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| Aston Martin DB5 (for 007, Goldfinger & Thunderball) (1963-1964) |
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| When Ian Fleming wrote the James Bond Book, Goldfinger, in 1959, he put the hero in the driving seat of a DB Mark III. But by 1963, when the film version was in pre-production, the Mark III had been replaced by the DB4 and a new car, the DB5 was about to be introduced. Eon productions approached AML for a car - and eventually they offered the prototype DB5 (DP216/1) as an 'effects' car and a similar production car for driving sequences (DB5/1486/R) - and thus was created the most famous car in the world. The association between Aston Martin and James Bond has lasted more than 40 years and is considered the most successful example of product placement ever. |
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The Silver Birch DB5 was crammed full of secret gadgets - some of which are total fiction, whereas some have become commonplace in modern cars. Modifications to the DB5 for the film were...........
Initially, the effects car, DP216/1 was the only car with the extras fitted by the film production company, DB5/1486/R was in effect just a standard road car. But such was the demand for the DB5 to appear around the world to publicise the films, the road car, DB5/1486/R and a further two cars that never appeared in the films, DB5/2008R and DB5/2017/R, had the 007 extras fitted by the Works. Below are the best pictures that I have found to illustrate the special features built into the cars. These have been taken from a 1965 brochure that Aston Martin produced to be given out when the cars were displayed to the public. |
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Both DB5's also appeared in the 1965 James Bond film, Thunderball, with the addition of a Jet pack in the boot and rear firing water cannons. By 1968, DP216/1 still owned by AML was returned to the Works and all the film company fitted special effects were removed prior to sale as a normal road car. Shortly after DP216/1 was refitted with replica effects by a Kent coachbuilder before being sold to an American collector. DP216/1 went on to feature in the 1981 film 'The Cannonball Run but was stolen in June 1997 from a hanger in Florida and I believe it's whereabouts are unknown. It may never be seen again. The other three Works modified DB5's still exist but two are rarely seen in public. The Road car, DB5/1486/R is privately owned in the USA. DB5/2008/R was for many years on display in the Smoky Mountain Car Museum but was offered form sale by RM auctions in January 2006 where it achieved $2,090,000. And the last works replica is part of the Dutch National Motor Museum in Raamadonksveer which was shown at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August 2007. |
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I would like to than an un-named member of the AMOC for helping get these pictures |
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In writing this web page I have made great use of
the book 'The Most Famous Car in the World' by Dave Worrall, the complete
history of the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 Postscript - when DP216/1 was returned to the factory in 1968 to have all of it's extras removed, the gear knob was retained by the factory and was kept on an employees desk for a number of years. A gear knob complete with hinged lid was subsequently offered for sale by Bonhams in the 2007 AM auction at Works Service where it achieved a monumental £42,000. Whilst this item may well have been removed from DP216/1 in 1968, it now appears unlikely that this was the gear knob actually featured in Goldfinger. In the film, it is clear that the knob is indicating that a 4 speed (David Brown) gearbox is fitted to the car. The gear knob put on sale had the markings of a 5 speed (ZF) gearbox as used on later DB5's. |
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| Page Updated Sunday September 09, 2007 |
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