Aston Martin marks 60 years since the unveil of the DB5

Aston Martin is marking 60 years since the debut of the DB5 by photographing and releasing pictures of the car (view the photos in the gallery above) next to the latest addition to the marque's revered DB bloodline, the DB12.

The Aston Martin DB5 was unveiled in September 1963, and featured a 282bhp 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine - a reworked version of the 3.7-litre unit found in the DB4.

The model soon went on to become an icon of British culture, design, and innovation, and firmly established Aston Martin as one of Britain's most desirable luxury brands. The car is most fondly remembered as being owned by one fictitious agent of the U.K.'s MI6, a move that cemented the DB5's position in the automotive hall of fame. But 007 was not the only celebrity to have been seen behind the wheel of a DB5.

As the Swinging Sixties came and went, the DB5 would find patrons including Sir Paul McCartney and George Harrison, as well as Mick Jagger. Aston Martin states that Comedian Peter Sellers also acquired one example of the car, while celebrities from Robert Plant and Jay Kay to Elle McPherson all did their part to ensure that the car never left the spotlight.