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An unfinished history of all the James Bond Aston Martins
zebrafish
<°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
A while ago I got confused about how many AM DB5's were actually used in each film and wondered where they are now.
Here is what I found out, cross-checked from various sources on the web (particularly knowledgeable are the guys posting on the forums at the Internet Movie Car Database - thanks!):
(last edit: 16 August 2019)
4 cars were used in "Goldfinger":
Chassis DP/216/1, Registration BMT 216 A (revolving plates: 4711-EA-62 and LU6789)
The "effects car", a DB5 prototype (hence the chassis number DP). Owned by Aston Martin and borrowed to Danjaq.
It was originally painted Dubonnet Red and actually appeared in episode 2.17 of The Saint with future Bond Roger Moore in 1964, before it was used in Goldfinger. Here's a screenshot:
Fitted out with gadgets by John Stears for EON in January 1964, repainted to Silver Birch from Dubonnet Red → stripped in 1968 by Aston Martin, re-registered as Numberplate 6633PP and sold to Gavin Keyzar, who refitted it with fake gadgets in 1969 → owned by Richard Losee in 1981, used in "The Cannonball Run" in 1981 for interior and beauty shots → bought by Agent Robert Luongo for Pop Culture collector Anthony V. Pugliese III at Sotheby's auction in 1986 for $ 275 000 → stolen in 1997 from hangar in Boca Raton, Florida → Professional company "Art Recovery International" investigating the whereabouts of the car (as of June 2018), reward offered for tips leading to the recovery of the undamaged vehicle.
Chassis DB5/1486/R, Registration FMP 7B (revolving plates: 007 JB/rear and JB 007/front)
Owned by Aston Martin and borrowed to Danjaq, used in Goldfinger driving scenes, was retrofitted with gadgets after it was again seen in Thunderball )→ sold for $ 12000 to Jerry Lee (radio broadcaster), who owned it at least from 1969-2006 → sold to Harry Yeaggy by RM Auctions ("Automobiles of London", Battersea Park) in October 2010 for £ 2,912,000. (As of 2021, he still appears to be the current owner).
Chassis DB5/2008/R, Registration YRE 186H (revolving plates: JB007 and 007JB; probably altered at some stage to BMT 216 A and 4711-EA-62)
Fully fitted effects publicity car (1965, not shown in movie), → sold to Sir (now Lord) Anthony Bamford from EON in 1969 ($ 3750). He returned the car to the factory for service, and it received a host of freshening and mechanical measures → sold to Bruce Atchley and exhibited in Smokey Mountain Car Museum, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee → Auctioned by RM Auctions on 20.1.2006 in Phoenix Arizona for $ 2,1 million → private collection of Swiss businessman Thomas Straumann. 4-year restoration by Aston Martin Heritage Specialist Roos Engineering in Switzerland: chassis and body completely refinished to proper standards, all 13 of the Ken Adam–designed modifications properly refurbished to function as originally built, → for sale in February 2013 by RS Williams, Surrey, for £ 3,000,000. → Again for sale at RM Sotheby's auction in Monterey, Aug 15-17 2019. → Sold for $ 6,385,000 to an unknown bidder.
→ Easy to spot: White top rear lights, rear fog dispenser tube (and a dented rear bumper prior to recent restoration).
Chassis DB5/2017/R, Registration BMT 216 A
Fully fitted effects publicity car (1965, not shown in movie), registered under BMT 216 A, after DP/261/1 was reregistered → sold to Sir Anthony Bamford from EON in 1969 ($ 3750) → swapped to Sandy Luscombe-Whyte in 1970 for a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO → sold to Frank Baker of Vancouver for $ 21600 in 1970, exhibited in Attic Restaurant Vancouver until 1983 → sold to Alf Spence → sold to Ernest Hartz Consortium, San Francisco, who sold it to racecar driver Bob Bondurant → sold it one year later to Robert Pass of Pass Transportation → sold it to Robert Littman, who parked it with a Jaguar dealership in New Jersey → sold it to Louwman collection, Dutch National Automobile Museum (Feb 2009 and still listed there)→ Auctioned in 2010 → current owner not known.
Chassis DB5/1550/R, Registration YHH 28 B
A fully fitted replica car that never featured in any of the movies. Was commissioned for an English orthodontist and displayed at the "Cars Of The Stars" Motor Museum in Keswick until 2011. Moved to the Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer collection, now fitted with registration BMT 216A.
