A Closer Look At James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 That Fetched $3.2 Million At Christine’s Auction

There is no upper limit to how much the Aston Martin of James Bond can cost. 

An Aston Martin DB5 stunt car featured in No Time To Die (2021) was recently auctioned off at Christie’s to celebrate 60 years of James Bond films. Not only did the replica raise $3.2 million for good causes, but it was also used as a stunt car in the movie. Aston Martin Lagonda’s replica of the DB5 was the star lot on the night of the auction, ascending beyond the auctioneer’s estimate before being sold at the insistence of a telephone bidder before the auctioneer could even conclude the bidding process. It was one of three special Aston Martin models included in the multimillion-dollar charity auction that featured a replica of the DB5. 

Daniel Craig’s character utilizes every gadget that is available to him while escaping from the bad guys, including Aston Martin’s old vehicle, which is battle-scarred but still functions well. At a recent prestigious auction, this stunt car, which had battle damage of all kinds, fetched a record sum of $3.2 million. 

The 007 Legacy

This DB5 is a replica built for the movie, and that did not prevent bidders from spending more on it than what an original version would sell for. Even though it is technically a replica, the car was designed specifically for the movie by Aston Martin, and it was one of eight that Aston Martin built to film. It is, therefore, evident that the film and the company have a direct connection owing to their shared history. In addition to its cool looks, there are many more functional features included in this vehicle, such as a rotating license plate and pop-out machine guns for the headlights, which adds to its coolness even further.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) are accompanied by Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) in an exciting chase scene at the start of the film, through Matera, Italy, where the DB5 is driven by James Bond (Daniel Craig). During a chase between the pursuers and Bond, the car shows its incredible dynamic abilities when Bond deploys the hidden machine guns within the vehicle. This is before the pursuers catch up with it. During the drive, the two drivers drove at high speeds throughout the town in an attempt to escape their pursuers.

The Noble Cause

Aside from supporting The Prince’s Trust’s work with young people, the auction proceeds of the DB5 will also benefit The Prince of Wales’s Charitable Fund, which supports charities that assist the serving and former members of the British Intelligence Agencies. It also supports three charities that support the serving and former members of the British Special Forces.

Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin, expressed that “the company is extremely proud of its contribution to the DNA of James Bond. Therefore, it is with the utmost pleasure that we offer a truly unique Aston Martin model to celebrate the 60th anniversary of James Bond.” It is all the more remarkable since it is explicitly designed for No Time to Die. 

Reichman further added, “The sale of this very special James Bond car will now be able to make a significant contribution to several good causes that are close to our hearts, and we are pleased that we can again contribute to a long-standing tradition of the James Bond franchise supporting charitable causes through the sale of this very special car.”

As part of a charity auction celebrating James Bond’s 60th anniversary, Christie’s in London lined up many more cars on hand besides the fabled Aston Martin. $703,000 was the final price for the iconic 1981 V8 Vantage that was featured in the movie No Time to Die. Taking advantage of the modern era, a new Superleggera DBS 007 Edition model too was auctioned for $449,000. An estimated $3.9 million worth of proceeds were donated to various charities as a result of the sale of the three Bond cars.

A total of 25 lots were offered for auction on the floor, which included vehicles, watches, costumes, and props, many of which were related to the Bond film, No Time To Die, with the last six lots representing each of the six actors who have played James Bond in the past. Throughout October 2022, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the world premiere of the first James Bond film Dr. No in 1962, there will be a big auction showcasing 35 lots spanning the 25 Bond films, which will continue until James Bond Day on 5 October 2022.

No Time To Die was Craig’s last Bond film before he moved on to other projects, and the bidding may just have been fuelled by that fact. With Casino Royale in 2006, he became the successor to Pierce Brosnan, who played the iconic role until 2003. In the following years, he starred in two more Bond movies – Quantum of Solace and Skyfall – and the blockbuster No Time To Die in 2021, which marked the end of his Bond career.