Gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5 “Bond Car” heading to auction

AN ORIGINAL 1960s James Bond-spec Aston Martin DB5 could be for your eyes only after heading to auction later this year.

Though this particular DB5 didn’t star on screen alongside Sean Connery, it still boasts impressive 007 credentials.

According to the seller, RM Sotheby’s, it is one of two cars that Aston Martin made to help promote Thunderball, the fourth Bond film, with producer Eon Productions listed in Aston’s records as the first owner. As the gadget-laden DB5 was such an icon of 1964’s Goldfinger, no doubt it had a pivotal role in drumming up interest in the 1965 follow-up film.

Unlike the movie cars, which had specific gadgets added after they were built, this one came out of the factory complete with its retractable machine guns, rotating number plates and pop-up bullet shield already installed. The gizmos were reportedly made to be far more durable than they were on the movie car, so they could be repeatedly used during promotional duties.

Once it was retired after the release of Thunderball, the Bond-spec DB5 is understood to have lived a comparatively far quieter life. For 35 years it was the star exhibit at the now-closed Smoky Mountain Car Museum in Tennessee, USA, protected from the mitts of visitors behind a wire cage. It was auctioned for the first time in 2006.

Since going under the hammer 13 years ago, the DB5 has undergone a comprehensive restoration at the Swiss Aston Martin specialist Roos Engineering, to bring the classic car and its array of Bond gadgets back to pristine working order.

It’s expected the Bond-spec Aston will sell for a sizeable sum when it’s auctioned off on August 15, 2019, with RM Sotheby’s estimating between $4m and $6m (£3.17m to £4.76m).

If your budget can’t quite cover that, Aston Martin can offer you a more affordable alternative: for the low, low price of £2.75m before taxes, the company will build you a fully-functioning replica of the Aston Martin DB5 as it appeared in Goldfinger.

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