3 cars were used in "Goldeneye":
Chassis DB5/2175/R
Was used for close-ups (in front of Monte Carlo casino) and interior shots. Currently at the Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer collection, registration JB Z6 007. Distinguished by the four screws in the headlamp bezels (instead of one in other cars).
Chassis DB5/1484/R
Stunt car, bought in poor condition and fixed up for filming by Stratton Motor Company, Norwich → failed to be sold at Coys auction on 21 March 1994 → current owner not known.
Chassis DB5/1885/R, Original registration FBH 281 C, Re-registered as BMT 214 A
Stunt car, bought in poor condition and fixed up for filming by Stratton Motor Company, Norwich → sold to Max Reid at an auction by Christie's, South Kensington, on 14 February 2001, for £ 157,750. Has its own website: http://db5.co.uk
This car was used to promote the movie after filming had finished, following a final rebuild that "included removing the body from the chassis and refurbishing it with a new nose section, new tail section and new door skins, which was followed by a full repaint in the current livery. It is understood that Stratton also carried out considerable mechanical refurbishment at this time. In 1996, '1885/R' was sold to the immediately preceding owner, Peter Nelson, proprietor of the 'Cars Of The Stars' exhibition in Cumbria. When purchased at a Bond themed auction by the current owner in February 2001, this DB5 became the most valuable piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold and subsequently was recorded as such in the 'Guinness Book of World Records'. As a true James Bond DB5 it has brought with it unique experiences for the current custodian and his family, including attending Bond Premieres / after-show parties and even playing extras in the recent Spectre movie!
The DB5 has been well looked after, receiving occasional leisure use with service work provided by Aston Martin Works, RS Williams and Stratton Motor Company. The car featured in Chris Evans' Famous Five and Magnificent Seven car collection for BBC's Children In Need 2013 Appeal and has been on display as the star exhibit at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, as well as the key attraction of the 'Bond in Motion' exhibition at London's Covent Garden. " (Bonhams auction catalogue).
This car was sold at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on 13 July 2018 for £ 1,961,500 (€ 2,180,898). The estimate was £1,200,000-1,600,000.
One of the above cars was used for a brief scene in "Tomorrow Never Dies".
"Casino Royale":
Chassis DB5/1399/L
The first one with left-hand drive → current owner not known.
"Skyfall":
There is contradictory information on this one:
a) Chassis DB5/1484/R (one of the GE cars). Original registration AJU 519 B
b) Aston Martin Works transformed it from a green car (Chassis DB5/2007/R, original registration COJ 483C) with beige interior to Silver Birch with black trimming (from a customer whose car was waiting to be restored in the shop). The roof hatchline was painted on. Was displayed at the Beaulieu Motor Museum in November 2012 with its original registration → current owner not known.
"The Cannonball Run":
This movie used DP/261/1 (see above) as well as another car with a DB4 hood and right hand drive (the images were mirrored in the film, but wiper orientation is a giveaway) for stunt-driving.
If someone has more information on any of the cars above, or actually owns one of these, I would be more than happy to update this post!
Here is what I found out, cross-checked from various sources on the web (particularly knowledgeable are the guys posting on the forums at the Internet Movie Car Database - thanks!):
(last edit: 16 August 2019)
4 cars were used in "Goldfinger":
Chassis DP/216/1, Registration BMT 216 A (revolving plates: 4711-EA-62 and LU6789)
The "effects car", a DB5 prototype (hence the chassis number DP). Owned by Aston Martin and borrowed to Danjaq.
It was originally painted Dubonnet Red and actually appeared in episode 2.17 of The Saint with future Bond Roger Moore in 1964, before it was used in Goldfinger. Here's a screenshot:
Fitted out with gadgets by John Stears for EON in January 1964, repainted to Silver Birch from Dubonnet Red → stripped in 1968 by Aston Martin, re-registered as Numberplate 6633PP and sold to Gavin Keyzar, who refitted it with fake gadgets in 1969 → owned by Richard Losee in 1981, used in "The Cannonball Run" in 1981 for interior and beauty shots → bought by Agent Robert Luongo for Pop Culture collector Anthony V. Pugliese III at Sotheby's auction in 1986 for $ 275 000 → stolen in 1997 from hangar in Boca Raton, Florida → Professional company "Art Recovery International" investigating the whereabouts of the car (as of June 2018), reward offered for tips leading to the recovery of the undamaged vehicle.
