'Goldfinger' car could fetch $5 million at auction
The famous Aston Martin driven by Sean Connery in the James Bond films "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" will be up for sale at a London auction in October.
At least one of us 007 fans who have dreamed of driving James Bond's cool Aston Martin could get our wish--that is, those of us with $5 million handy.
Sporting its full arsenal of Q-inspired gadgets from the bulletproof shield to the revolving license plate to the oil slick sprayer, Bond's famed Aston Martin DB5 will rev up for auction in October in London. Available through automobile auction house RM Auctions and Sotheby's, the car is expected to drive away with a price tag of $5 million.
Known by its original U.K. registration number of FMP 7B, the 1964 Aston Martin is the only one remaining of the original two DB5s driven by Sean Connery in the Bond films "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball," according to RM.
The car actually features some of the weapons (hopefully nonfunctional) and other devices seen in the films, including the machine guns, tracking device, removable roof panel, nail spreader, and smoke screen, all controlled by the driver from toggles and switches inside the armrest. (No word about the ejector seat.)
"Like 'Q,' we never joke about our work, which is why RM is consistently entrusted with the sale of the world's most significant collector cars like the real 007 Aston Martin DB5 movie car," Max Girardo, managing director of RM Europe, said in a statement. "RM is known for world-record-setting results and we expect nothing less for 007's iconic DB5."
The DB5 recently went through a full restoration, returning to its original running condition after being stored for many years, said RM. Aston Martin initially loaned the car to EON Productions in the '60s to use in the two Bond films, after which it was returned to the factory following a promotional tour.
In 1969, an American DJ named Jerry Lee bought the car for $12,000 and has kept it largely out of public view since then. Lee said he plans to use the money from the sale to fund the charitable work done by his Jerry Lee Foundation, which attempts to address crime and other social issues associated with poverty.
Last year, a replica of the DB5 went on auction for $300,000 from Liquidation house Eddisons.
The Aston Martin will hit the auction block at RM's annual "Automobiles of London" event at the Battersea Evolution on October 27. Leading up to the auction, the DB5 will make its first debut this century at the Bond-themed Midsummer Classic and Thunderball Dinner/Dance on June 26. The event will take place at the Stoke Park Club outside London, which 007 fans may recognize as the spot where Bond and Goldfinger first tangled over a heated game of golf.