On 9 September 2015, a small but iconic item was auctioned in Guernsey: a registration plate reading “007.” The plate sold for a staggering £240,000, leaving many to wonder what vehicle would carry such a legendary number. Fast forward to 2020, and Aston Martin revived the famous DB5 with gadgets from the James Bond film Goldfinger. The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation, priced at over R60 million, is a limited edition with only 25 units produced. While not road-legal, it offers the ultimate Bond experience, albeit for those with deep pockets and a private track. Alistair Duff’s article was first published on FirstRand Perspectives.
How much would you pay to be James Bond?
By Alistair Duff
On 9 September 2015, an auction house in Guernsey had a peculiar item up for bid; amongst arts and antiques, there was a small plate with three digits. The number in question will undoubtedly be familiar to many; it is hard to think of a three-digit sequence that is more recognisable today. 007 appeared stencilled in white on a black background, and the unassuming registration plate entitles the successful purchaser to legally adorn any vehicle of their choosing with the iconic number. The final and winning bid was an amazing £240,000 from an anonymous purchaser, leaving many to wonder about the type of vehicle that would carry the plates. It is safe to assume that many hoped it would be an Aston Martin.
From a famous number to a famous car
During preparation for the third instalment of the James Bond franchise, 1964’s Goldfinger, legendary film designer Ken Adam was busy with a new idea for the world’s most famous civil servant. His idea centred on Mr Bond’s means of transport; surely spies were renowned for their clever devices, and why wouldn’t that extend to their cars? Along with a slew of ideas for the types of gadgets that could be found in a spy’s automobile, he also had an exact car in mind, Aston Martin’s DB5. The leadership at the car company had several misgivings when approached by Adam and other members of the film’s production crew but were ultimately talked into the idea. Thus, two Aston Martins were delivered to Pinewood Studios in January 1964. The rest is celluloid history. Despite a now longstanding relationship between the brand and the man with a license to kill, the DB5 remains the most famous of them all. In fact, to many, the car is the most famous car of all time. Quite a feat for a model that only saw less than 900 produced.
Skip ahead 55 years
Recently, many automobile brands have begun to look back on some of the best models produced in times gone by. It is impossible to open an automobile magazine today and not see the latest “continuation” model, as the industry describes it. Classic cars with classic style have been celebrated and reborn, ready for the modern world, but very few could have guessed at the latest example of a vehicular trip down memory lane. More than half a century after stealing the show in Goldfinger, the first new DB5 rolled out of the Aston Martin plant on the 6th of July, 2020. The truly remarkable thing about this release is not the modernisation of the car but rather the addition of some rather unique new features – certainly, features that did not come standard with the commercially available model from the fifties, though probably not entirely new if you were in the employ of Her Majesty’s secret service. The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation has, as much as law permits, the same array of fiendish devices that left villainous cronies in smoking wrecks in the opening moments of the film it is named after.
Front-mounted Browning machine guns and an ejector seat?
Despite very little modification to the original car, modern science has proven helpful in one way about the new DB5; for the first time, all the special features have been fitted into the vehicle simultaneously. During the original filming, endless hours and meticulous care were devoted to replacing one gadget with another. As the crew had only one car to work on, any damage was inconceivable, so the devices that powered the modifications had to be swapped remarkably carefully. There was never any possibility of having multiple additions working simultaneously. Luckily, as time has passed, everything has become much more compact and, therefore, can all fit into a smaller space. For those who have never seen the film or have forgotten over time, the following is a list of the valuable tools that 007 had at his disposal.
Exterior:
- Rear smoke screen delivery system
- Rear simulated oil slick delivery system
- Revolving number plates front and rear (triple plates)
- Simulated twin front machine guns
- Bullet-resistant rear shield
- Battering rams front and rear
- Simulated tyre slasher
- Removable passenger seat roof panel (optional equipment)
Interior:
- Simulated radar screen tracker map
- Telephone in driver’s door
- Gear knob actuator button
- Armrest and centre console-mounted switchgear
- Under-seat hidden weapons/storage tray
- Remote control for gadget activation
It is probably a good time to make clear that the word “simulated”, which appears next to a number of the original gimmicks, is with very good reason. So, no, upon purchasing your new DB5, you cannot encourage fellow drivers to move aside with a quick spray of machine gun fire. Despite initial consideration, you will also be unable to get rid of unwanted passengers via the roof, although you can get a removable panel fitted. Somehow, pushing someone through a small sunroof at high speed sounds much less cool.
Ultimately, we return to this article’s initial question and headline: how much would you pay to be James Bond? As Aston Martin has only made 25 of the Goldfinger Continuation, it is more likely to stand out than a new BMW, but at a price of over R60 million, you should expect that. Another important consideration is that the car is not road-legal, so admiring glances will likely be restricted to those willing to join you on a country lane or potentially an abandoned aeroplane runway. Despite these significant drawbacks, if you have R60 million spare and some wide-open space, this is as near as you can get to this mythical figure. The obvious next step would be to chat to someone in Guernsey about their registration plates.
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