Classic Recollections: 1957 Aston Martin

“Conover. Peter Conover.”

The name may not have the same catchy ring as James Bond, the fictional British spy, but that's just fine with Conover. After all, the Oak Park resident does own the super sleuth's car.

Or at least the model the creator of the Bond series, Ian Fleming, intended his secret agent to drive.

“In the original ‘Goldfinger' novel, Fleming had James Bond driving a DB Mark III. When the movie was produced several years later, Aston Martin offered its newest model, the DB5, which then went on to become the legendary Bond car,” Conover said.

Unlike 007's vehicles, this British-made '57 Mark III didn't come from Q, but rather a broker in Ohio in 2005.

“There was no interior and many of the subframe pieces were missing after a rear-end collision. The more I dove into it, the more I felt I needed something to model the reconstruction on.”

Feeling a bit of buyer's remorse, Conover was advised by a noted Aston Martin restoration specialist to retrieve a second, more complete Mark III from California. “Once the initial shock wore off, the logic made sense,” he said. Conover would now have a sturdy example to build his project car by and once complete, this four-wheeled twin could be sold to recoup the expenditures.

With total production of 551 during a three-year run, finding thorough, authoritative documentation and assembly instructions can prove to be a challenge.

Both coupes were placed into the skilled hands of Mark Baker of Sport and Specialty in Durand, a small town west of Rockford. Baker completed the necessary bodywork and chassis overhaul and engine assembly. Conover stayed busy in his garage, working with various sub-components, prepping such things as the trailing-arm suspension, twin SU carburetors, and disc brake and clutch master cylinders.

In 2008 Conover began the “truly enjoyable process” of reattaching restored bits and pieces onto a pristine frame. The fully restored body tub was added in August and final fitting of the body parts continued until the end of the year.

By the beginning of 2009, Conover was ready to think paint and opted to forego the original black, settling on a period-correct Elusive Blue silver metallic. The factory red interior motif was exchanged for matching blue leather and carpeting.

The lower end of the 2.9 liter, double-overhead camshaft engine was overhauled in nearby Wauconda, while the cylinder head was sent out to California for finishing.

After two more years of final assembly, Conover and his wife embarked on the Aston's maiden voyage to the 2011 Road and Track Concours, held in Elkhart Lake, Wis.

“I had never driven the car on the highway and I was thrilled that any problems were too few to mention.”

The car attracted so much attention that the Aston Martin Owners Club awarded it the Horace Wilmshust prize. Conover flew to the club's headquarters near Oxford, England, in January to accept the accolade.

Similar to that international man of mystery, little is known about Conover's Mark III's past after 1957.

“I never was able to get any more background except that its original destination was a dealership in Pasadena, Calif.,” he said.

But lack of details won't cloud his cruising fun.

“Perhaps someday more of its history will come to light, but for now,” Conover said. “I'm looking forward to many more miles behind the wheel.”