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Makes › Aston Martin United Kingdom › DB5 › DB5 Shooting Brake by Radford · Coachbuilt Ultra Rare

Aston Martin
DB5 Shooting Brake by Radford

Harold Radford estate conversion of the DB5

Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.

Body: Radford
IDENTIFICATION CARD · ASTON MARTIN DB5 SHOOTING BRAKE BY RADFORD
No licensed photograph yet. Photographs are published only when their licence permits it.
12BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
12 Built
Years
Not yet verified
Engine
DOHC straight six · 3,995 cc / 4.0 LFactory: 3,995 cc
Power
210 kW / 286 PSFactory: 282 hp · converted
Top speed
241 km/hFactory: 150 mph · converted
Designer
Harold Radford (coachbuilder)
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Radford Shooting Brake is the rarest DB5 variant: only twelve were built, four of them left-hand drive. It began as a practical estate conversion requested by company owner David Brown himself.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityUltra Rare 12 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionDB5 shooting brakes built (4 LHD) 121 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

David Brown wanted a car that could carry his polo gear and his hunting dog, which had been chewing the leather seats of his company car, and asked for something the dog could sit in. Harold Radford's coachbuilding business converted DB5s into estates, creating what are now known as the Radford Shooting Brakes. Radford claimed a top speed of 150 mph and more than 40 cubic feet of load space with the rear seats folded.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard DB5 Shooting Brake by Radford.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutDOHC straight six2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
Displacement 3,995 cc / 4.0 LFactory: 3,995 cc2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
Bore 96 mmFactory: 96 mm2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
Fuel systemThree SU carburettors2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
Power 210 kW / 286 PSFactory: 282 hp · converted2Rating: manufacturerBase DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
Power at 5,500 rpm2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
Torque 380 NmFactory: 280 lb-ft · converted2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
Torque at 4,500 rpm2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxNot yet verified
GearsNot yet verified
Driven wheelsNot yet verified

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionNot yet verified
Rear suspensionNot yet verified
BrakesGirling disc brakes front and rear with twin servos2Base DB5 factory figure; Radford shooting brakes were built on the DB5 chassis and individual cars vary (the cached lots mention uprated engines).
SteeringNot yet verified
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 241 km/hFactory: 150 mph · converted3Radford's claim.
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Radford rebuilt the car from the windscreen back: the tubular Superleggera roof structure was cut away and extended in steel, a one-piece rear hatch was added, and the rear seats folded to give more than 40 cubic feet of load space. RM Sotheby's puts the conversion about four inches longer than the saloon. Twelve cars were built, eight right-hand drive and four left-hand drive; the cataloguing examples are chassis DB5/2273/L (ordered new as a shooting brake, dispatched December 1965) and DB5/2014/R. The factory build sheet is the proof that a car was ordered as a Shooting Brake, and David Brown's own prototype used DB5 tail lights.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    RM Sotheby's lot catalogue: 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake by Radford (Monterey 2019) Level B
    • 12 DB5 shooting brakes built (4 LHD)
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    Aston Martin DB5 & DB5 Convertible Level A Aston Martin Lagonda
    • DOHC Straight six, 3995 cc, 282 bhp @ 5500 rpm (Specifications)
    • increasing the bore to 96mm
    • three SU carburettors
    • Girling Twin servo assisted brakes with front and rear solid discs
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  3. 3
    1965 Aston Martin DB5 Shooting Brake by Radford (Monterey 2019) Level C RM Sotheby's
    • a top speed of 150 mph
    Accessed 2026-11-12

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