian Epstein’s company, to which it was first registered in May 1966. Registration passed to Richard Starkey (Ringo’s actual name) on June 15, 1967, and he kept the car until selling it in December 1968. Nothing is known of its subsequent history until 1977, when it was purchased by the current owner’s father.<\/p>\n