Chassis DB5/1486/R, Registration FMP 7B (revolving plates: 007 JB/rear and JB 007/front)
Owned by Aston Martin and borrowed to Danjaq, used in Goldfinger driving scenes, was retrofitted with gadgets after it was again seen in Thunderball )→ sold for $ 12000 to Jerry Lee (radio broadcaster), who owned it at least from 1969-2006 → sold to Harry Yeaggy by RM Auctions ("Automobiles of London", Battersea Park) in October 2010 for £ 2,912,000. (As of 2021, he still appears to be the current owner).
Chassis DB5/2008/R, Registration YRE 186H (revolving plates: JB007 and 007JB; probably altered at some stage to BMT 216 A and 4711-EA-62)
Fully fitted effects publicity car (1965, not shown in movie), → sold to Sir (now Lord) Anthony Bamford from EON in 1969 ($ 3750). He returned the car to the factory for service, and it received a host of freshening and mechanical measures → sold to Bruce Atchley and exhibited in Smokey Mountain Car Museum, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee → Auctioned by RM Auctions on 20.1.2006 in Phoenix Arizona for $ 2,1 million → private collection of Swiss businessman Thomas Straumann. 4-year restoration by Aston Martin Heritage Specialist Roos Engineering in Switzerland: chassis and body completely refinished to proper standards, all 13 of the Ken Adam–designed modifications properly refurbished to function as originally built, → for sale in February 2013 by RS Williams, Surrey, for £ 3,000,000. → Again for sale at RM Sotheby's auction in Monterey, Aug 15-17 2019. → Sold for $ 6,385,000 to an unknown bidder.
→ Easy to spot: White top rear lights, rear fog dispenser tube (and a dented rear bumper prior to recent restoration).
Chassis DB5/2017/R, Registration BMT 216 A
Fully fitted effects publicity car (1965, not shown in movie), registered under BMT 216 A, after DP/261/1 was reregistered → sold to Sir Anthony Bamford from EON in 1969 ($ 3750) → swapped to Sandy Luscombe-Whyte in 1970 for a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO → sold to Frank Baker of Vancouver for $ 21600 in 1970, exhibited in Attic Restaurant Vancouver until 1983 → sold to Alf Spence → sold to Ernest Hartz Consortium, San Francisco, who sold it to racecar driver Bob Bondurant → sold it one year later to Robert Pass of Pass Transportation → sold it to Robert Littman, who parked it with a Jaguar dealership in New Jersey → sold it to Louwman collection, Dutch National Automobile Museum (Feb 2009 and still listed there)→ Auctioned in 2010 → current owner not known.
Chassis DB5/1550/R, Registration YHH 28 B
A fully fitted replica car that never featured in any of the movies. Was commissioned for an English orthodontist and displayed at the "Cars Of The Stars" Motor Museum in Keswick until 2011. Moved to the Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer collection, now fitted with registration BMT 216A.
3 cars were used in "Goldeneye":
Chassis DB5/2175/R
Was used for close-ups (in front of Monte Carlo casino) and interior shots. Currently at the Miami Auto Museum at the Dezer collection, registration JB Z6 007. Distinguished by the four screws in the headlamp bezels (instead of one in other cars).
Chassis DB5/1484/R
Stunt car, bought in poor condition and fixed up for filming by Stratton Motor Company, Norwich → failed to be sold at Coys auction on 21 March 1994 → current owner not known.
Chassis DB5/1885/R, Original registration FBH 281 C, Re-registered as BMT 214 A
Stunt car, bought in poor condition and fixed up for filming by Stratton Motor Company, Norwich → sold to Max Reid at an auction by Christie's, South Kensington, on 14 February 2001, for £ 157,750. Has its own website: http://db5.co.uk
This car was used to promote the movie after filming had finished, following a final rebuild that "included removing the body from the chassis and refurbishing it with a new nose section, new tail section and new door skins, which was followed by a full repaint in the current livery. It is understood that Stratton also carried out considerable mechanical refurbishment at this time. In 1996, '1885/R' was sold to the immediately preceding owner, Peter Nelson, proprietor of the 'Cars Of The Stars' exhibition in Cumbria. When purchased at a Bond themed auction by the current owner in February 2001, this DB5 became the most valuable piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold and subsequently was recorded as such in the 'Guinness Book of World Records'. As a true James Bond DB5 it has brought with it unique experiences for the current custodian and his family, including attending Bond Premieres / after-show parties and even playing extras in the recent Spectre movie!
