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Connery's Bond car for sale

Occasionally, the original remains the best – such in the case of James Bond.

With his indifferent demeanour and faintly suppressed Scottish accent Sean Connery remains, in the minds of many, the archetypical 007. It runs logically that the greatest Bond car must surely then also be the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 driven by Connery in the Goldfinger and Thunderball movies.

Well, if you are an unreconstructed Bond fanatic this is your year to finally take ownership of the most famous British car of all time. RM Auctions, in a joint venture with Sotheby’s, will sell the selfsame BD5 driven by Connery in London on 27 October this year.

The car is expected to fall under the hammer for a price exceeding $5m. Currently the DB5 is in Philadelphia radio station owner Jerry Lee’s collection.

Lee bought the famous Bond car in 1969 for $12 000 and has only released it for auction to raise funds for his Jerry Lee Foundation.


The seat leather may have a few more crinkles than back in the 1960s but the oversized woodrim steering wheel and in-car phone are still pure class...

DB5 with all the factory trinkets

After having been on static display at Lee’s home for four decades the DB5 is being nursed to running condition by RM Auction’s technically impeccable restoration team

Powered by an in-line six displacing 4l, the DB5 has 210kW and 390Nm at its disposal. Performance figures factor to a top speed of 233km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.4 seconds.

In terms of historical detail the Bond car was loaned to the movie producers by the Aston factory, which fitted the DB5 with such gadgetry as machine guns, a bulletproof shield, revolving license plates (awesome), a tracking device, a removable roof panel, oil-slick sprayer, nail spreader and smoke screen.

The special effects were controlled from factory toggle switches hidden in the centre armrest.

All things considered the Bond DB5 would make the ultimate matric farewell car - especially if your son can imitate the Connery accent properly…

Prior to the October auction, the Bond DB5 will be featured June 26 at the Bond-themed Midsummer Classic/Thunderball concourse and black-tie reception at the Stoke Park Club outside London.

They just don't make Bond cars (or special agents) like they used to...


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