Diamonds are forever! Bond car worth £1m after major restoration

A 1960s James Bond-style Aston Martin DB5 left to rot in a North Wales garden has been restored and is now valued at £1m.

- BY NEIL LANCEFIELD

John Williams with his restored DB5 Vantage

John Williams, 71, from Mold, bought the vehicle second hand in 1973 for around £900.

The welder and garage owner drove Vantage-engined mode around for around four years before leaving it to rust on his driveway when he secured a job in the Middle East in 1977.

John said: "Then... 'life' happened. I'd had offers to buy her, and times when I could have done with the money, but I resisted and, as Sue [John’s wife] said 'you'll never get another one."

Sue Williams added: "The neighbours' kids used to come round to play, and they’d play on her. Bouncing on the bonnet. One balanced on the exhaust pipe and snapped it off!"

John said: "As time went on it became a goal of mine to get her restored; to be able to drive her again. Being a garage man, I was a bit ashamed that I'd let her get into that state. I worked hard to buy her, and we've worked hard to get her repaired."