Known as the "most famous car in the world," the Aston Martin DB5 was first seen in the 1961 James Bond film, Goldfinger and later Thunderball. So it was a rare opportunity when one of these exclusive vehicles came up for auction this summer at RM Sotheby's.
Although this Aston Martin DB5 is virtually identical to the one used on the set of Goldfinger and Thunderball, it is not the actual car that appears in the film. Rather, it is one of two examples directly purchased by Eon Productions for the launch of Thunderball and is the third of four examples built per Q Branch specifications as featured in Goldfinger.
However, it is the only DB5 with 13 restored James Bond gadgets installed in the car.
After a bidding war that lasted four and a half minutes between six bidders, the car was sold for US$6,385,000 (or £5.3 mil) to an enthusiastic bidder in the auction room. As a result, the car became the most expensive Aston Martin DB5 ever sold at auction.
“It was an honor to offer the iconic James Bond 007 Aston Martin DB5 alongside our partners at Aston Martin Works and Aston Martin Lagonda," said Barney Ruprecht, a car specialist at RM Sotheby’s. "We are beyond thrilled with tonight’s fantastic result and proud to have set a new record for the most valuable DB5 sold at auction. Beyond this new auction record, the enormous amount of interest in the car and excitement surrounding it ahead of the auction solidifies its status as the “most famous car in the world,” along with the hobby’s great respect for the Aston Martin brand.”