The DB5 has been well looked after, receiving occasional leisure use with service work provided by Aston Martin Works, RS Williams and Stratton Motor Company. The car featured in Chris Evans' Famous Five and Magnificent Seven car collection for BBC's Children In Need 2013 Appeal and has been on display as the star exhibit at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, as well as the key attraction of the 'Bond in Motion' exhibition at London's Covent Garden. " (Bonhams auction catalogue).
This car was sold at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale on 13 July 2018 for £ 1,961,500 (€ 2,180,898). The estimate was £1,200,000-1,600,000.
One of the above cars was used for a brief scene in "Tomorrow Never Dies".
"Casino Royale":
Chassis DB5/1399/L
The first one with left-hand drive → current owner not known.
"Skyfall":
There is contradictory information on this one:
a) Chassis DB5/1484/R (one of the GE cars). Original registration AJU 519 B
b) Aston Martin Works transformed it from a green car (Chassis DB5/2007/R, original registration COJ 483C) with beige interior to Silver Birch with black trimming (from a customer whose car was waiting to be restored in the shop). The roof hatchline was painted on. Was displayed at the Beaulieu Motor Museum in November 2012 with its original registration → current owner not known.
"The Cannonball Run":
This movie used DP/261/1 (see above) as well as another car with a DB4 hood and right hand drive (the images were mirrored in the film, but wiper orientation is a giveaway) for stunt-driving.
If someone has more information on any of the cars above, or actually owns one of these, I would be more than happy to update this post!
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Comments
DB5/2187/R is the real chassis number of the supposed "DB5/2175/R" "Goldeneye" car, which currently is part of the Dezer collection. Check <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43240189@N03/13806053443/in/set-72157643858998063/">this picture</a>. Thus DB5/2175/R possibly is not even a James Bond movie car.
Chassis DB5/1484/R:
<a href="http://www.passionwithoutlimits.com/uploads/images/bond-06.jpg">This</a>, <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1cP-SOGsejI/UPRJQt9SCJI/AAAAAAAAAFM/Ub0Er7uHjZE/s1600/BOND-GOLDENEYE-DB5+(1).jpg">this</a> and <a href="http://img16.photobucket.com/albums/v48/isis99/bond/ge027.jpg">this</a>; are exterior photos of this "Goldeneye" car. Since it does not appear in Goldeneye in exterior shots, it may have been used for interior ones.
DB5/1799/R is the chassis number for DB5/1550/R, the fake replica car that never starred in a Bond movie, at the Dezer collection. So what is the history of 1799/R?
Seems as if someone will have to ask Remy Julienne, stunt-driver for Goldeneye, how many different cars he actually drove.
Do you know why in Skyfall they use again the BMT 216A that was "forbidden" in 1995?
Nice to see thee seem to be a number of those cars still in existence :-).
Do we know which DB5 was shown at the Bond In Motion exhibition recently?
Certainly didn't have revolving plates.
You can compare the <a href="http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/event_bond_in_motion_london_preview.php3">pictures from the Film Museum</a> and the same car on its <a href="http://db5.co.uk">own website.</a>
Why was it changed, if I might ask?
http://007today.wordpress.com/2011/09/05/iaq-why-did-the-license-plate-for-the-db5-change/
This thread deserves more praise from the community.
Ahh, I see. All these legalities, eh?
I actually Photoshopped the car at the London Film Museum (BMT 214A) to be "correct".
Don't look TOO close. It isn't a perfect forgery.
