James Bond may be a fictional character, but his Aston Martin DB5 is very, very real. And if you’re the high bidder at a forthcoming auction in Monterey, California, James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 can be your Aston Martin DB5.
A report at Jalopnik has the details: this is one of four DB5s built to certain specifications for Goldfinger. This particular model was used to help promote 1965’s Thunderball.
To answer one question: it abounds with cool spy gadgets. Ejector seat? Check. Smoke dispensers? Yes indeed. Tire slashers? Absolutely.
It doesn’t hurt that, even without the Bond connection, the Aston Martin DB5 is a magnificently elegant vehicle. While you certainly could use it for international espionage, it’s also an eminently drivable car.
The auction listing for the car at RM Sotheby’s explores more of its history — which makes for an enthralling read on its own. This DB5 spent 35 years on display at the Smoky Mountain Car Museum in Tennessee, and was later renovated extensively to get all of its components working properly; this process took another 4 years, and was detailed in an article in Motor in 2012.
All told, this DB5 comes with a storied history for automobile enthusiasts and cinephiles alike. Living the life of an international superspy doesn’t come cheap, though. Jalopnik’s report cites the likely cost of this Aston Martin DB5 as being between $4,000,000 and $6,000,000. For the rest of us looking to emulate James Bond, there’s always the trusty martini: shaken, not stirred —and available for a more modest sum.
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