This is a new one on me: a fiberglass kit car – in pieces – for an Aston Martin DB5. When you come across a replica of a sought-after sports or classic car that you don’t see every day, something happens: namely, you assume it must be pretty decent since it’s not nearly the same as seeing yet another replica of a Ferrari F40 or a Lamborghini Countach get rolled out by some backwater outfit that let loose with a Beetle chassis and some fiberglass fumes. This Aston kit was supposedly made using the molds from movie car production, at least according to the listing here on Facebook Marketplace.
There’s shockingly little information out there about which company builds a replica of the Aston Martin DB5 using original molds from the movies. That detail from the listing intrigued me, as one of Daniel Craig’s more memorable scenes with the classic DB5 is in the movie, No Time To Die which featured a replica of the classic Aston that was powered by BMW’s impressive S54 engine. However, those cars were actually built by Aston itself, representing a truly impressive commitment on the filmmaker’s part to getting the details right. This car shown above is yet another example of a replica, which was bid to over $175,000 on Bring A Trailer.
Obviously, since the seller is asking $25,000, the car on BaT was not the same as what’s shown here on Facebook. I did find a reference to a kit on the website Kitcarik.com, which provided these photos. This looks a bit dodgy, but it could be a result of the Porsche 996 twist-style wheels in the top two photos. There’s really no useful information on this website, either, or any easy way to discern if that car is the same as what our Facebook seller in Wyoming, PA has up for grabs.
This is the only other photo the seller includes, which is obviously a property finished DB5. The listing notes that the fiberglass kit rides on a BMW Z3 or Z8 chassis, and one of those is far easier to get a hold of than the other. The seller has had this pile of fiberglass for sale for some time, and if it’s a truly sound kit, then it’s a shame no one has snatched it up. DB5s aren’t cheap to buy, and as one of the most beautiful and recognized Astons of all time, it’d be fine with me to see more replicas running around. Does anyone know who makes this fiberglass DB5 kit?
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There was a guy in New Zealand about 10 years ago, that was 3D printing a DB4. It was going to go on a Skyline chassis, if I remember correctly. He was making good progress, and then he moved residences, and the blog website eventually just disappeared.
Here is an article on the design. I thought he was farther along, so I think this was earlier in the build.
https://www.designboom.com/design/3d-printed-aston-martin-db4-replica-by-ivan-sentch/
Interesting start!! You are still going to need deep, deep pockets to try to build anything around it! Good luck! I am not in the DB monetary class so I don’t have the interest in delving into a project like this although I have built a few kit cars………
I don’t understand why the company that produced a replica of the California Spyder was forced (by Ferrari) to close, but others get away with replicas without issue. I believe the company’s name was Modena in southern Cal.
When I worked for American Honda, part of my job was trademark enforcement. We only went after the people we were made aware of. Sometimes we would stumble across someone, sometimes we would receive a complaint from a dealer. But we only sent cease and desist letters to those we knew about. Some folks are smart enough to stay small and fly under the radar. But when they are big enough to notice, they get “the letter.”
Better hurry, posted a year ago.
What strikes me as odd is that the listing makes no mention of glass and other necessary build components, just a fiberglass body isn’t enough to attract a sale.
Or what donor body you would use. As much as I would love to has a good replica of an Aston Martin, and I still.do goofy car stuff. I will pass on this one.
Hmmm… Would the body fit on a Harley trike, or a VW trike. I have a VW trike that tries to kill me every time I ride it…
My guess as to why so little is revealed about the manufacturer, would be that probably it doesn’t want to be SUED by Aston Martin…and it is probably ONE individual who managed to make moulds fairly covertly. Until relatively recently Aston Martin was re-issuing its DB-5 (although it couldn’t be street driven as it did not meet modern standards). As for the glass and other items to finish the car…they would need to somehow be obtained from Aston Martin itself…as I don’t think that too many of the original multi-million-dollar cars are being parted out. Anyone buying these basic fibreglass parts had better be a really professional craftsman trained in custom fabrication…as I don’t think Aston Martin would be too cooperative in helping someone complete a knock-off of its most famous icon.
I’ve often wondered if home manufacturing will eventually lead to making this kinda project commonplace. A few years ago, I recall seeing an eBay auction from a seller in Eastern Europe, who had extracted the mesh bodies of all of the cars from the video game Gran Turismo 5 or 6. It seemed to me that this was enough detail to print a body, or CNC a mould, if one were so inclined. With the right skillz, someone could theoretically design the body to fit on any chassis of their choosing, I think.
Would be nice with a vintage Jag six and a four speed. Give her the right sound. Reminds me of the Great (!) Britian, pre Thatcher. I miss those days.
For sure that would be a good route to go!
For an American based project was thinking something smallish with a V8 so could imagine this on a Mustang II chassis or something of the likes.
But yeah, this is gonna cost a ton to finish once you add in all the glass and miscellaneous trim and what not. Or you could use it for some sort of a resto mod and just forget about making it look factory.
Like the Testarossa replica listed elsewhere… I just don’t get it…
I can never understand why anyone would spend so much time, energy and money to tell everyone what it ISN’T!
From the FB ad: “$25,000 – FIRM on price.”
Another seller who knows what he has.
I don’t think the above Aston Martin DB5 and the one on kitcarik.com are the same. The Aston DB5 above shows the car with a Webasto type folding cloth sunroof. The Webasto sunroof’s were not factory sunroof’s but were after market items. Where as the photos of the Aston DB5 on the kitcarik.com website show the DB5 as a clean coupe with no sunroof.
I wonder if this Aston Martin DB5 body would fit on an Aston Martin DB7 frame?
Well it says that the movie cars were z3 or Z8, so wheel base and width would have to fit those
make a CAD file, use a 3D printer, ya got anything ya want,
1/4 finished !
aahahahaa
This car can look great even in the shape seen the 2 first pic above.
We get components folks made 1/2 doz (above process) to rest0mod some ‘80s fox-bodies (actually fits 20, 30 yrs of ‘car’). Like said, “Anything’s
possible w/time, money’n skill.”
I’d put it ona tube chassy, fsb, or JZ (as I no them) yahda, yahda
Thnx Jeff~
I was thinking electrical conduit frame, glue it all together, paint it, find some old beat up wire wheels. (Sorry about your MGB now sitting on the dirt there neighbor) And you would have the ultimate yard art. Naturally you would have to have some pipe sticking out representing gun barrels and a dummy half sticking out the roof to commemorate the ejection seat!
Ok, that’s all I got, I will now retreat to my breakfast!
I wonder if a Aston Martin V-12 with manual transmission would fit in the engine bay? That would be speaking my language. Exterior color would have to be Silver Birch.