The car appearing in Goldfinger and later Thunderball was chasis Chassis No. DP/216/1, a prototype sent over from Aston Martin based on the DB4 Series 5. The original had Dubonnet Red paintwork, with a slick grey interior, and Marchal fog units and side-mounted turn indicators, registered on 1st May 1963. The car was repainted Silver Birch and fitted with gadgets for EON in January 1964 by John Stears. It appeared first in "The Saint" and Aston Martin sales brochures before moving on to Goldfinger and Thunderball. By 1968, the full effects car, still owned by Aston Martin Lagonda, was returned to the Works and all the film company fitted special effects were removed prior to sale as a normal road car (Numberplate 6633PP). Shortly after this (1969), DP216/1 was then refitted with replica effects by Kent coachbuilder Gavin Keyzar, sold to Richard Loose of Utah in 1971, featured in Cannonball Run (beauty shots) before being sold by Sotheby's New York to Anthony Pugliese III in 1986 ($275,000). The car was stolen from a hanger in Florida in 1997, and never returned.
The other three Works modified DB5's still exist but two are rarely seen in public. The road car, DB5/1486/R was privately owned in the USA by a collector from 1968 through to 2010, when it was sold at the RM sale in London for £2.6 million to another US collector. DB5/2008/R was for many years on display in the Smoky Mountain Car Museum but was offered for sale by RM auctions in January 2006 where it achieved a price of just over $2 million. And the last works replica, DB5/2017/R is part of the Dutch National Motor Museum.
Three other DB5's were used. They are:
Chassis No. DB5/1486/R
The 'Road Car', used in Goldfinger and the car used in Thunderball, fitted with gadgets because DP/216/1 was unavailable on world tour. Original registration FMP 7B. Sold to Jerry Lee who owned it from 1969-2006, sold to Harry Yeaggy in October 2010. (£ 2,912,000)
Chassis No. DB5/2008/R
'Press Car', (registration YRE 186H) used for promotion in USA. Sold to Sir Anthony Bamford from EON in 1969 for $3,750. From there it went to Bruce Atchley and displayed in the Smokey Mountain Car Museum. RM Auctions auctioned it on January 20, 2006 to a Swiss businessman. For sale in February 2013 by RS Williams, Surrey, for £ 3,000,000. Extras by Aston Martin Works
Chassis No. DB5/2017/R
'Press Car', used for promotion in USA. Sold to Sir Anthony Bamford from EON in 1969 ($ 3750) who swapped it to Sandy Luscombe-Whyte in 1970 for a 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO. Whyte sold the car to Frank Baker of Vancouver for $ 21,600 in 1970, where it was exhibited in the Attic Restaurant Vancouver until 1983. Baker sold it to Alf Spence who sold it to Ernest Hartz Consortium, San Francisco, who sold it to racecar driver Bob Bondurant, who got rid of it one year later to Robert Pass of Pass Transportation. Pass sold it to Robert Littman, who parked it with a Jaguar dealership in New Jersey and then sold it to Louwman collection, Dutch National Automobile Museum who auctioned it in 2010. Extras by Aston Martin Works.
Goldeneye began dramatically with Pierce Brosnan driving a DB5 in a car chase with a Ferrari F355. A total of three cars were needed for filming, one in perfect condition for close up and interior shots (DB5/2175/R), now at the Miami Auto Museum, and two more 'stunt cars' for the driving sequences in the hills above Monte Carlo (DB5/1484/R and DB5/1885/R), reg. FBH 281C, which is now owned by Max Reid. He bought it on 14 February 2001, for £ 157,750. It has its own website at db5.co.uk The stunt cars were purchased in relatively poor shape prior to filming and underwent a very quick restoration at the main Aston Martin dealer, Stratton Motor Company, Norwich, just for the film. Instead of the gadgets it had a champange cooler for Bond's Bollinger 1988, and a fax machine. It had the license plate BMT 214A, possibly meaning that it is now Bond's personal car. During filming one of the Aston Martins collided with the Ferrari, but they managed to completely repair it overnight.
