1966 Aston Martin DB5 V8 Factory Prototype 'The Mythical Beast' - Nicholas Mee & Company

[@cathfinlayson3373]

That’s my Dad - How proud am I 🥰 xx

[@Stratoszero]

Would you be able to pass on a couple of questions I have about working in the experimental shop in the 60s?

[@preservedmoose]

It's a shame, he is trying to be upbeat and light but the interviewer is too serious.

[@ThomasMulhall]

What a wonderful man. Thank you!

[@thedrivechannel83]

What a delight! So great to see the old guard talking about the cars they built..

[@jumpstart9473]

To see a historic treasure presented by its original handler is just wonderful .

[@dazboot2966]

Fabulous - looks incredible

[@stevemundy3817]

Saw this car prior to its rebuilt very cool car and cool to hear from the one of the people involved with it thanks spm

[@lestercombs1871]

Best looking car I’ve ever seen. That blue is incandescent.

[@michaelcampbell4503]

Great video Nick. I’d heard and read a little about this very special car in the past. To see and hear so much more about it from Bill was excellent. What a pity AML didn’t put the V8 into production DB5 and DB6…

[@peterzangerl7927]

One word: Phantastic.

[@anridapu]

Kudos and thanks to Nick and the production team, and of course, special guest Bill the development engineer, for this amazing story. Like many, I’d heard of this car ‘The mythical beast’ for years but had never seen it covered in media. I had a few other questions that weren’t really answered in the vid (but I understand the requirement for brevity.) -Was this car’s handling and balance improved over the standard production DB5? -Was the V8 the same basic configuration as the first production V8? (Capacity? Fuel injection or carbs?) Did the car run a 5 speed ZF gearbox? Thanks again for a great story!

[@paulking54]

Great to know the origins of the V8 . I knew that sound didn't come from a normal DB6. Do like the evolution to the DBS.

[@nigelwest3430]

I worked at Astons from 1989 to 99 I didn't know this beautiful car existed

[@sigmamale7241]

I envy you! What did you do there?

[@nigelwest3430]

@@sigmamale7241 I spent 10 years building the wiring harnesses, all built from scratch buy hand

[@sigmamale7241]

@@nigelwest3430 Sounds kind of...monotonous, especially after the first couple of years {doing the same thing, day in an out}. You got to be around some awesome cars!

[@nigelwest3430]

most factory work is doing the same thing day in day out, I found it quite therapeutic actually, at the end there were just 2 of us building V8 Coupe, LWB Volante and Vantage harnesses

[@sigmamale7241]

@@nigelwest3430 Curious, did you ever get to take any of those beauties out for a..."test drive" just to make sure that everything was tits? If so, that would be a major "benefit" itself!

[@paullubliner6221]

Thank you very much for your successful efforts to display the DeDion rear suspension as you have from beneath this fabulous car. I have read about but never seen a single image of this wonder. The added square tube transmission tunnel sub-frame for the differential's mounting to the chassis is clearly visible. Also is the retained, DeDion tube lateral locating Watt's Linkage... AND those inboard mounted discs further reducing unsprung weight! A DeDion rear suspension is truly significant in achieving improved road-holding/ride comfort etc. As a matter of fact, I sold my 1983 live axle long cockpit Caterham 7 and bought the then new DeDion version some 36 years ago for these very reasons. The T. Marek V8 must give this experimental car blistering performance. Are there any "numbers" available? I appreciate the extra wheelbase as in my view this restores the DB5 body work more towards it's original and correct Carrizoza Touring proportions, without the unsightly, overly long rear overhang as was with the standard cars from the Series V convertible DB4's onward. If there were any way on Earth I would be able to purchase this example, ....I would.

[@ThomasMulhall]

Well said. I am restoring my DBS, and love the de Dion. Became intimately familiar with that and the Dana differential. I noticed a couple of details, and I wish that they would have done some more closeups and held frame longer, as I am interested in the mounts. The road wheels look thicket to me, possibly MWS? Not sure, perhaps they are bespoke Dunlops which were probably done in period. After seeing this interview, I wish that this man was given the car.

[@richardcarter1000]

Wonderful. So glad it's gone to a good home.

[@garygranato9164]

woooowzers its magnificent

[@sigmamale7241]

{25:10-25:27} That is a stunning Lagonda! I absolutely LOVE it!

[@preservedmoose]

Yeah! That's what I though - totally amazingly rare car. Clearly an AM enthusiast.

[@kevinhabener1279]

I love these Aston Martin DBs. However, I thought 1965 was the last year of the DB5 and the first year of the DB6. Well, doesn't matter much. They were all plenty fast. I wonder if anyone even bought one with a 3 speed automatic as opposed to be far more ideal 5 speed manual. And the optional power steering and air-conditioning, were those optional on the DB5, or just the DB6? I'm not sure they were very popular options. All those creature comforts, the power steering & brakes and A/C were pretty standard on the 1967-72 Maserati Ghiblis which were heavier but had V8s with more horsepower and were speedier than these DBs. But I could choose either a DB5 or DB6 over that Maserati and have no regrets, even though it would be a pretty close decision.

[@ThomasMulhall]

Very few DB5s were fitted with that awful slushbox 3 speed auto. More DB6 cars were, and they were just awful. Most of them now have been fitted with Tremec 5 speed gearboxes, as the autobox models are far less valuable. Have driven a DB6 and DBS auto. Both pigs. PAS came in during the DB6 run as an option. Made by ZF and was made standard on the DBS, save for a couple of manual steering cars, probably only 2 or 3 that were motor show cars. The ZF 5 spe3ed gearbox is the same in a Ghibli, and is a good gearbox, however, I prefer the DB 4 speed with Laycok de Normanville overdrive. Incidentally the DP Goldfinger DB5 used in the film- with gadgets, had the DB 4 speed gearbox, with a little red button on the gearlever...

[@justinwaite26]

...but you were only supposed to blow the bleddy doors off

[@johnnyboy1586]

My old p6 rover v8 had a Deon rear suspension

[@janvandekerk6877]

I suppose if one was a very rich upper class toffee nosed RAF fighter pilot in the 1960s then this is just the car that one would have driven to base in .

[@janvandekerk6877]

Why is it ? I tend to associate Astons with the RAF !

[@UberLummox]

Can me has it?

[@vladimirkrysenko]

V8 better, than i6

[@RRRVanquish1998]

Automatic is better