Ten highlights from £10.3m Aston sale

Lets start with the most expensive Aston Martin sold over the weekend, this rather delightful DB5 drop top. Gorgeous, innit?

It's one of only 123 DB5 Convertibles ever made, and of that, just one of 39 in left-hand-drive. Why LHD? It was originally sold in the States, but following an accident in the 1970s, was ‘laid up'.

It was then sourced by a Brit in the 1980s, who ordered a new chassis and body, and won some concours events. It was then sold again, repainted silver, and had its 4.0-litre straight six upgraded to the higher-powered Vantage spec (around 315bhp, up from 282bhp).

This one's got history. It originally belonged to noted petrolhead Sir Peter Ustinov (double Oscar-winner, among his myriad achievements), who had it delivered directly at the Montreux Palace Hotel in Switzerland, 27 July 1962.

Being a petrolhead, Sir Peter specified the ‘Special Series', and more powerful, Vantage engine, which produced 266bhp from that 3.7-litre straight-six.

It was originally finished in white, and changed hands a couple of times before seeing "very little use" to date. This is one of the rarest Aston Martins ever, with just 70 originally built.

Why have we picked this when there are a roster of other DB4s, DB5s and DB6s that sold for well over half a million? Just look at it. Easily one of the coolest cars to come out of the Seventies.

In 1978, a year after its birth, the Vantage was crowned the ‘world's fastest accelerating production car' (0-60mph in 5.2s, top speed 175mph), thanks in part to a 5.3-litre V8 with Weber carbs. Power was ‘adequate', according to Aston, with estimates pushing over 380bhp.

There's more. This particular Vantage was treated to the ‘X Pack' upgrade which provided 432bhp, wider wheel arches and fatter wheels. Oh yes. Its previous owner recently spent over £30k to rebuild the engine, repair the paint, upgrade the suspension and refurbish the interior. A steal then, at £150k.

Oh come on, do we really need to explain this one? The chassis number is GT2-007, it's got a 4.5-litre V8 running 475bhp, has raced in support at Le Mans, is one of just three Vantage GT2s from ten built (the rest have perished), and is still race-ready. ‘Nuff said.

Another DB4 convertible, and another of the 70 DB4 Convertibles made, this one is finished in ‘silver sand' (looks like goooold to us), features an upgraded and enlarged 4.0-litre engine, a modified DB6 power steering rack, and apertures in the front footwell to allow for ‘discreet modern audio speakers'. Lovely.

Woohoo! Tell us you're not childishly excited by the prospect of an Aston Martin tractor? No? Well, we are.

Technically, it's not actually an Aston Martin: David Brown - who would later own AM - originally became MD of his family firm, the David Brown Gear Company, in 1931.

So out popped this little 780, with a three-cylinder 46bhp engine. We're told this Selectamatic is guaranteed to 'excite the more knowledgeable enthusiasts at your local agriculture show'. And seeing as we can't top that last sentence, we'll just leave it at that.

Eric Thompson raced for Aston Martin, piloting a DB2 at Le Mans and finishing as high as third place. Jolly good. This is his Le Mans ‘Hall of Fame' jacket.

It's the 6.0-litre V12 from the first-generation Vanquish, removed from the car after a "period of exposure to standing water". It'll dry out, surely? Perfect for that Datsun Cherry engine-swap you've been secretly planning...

Remember that ‘barn-find' Aston we told you about a while back? It's been sold, and for considerably more than its estimated sale price, despite having remained in storage for 33 years as a half-started restoration project.

Will need a bit of work, as you can quite clearly see, but it's got a rebuilt engine, so that's a start.

Nobody better sums up the connection between Aston Martin and James Bond than Sean Connery. Here's a pic of the man himself, signed by the man himself. Cool, no?