Throughout the franchise's 60-year history, James Bond has been known to drive a fancy car or two. Now, an upcoming auction this summer offers 007 fans with very deep pockets the possibility of owning one of Bond's most iconic rides, the Aston Martin DB5.
The DB5 was initially made by Aston Martin between 1963 and 1965, but its luxury brand status limited production numbers to less than 1,100 units. As a result, this particular James Bond car is pretty hard to get, especially the one owned by the late Sean Connery, as is the case the model going up for sale. In fact, it was with Connery as 007 that the DB5 made its James Bond debut in 1964's Goldfinger, although the car being auctioned off is not one the actor actually drove in a movie, as all the on-set vehicles tend to have modifications.
The actual item being offered by Broad Arrow Auctions happens to be the only DB5 ever owned by Connery. It's a Snow Shadow Grey model, just like the one Bond famously used and that still made a comeback with Daniel Craig in No Time to Die. The car is expected to fetch anywhere between $1.4 and $1.8 million when it’s finally auctioned off on August 18, partly due to its “highly presentable condition,” as indicated on the auctioneer’s website.
Connery's own son Jason Connery previously expressed his father felt great pleasure in owning the vehicle. "Dad used to talk about owning his own DB5, for no other reason than he loved the car, and I think in hindsight it did represent something in his life that was unique and captured a moment in time,” Jason Connery said. Whoever comes out with the winning bid will also secure a driving session with Scottish Formula 1 driver and three-time champion Jackie Stewart, who was a longtime friend of Sean Connery.
James Bond's cars are incredibly expensive, as studies analyzing 007's historical garage have proved, and yet Sean Connery's own DB5 still falls short of the priciest Bond Aston Martin ever sold, a record set by another DB5 dol in 2019 that was actually used during filming for Goldfinger and Thunderball. No Time to Die saw Craig take the wheel of a wide range of Aston Martins, such as a V8m, DBS Superleggera, and Valhalla models, as well as more standard SUVs like a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.
Currently, James Bond is beginning an undefined hiatus as producers continue to search for a new actor to step in the coveted role. Nevertheless, with a new 007 video game coming in the near future, the world’s most famous spy will hardly stay out of the limelight for too long.
Source: broadarrowauctions.com