Aston Martin have announced their plans to follow-up their ‘continuation models’ this time with the iconic ‘Goldfinger’ DB5 driven by the iconic British spy James Bond into Hollywood stardom.
The new Goldfinger DB5 continuation cars will follow the trend set by their predecessor, the DB4 GT, with just 25 examples being made for anyone – automotive enthusiasts and film buffs alike – keen to own a piece of cinema history. The cars will be made by Aston Martin in partnership with EON Productions, the studio which produces the James Bond films. The build will see the iconic car which was originally built in 1964 available in only one specification – Silver Birch paint – like the original car but will feature modern additions to ensure reliability and highest build quality. Just like the DB4 GT continuation project, the Goldfinger DB5s are not road legal.
Given that most of James Bond’s cars are festooned with toys and tricks from the MI-6’s Q Branch, Aston’s Q Division are working with Oscar winner Chris Corbould, special effects supervisor for the films to provide the 25 lucky customers with the gadgetry as seen in the movies, such as the rotating number-plates, and more. The car first made its big screen début in the third James Bond movie, Goldfinger, with Sean Connery portraying the British spy. Since its début, the DB5 has featured six more times in the series in the films Thunderball (1965) with Connery once again playing the role of Bond; Golden Eye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) with Pierce Brosnan, and three appearances alongside Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012), and Spectre (2015).
Sean Connery and the DB5
Andy Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer, Aston Martin, said: “The connection between Aston Martin and James Bond is something of which we are very proud and it is remarkable that the DB5 remains the definitive James Bond car after so many years. To own an Aston Martin has long been an aspiration for James Bond fans, but to own a Silver Birch DB5, complete with gadgets and built to the highest standards in the very same factory as the original James Bond cars? Well, that is surely the ultimate collectors’ fantasy. The skilled craftspeople at Aston Martin Works and the expert special effects team from the James Bond films are about to make this fantasy real for 25 very lucky customers.”
The cost of joining the action and being a lucky owner will definitely have you shaken but not stirred, with each model priced at £2.75 million (Rs 24.75 crore) plus tax. Deliveries are scheduled to start by 2020.
Story: Sahej Patheja