The DB5 returns in 2012's Skyfall. Two were two used. One from Goleneye (DB5/1484/R), registration AJU 519B, and another (DB5/2007/R), reg. COJ 483C, that in just a matter of weeks was transformed from green with beige interior to the stunning Silver Birch paintwork with black interior, which was ‘distressed’ so as not to appear brand new. The Skyfall car is one that was manufactured, sold, re-sold and operated virtually its entire life in England. It passed through a rather unremarkable chain of owners until acquired a number of years ago by Mr. Don Rose, a valuation specialist at RM Auctions who has a special passion for James Bond and his cars. His DB5 had never led a pampered life; it was driven regularly; it was subjected to rainy, cold English weather which contributed to its rusty rocker panels; it was pushed to its performance limits – probably the reason its original engine was replaced with a more powerful unit able to run on unleaded fuel, and even completed the entire 1000-mile Mille Miglia tribute rally in Italy only a few months before being sold. It was found in Buckinghampshire in the fall of 2010, where it was awaiting a factory restoration. It's new owner bought it at RM Auctions' Wednesday, 27 October London Auction where DB5/1486/R was also auctioned for £2,912,000. DB5/2007/R was sold for £224,000. (Lots 197 & 200, 198 was the revolving number plate and 199 was the gearshift top) The final touch to the paintwork was to add a keyline on the roof to represent the exit hatch for the ejector seat. In addition to the aesthetic works, the car also required a complete mechanical overhaul in preparation for filming. A Porsche 928 was used for the helicopter explosion, as well as 1:3 scale models created by a Voxjet printer, and then painted and touched up with bullet holes. To ensure that the Aston Martin was as true to detail as possible, and for the purpose of integrating numerous functions into the film models, they decided on an assembly consisting of a total of 18 individual components. 'The entire body is based on a steel frame, almost identical to how vehicles were assembled in the past,' said Ederer. 'In addition to the automotive industry, foundries, designers and artists, the film industry represents an entirely new customer base for Voxjet. '3D printing is on the cusp of a great future in the film industry. 'The technology offers fantastic opportunities, since it is usually much faster, more precise and more economical than classic model construction,' says Ederer he models are produced with the layer- by layer application of particle material that is glued together with a binding agent. As each layer is finished, another is printed on top to build up a 3D model. The parts are then individually cleaned. A total of 54 individual parts for the three vehicle models, including mudguards, doors, bonnets, roofs and more, were then packaged and transported to Pinewood Studios near London. The model builders at Propshop then meticulously assembled and finished the components, painted them in the original colour and added chrome applications along with realistic-looking bullet holes. Kingsley Riding-Felce, Managing Director of Aston Martin Works commented; “We are very pleased that the role of the DB5 in Skyfall maintains the long association between James Bond and Aston Martin – and that the expertise of our heritage team is showcased by this iconic car. It is apt that it was prepared by Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell, the home of Aston Martin for over 50 years.”
On Her Majesty's Secret Service premiered in 1969. This was five years since 007's Silver Birch DB5 took the world by storm. Aston Martin had moved on. The DB4/5/6 line had been replaced after twelve years by Aston's new flagship car: The Aston Martin DBS. In almost all respects the DBS was better than the other ageing DB4/5/6 line. It had more space and was better to drive. However, Touring of Milan's styling of the DB4 would be hard to match. Englishman William Towns designed the DBS body. For production of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, shots in the interior of the Aston were provided by Chasis No. DBS/5109/R. The car that Bond drives in the film was Chasis No. DBS/5234/R, with an expermental engine. Both cars used in the film were registered as GKX 8G. One belongs to Cars of the Stars, and the other is in the hands of a private collector.
1987's The Living Daylights saw Bond return to Aston after his hiatus with Lotus. He drives a 1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante that was winterized by Q to become a regular Vantage. The Volante was a pre-production Volante with a Vantage engine owned by then Aston Martin Chairman Victor Gauntlett. The cars after the winterisation by Q were non-Vantage V8 Series Four coupés with Vantage badges. The production used the Vantage from Gauntlett, and three coupés. One was for shots of Dalton & d'Abo, another for stunts, and one last "special effects car". Besides these, a steerable chassis with no engine, and 7 fibreglass shells were used. Two of the three coupés survive, the third being scrapped from bad damage. Mr Gauntlett's car is in the hands of an unknown private collector.
