Baby, you can drive my car: for £307,500

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Baby, you can drive my car: Aston Martin once owned by Sir Paul McCartney sells for £307,500 at auction
Sir Paul bought the car weeks after The Beatles' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in America and filming A Hard Day's Night
By Paul Cockerton
31 Oct 2012

A vintage Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sir Paul McCartney while The Beatles shot to international fame fetched more than £300,000 at auction tonight.

Sir Paul ordered the dark blue sports car in 1964 on the eve of the band's world tour and had it fitted with a black leather interior, Motorola radio and its very own record player.

The Aston Martin sold at a hammer price of £307,500 at the event in Battersea Park, London, a spokesman said.

It was one of 93 classic cars up for auction that are expected to bring in a total of between £18 million and £20 million.

Peter Wallman of RM Auctions said the fame of both the car and its previous owner made it a particularly special item.

Speaking ahead of the auction, he said: "The Aston Martin DB5 is one of the most iconic cars in the world, driven by James Bond.

"And we're talking about one of the most iconic super groups of the 1960s.

"We've sold a couple of cars owned by Steve McQueen which have sold for eight, nine, 10 times what they would be worth if they were just regular cars."

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 previously owned by Sir Paul McCartney

Sir Paul bought the car weeks after The Beatles' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in America and filming A Hard Day's Night.

The Aston Martin DB5 was delivered to the musician's accountants when it left the factory in July 1964 and became a regular feature of Sir Paul's 1960s lifestyle, according to contemporary records.

A profile of the singer in Time magazine on 22 September 1967 noted: "Bachelor Paul, 25 (his favorite (sic) 'bird' is 21-year old actress Jane Asher), is a movie addict, loves 'the look of London', and tools around town in a spiffy blue Aston Martin DB5".

It is believed Sir Paul eventually sold the car in 1970, having racked up 40,513 miles on the clock, according to service records.

He has owned a number of other Aston Martins since.

George Harrison also owned a DB5 model, which sold for 464,000 US dollars in 2007, which would be £288,000 according to today's exchange rate.

A 1998 Ferrari F300 Formula One racing car used by Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine failed to sell tonight.

The record player Sir Paul McCartney had installed into his 1964 Aston Martin DB5