Paul McCartney's Aston Martin DB5 sells for $495K

 by: Jonathon Ramsey

During RM Auctions' Battersea Evolution event in London, Paul McCartney's 1964 Aston Martin DB5 was one of 93 lots on the block. It worked its way just above its pre-sale estimate of £300,000 to £380,000, finally going for £307,000 ($495,000 U.S.) before fees.

Thought to be the first Aston that McCartney owned, he ordered it new just before going on tour in 1964 and kept it for six years and 40,000 miles. Tailored options inside the 280-horsepower Sierra Blue coupe include a Motorola radio, the Philips Auto-Mignon record player that could spin 45s on the go, and a black interior with stitched music-note patterns (of which only a sample remains).

When George Harrison's platinum-colored 1964 DB5 went to auction with Coys in London last year, it fetched a hammer price (the price before fees) of £310,000. On top of that, while McCartney's DB5 met its estimate, Harrison's car exceeded expectations by more than £150,000.

So far, John Lennon is still sitting this battle out. His Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 was expected to go to auction but was pulled before the sale due to "vendor's remorse." And everything pales before a provenance that includes the 'real' James Bond, the lone remaining DB5 from Goldfinger and Thunderball going for $4.6 million.

Aston Martin plant down to three-day work week

By: Jeremy Korzeniewski

Late last year, Aston Martin announced that it would reduce its ranks by some 600 workers to cope with a sales slide of 28% in 2008. Apparently, those cuts, which are now halfway completed, weren't enough to stem the tide of red ink, as Bond's favorite automaker has now said it will place its entire staff of assembly line workers on a work week that starts on Monday and ends on Wednesday. A total of 1,250 individuals now work at the Gaydon, Warwickshire plant, and almost half of those employees will be affected by the three-day work week.

Bentley, another famous British automaker, announced its own production cuts just yesterday. In response to the industry hardships faced by automakers in the U.K., the British government has promised £2.3 billion worth of aid, though we're not yet sure how much will go to smaller companies like Aston Martin.

How not to deliver an Aston Martin

By: Chris Shunk

On the rare occasion that an Aston Martin passes into view, it's impossible not to look. Its exquisite sheet metal has a way of making the world a better place, which is why the picture above is so damn painful. We don't have many details regarding exactly how this gorgeous Aston Martin V8 Vantage ended up at a 45-degree angle, but we're pretty sure that's going to show up on CarFax. A quick look at the blacktop beneath the $120,000 supercar reveals that a piece of the truck's loading equipment simply snapped off, resulting in... well...

Considering that the owner loved this Vantage enough to have it shipped via a covered carrier (and likely waited months for the right to buy it) you get an idea of just how upset he or she is right about now. Actually, looking at the photo, we can see that the gentlemen responsible for unloading the Aston don't look too pleased either.

Aston Martin Vantage 4.3-litre power boost

Following the launch of the new 4.7-litre V8 Vantage, Aston Martin has introduced a retrospective-fit power enhancement and Sports Pack option for owners of the original 4.3-litre Vantage.

The power upgrade will see peak power rise by 15kW to 298kW, with a modest torque increase from 410Nm to 420Nm resulting in a higher top speed of 285km/h and an improved zero to 100km/h time.

The package has been developed by the Aston Martin engineering team and includes a revised induction system using technology previously introduced on the DBS.

The new air intake system has a pair of switching airbox-valves that open at 5,500rpm allowing additional air into the engine producing more power.

Engine calibration has also been revised to optimise ignition timing and improve compatibility with higher octane fuels.

The Sports Pack was first introduced on the 4.7-litre V8 Vantage earlier this year, and is now fitted to half of all vehicles produced - leading Aston Martin to provide the popular option to previous owners to enhance the handling characteristics of the car.

The package comprises uprated springs and Bilstein dampers, and lightweight forged aluminium 5-spoke wheels which help reduce unsprung mass, further improving the precision handling of the V8 Vantage.

Both options are currently available through Aston Martin’s global dealer network.