For 2002's Die Another Day, Bond is reunited with an old friend after flirting with BMWs: The Aston Martin Vanquish. At the time Ford Motor Company owned Aston Martin, so they provieded seven cars. Four pre-production cars were especially re-constructed to provide the special effects, leaving three more standard production (or 'hero') cars for use for close ups and interior shots. These were identical production cars (with sequential chassis numbers 172,173 and 174) were finished in Tungsten Silver with charcoal leather interior together with a brushed aluminium centre console. These cars were never fitted with any special modifications what-so-ever. The four special effects cars needed to be fitted with a four wheel drive system for the action sequences shot on a frozen lake in Iceland. The Vanquish bodyshells were fitted with 300 bhp Ford Boss 302 V8's mounted as far back in the chassis as possible. This allowed sufficient room for the fitting of a front differential and drive shafts from the Ford Explorer, plus space for weaponry behind the grille. The 120 mph Aston/Ford performance 4WD hybrids were also fitted with roll cages for safety reasons - good job really as two were destroyed during filming. Since the frozen lake was only just thick enough to drive on following a 'warm' winter, concealed flotation devices were also fitted in case the ice gave way under the cars. One special effects car was damaged beyond repair in Iceland when it lost control and hit an iceberg trapped in the ice, the second after it was filmed sliding along on its roof.The two remaining special effect Vanquishes are still owned by Aston Martin and are displayed on rare occasions. On display during the opening of the Gaydon factory in 2003 was one of the (unidentified) survivors, which does not appear to have the missiles hidden in the grille and only has the machine guns placed on the bonnet. The second car, pre-production Vanquish PP13 has 4 front firing grille missiles, machine guns that can be raised or lowered through the bonnet and a full roll cage. One interesting feature of the 4WD Vanquish was the automatic gearbox that allowed for 120mph in both forward and reverse. Following filming, one of the special effects cars was shown at the 2002 British Motor Show together with a Jaguar and Thunderbird. The hero cars were also put to work on film and product promotion. The AML/Bonhams auction in May 2003 saw a unique opportunity to acquire one of the three 'hero' cars from the film. Chassis 172 was offered for sale in 'as new' condition with minimal mileage and full provenance from EON and AML. After strong bidding, the hammer fell at £190,000. Unbelievable that at the AML/Bonham's auction just a year later, a second 'hero' car, chassis number 173 was put up for sale. When the hammer fell on 173, the price was just £144,500 for this 'as new' Vanquish with 007 provenance.
For 2006's Casino Royale, James Bond drives a brand new 2006 Aston Martin DBS. The car is based on the DB9, but there are notable differences, like the height. Built on the VH Platform the car shares its roof, sidescreens and wheelbase with the DB9, but sits lower (by 25mm) and wider (by 40mm) than the DB9. Visually, the front end is dominated by air scoops and cooling ducts which help cool the six-litre V12 engine which has reportedly been uprated to produce more than 500 bhp. At the rear are a carbon diffuser and an integrated rear lip spoiler. Other details include a six-speed manual transmission and a removable stopwatch. A special helmet pod behind the driver's seat is present for Casino Royale but not in the production version. The car had no gadgets except a defibrillator, and set a world record with 7 rolls. The scene took three takes to film, and $300,000 worth of Aston DBSs were destroyed. Registration plate: TT 378-20.
For 2008, Quantum of Solace began with a car chase with Bond's 2008 Aston Martin DBS. Production aquired 7 Astons, one by accident was driven into the bottom of Lake Garda by a reckless Aston employee, and another was crashed into an Italian quarry. The one driven into the bottom of the lake sold for more than when it was new. At least two survive in fine condition. One is in a museum, and the other sold at Christie's Auction for £241,250. Registration plate: 72 GH3LD.
However the Late Mr Victor Gauntletts Car is alive and well and is owned by one of my customers .
The Aston Martin DB10 was shown at a private event at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2015.
Pictures and short report from MI6-HQ.com.
Also, Jay Leno also got a chance to drive it. Leno's report features an explanation from the car's chief-designer, Marek Reichman, what its design is all about. By the way, being a pre-production (hopefully), or show car (definitively), its windows don't roll down!
It's hard to say at this point, but I'd say there's a pretty good chance of that. Remember, two were used in SF.
DB5/1484/R and DB5/2007/R.
Spectre Aston Martin DB10
Vin/Reg: ‘SCFEABEL2FPX88010
6 speed manual
Colour: Spectre Silver
Engine: 4.7-litre V8 petrol
Length: 4410mm
Width (including mirrors): 2109mm
Height: 1250mm
Wheelbase: 2670mm
Total weight: 1542 kg
The 'show car' was sold on London, 18 February 2016. I wonder if they recovered the one at the bottom of the Tiber.