Classic 1970 DBE Mk2 Aston Martin, left to rot in a field for 20 years and had so many holes it ‘looked like Swiss cheese’ is now worth £500,000 after undergoing a stunning transformation

A classic Aston Martin that languished in a field for 20 years and had so many holes it ‘looked like Swiss cheese’ has undergone a stunning restoration and is now worth £500,000.

The 1970 DBE Mk2 was driven to France shortly after production but abandoned in a French field after the driver’s door caught fire.

It took 20 years for someone to rescue the rusty vehicle and move it to a garage in Lille, northeastern France.

The Aston Martin sat in the dust for another 20 years before a wealthy Parisian developer and collector of classic cars heard about it ‘through a café chat’.

He went to the garage to inspect the car and was so impressed by it that he paid an undisclosed sum for it.

The classic vintage car had so many holes it “looked like Swiss cheese,” pictured bottom right

Parisian developer and collector of classic cars heard about it ‘through a café chat’

In late 2019, he had the car shipped to Britain, where Aston Service Dorset undertook a painstaking three-year restoration costing £250,000.

They completely stripped the car down to a bare chassis and converted it into a left hand drive car for the French roads.

Significant repairs were made to the thin sheet metal section, focusing on the engine compartment and rear of the vehicle.

The body paint has been changed from red to mink (beige), a traditional Aston Martin colour, with a navy blue leather interior.

The rebuilt and upgraded 4.2-litre engine is capable of 150 mph, but it is unknown how many miles were put on the odometer in the 1970s as the car does not have the original odometer.

The 1970 DBE Mk2 was driven to France shortly after production but abandoned in a French field after it caught fire

The Aston during the restoration. After the stunning restoration it is now worth £500.00

The car is now believed to be worth half a million pounds on the market, suggesting that the collector could make a tidy profit from emptying it.

Antony Forshaw of Aston Service Dorset at Ferndown, a family business founded in 1934, said: ‘This was originally a British car, but quite early on it went to France and then a fire started in the driver’s door.

‘The car sat in a field for 20 years and then moved to a garage in Lille, where it sat for another 20 years.

“I believe our client, a French property developer, heard about the car through word of mouth.

The body paint has been changed from red to mink (beige), a traditional Aston Martin colour

The car is now believed to be worth half a million pounds on the market, suggesting that the collector could make a handsome profit if he emptied it.

The rebuilt and upgraded 4.2-litre engine is capable of 150 mph (240 km/h), but it is unknown how many miles were put on the odometer in the 1970s, as the car does not have the original odometer.

They also converted it to left-wheel drive. In late 2019, he had the car shipped to Britain, where Aston Service Dorset undertook a painstaking three-year restoration costing £250,000.

In addition to the traditional Aston Martin exterior recolor, they opted for a navy blue leather interior

‘It would be one of those conversations in a pub where a friend of a friend says there’s an Aston Martin in a garage.

“It piqued his interest and he went to see it and then bought it before contacting us because we have restored Astons for him in the past.

‘When we arrived the Aston was so corroded and had so many holes in it it looked like Swiss cheese.

“We changed the color from scarlet to mink and converted it to left-wheel drive.

“I believe the client initially intended to sell it, but he’s so happy with the outcome I’m not so sure what his plans are now.

“Prices are fluctuating, but I’d say it’s worth around £500,000 now.”