Some cars appear in movies and are entirely forgettable, while others remain permanently linked to that role. Such is the case with the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, which was the transport of choice for James Bond in the movie Goldfinger before resurfacing in several of the following big screen classics. Our feature car is not one of those vehicles, although it is no less desirable. The man most readily associated with the Bond role was the late Sir Sean Connery, and this DB5 served as his personal transport. Following his passing, it is being offered from his estate. It is listed for auction here at Broad Arrow Auctions in Monterey, California. It is set to go under the hammer on August 18th, and the auction estimate is an eye-watering $1,400,000 to $1,800,000.
Aston Martin released the DB5 in 1963 as the successor to the DB4. During the 1964 model year, 1,009 buyers handed over the money to own one, with Connery purchasing this vehicle in 2018. He was a meticulous individual who reportedly became an expert on any item he bought, and the DB5 was no exception. The cars that saw service in the Bond movies wore a shade called Snow Shadow Grey, which was a color from the DB4 palette. The company offered the DB5 in ten colors, with the closest to the movie car’s color being Silver Birch. However, near enough wasn’t good enough for the great man, so he commissioned the car’s restoration in the Bond shade. It presents superbly, with no visible flaws or defects. The panels are laser straight, with gaps that are as tight and consistent as you might expect from a vehicle of this caliber. The beautiful wire wheels are flawless, as are the glass and trim. Unlike the Bond car, this DB5 doesn’t feature the toys and gadgets like concealed machine guns or a bulletproof screen. However, that is forgivable in a vehicle of such beauty.
It is no surprise to open the door of this classic and find its interior presented superbly. The seats wear rich red leather covers, with the remaining upholstered surfaces finished in the same material. The seat leather has wrinkles that form part of this material’s aging character, but there is no wear or physical damage. The timber wheel is a thing of beauty, while the gauges feature clear lenses and crisp markings. The dash is spotless, and the same is true of the carpet. There is no ejector seat, radar, or hidden telephone, although it does feature a factory Motorola pushbutton radio with an electric antenna.
One of the defining characteristics of British sports cars from this era is that their engine outputs tended to look modest compared to some models produced in North America. This was undoubtedly true of the DB5, but it demonstrated that used effectively, even modest power could provide excellent performance figures. Powering this Aston is a 3,996cc DOHC six-cylinder engine that breathes deeply through three SU carburetors. The company offered a more potent Vantage model with triple Weber carburetors, but this engine should produce a healthy 282hp. That power feeds to the rear wheels via the optional five-speed manual transmission, allowing this classic to storm through the ¼ mile in 14.6 seconds before winding its way to 149mph. Following Sir Sean’s passing in 2020, this car sat in storage and remained unused. The family recently treated it to a complete service and inspection by a noted Aston Martin specialist to ensure it was in sound mechanical health. With the work finished, this stunning driver is ready to go to a new home and be enjoyed immediately by a lucky new owner.
The idea of owning a car that was once the personal transport of the late Sir Sean Connery will be impossible for some to resist. This is especially true if the vehicle in question is an Aston Martin DB5. Connery was the embodiment of the suave and sophisticated Bond character created by Ian Fleming, while the DB5 is almost certainly the vehicle most readily associated with that character. The two fit hand-in-hand, and while DB5 values have softened recently, a pristine example can often fetch more than $1,200,000. I usually question whether a famous owner impacts the potential value of a classic car, but I suspect it will generate plenty of interest in this car. If it exceeds the high-end estimate, I won’t be surprised.
Dang….wanted one ever since I saw the movie when it opened back in – was it 1964 or 1965 ? Our dad took us to it at the TANG base movie house………
I put a lot of miles on my Corgi DB5 growing up.
Too bad the steering wheel is on the wrong side and I don’t think I made that much 💰 in my life.
Steering wheel is on the right side.
yeah, that steering wheel is exactly where it should be!! Sadly, I will never get to actually drive a beast like that but I can live vicariously through others! :)
Harvey its On Correct Side your just Use To Driving On Wrong Side , LoL
WHAT?!? No ejector seat button?!!! I’m out(LOL!) GLWTA!! :-)
Groovy Baby, Yeah!
This DB5 speaks for itself and I believe provenance will definitely play a big role in determining the selling price. I am still fascinated by the story of the DB4 I believe stolen out of the high security FL airplane hangar and supposedly now resides somewhere in the Middle East. I too still have my old gold Corgi that everything still works.
This car is crying out for a vanity plate. You ask which one? I answer CONNERY. When I win the lottery tonight this auction will be on my (not the car’s) radar.
My best friend had the Corgi version when Goldfinger came out. He went to see the movie as well. The Corgi version impressed the heck out me. The first 007 film I attended was Thunderball. It wasn’t until years later that I actually got to see Goldfinger. I fell in love with the DB5 when I did see it.
In 1963, my next door neighbor had an old funny looking silver colored car that he was always rubbing on. In 1964, I went to the movies.
I told my hot rodding chums about his Aston Martin DB 4, and my front yard became of more interest than the Super Bowl under construction nearby. Turns out the neighbor was what he called an autophile and a really nice guy, he let us sit in it after put a blanket on the right-hand seat!
Mom would bring out refreshments, Dad had to park a block away and threatened to charge admission. Soon our interest wondered!
We enhanced our vocabulary and learned not to judge cars by Detroit standards. What is that book by it’s cover thing? He let me ride in it, but he was smart enough to not let me drive.
Normally I do not put much stock in celebrity cars, but this is an exception. What I wouldn’t give for this. Bond made England proud. I remember the talk on the streets of London in the sixties every time a new Bond movie came out, it was all anyone seemed to talk about. There is a lot of hype about how cool London was in the “swinging sixties”, most of it is just that, hype, but a small sliver of it was true and these movies showed the best of it. The UK had just a fraction of its once greatness by that time, but this made people pretend it still was. I remember being young, sitting in a theater wishing I was just like Bond. Such fantasies!
I love that there’s an “inquire about financing” link in the auction listing LOL
But in all seriousness, there aren’t many – if any – more iconic movie cars than James Bond’s DB5. Bullitt’s Mustang comes close maybe
My favourite “Commander Bond moment” happened in 2012. Through the magic of film Queen Elizabeth was “escorted” by 007 to the opening ceremonies of the London Olympics. “She” parachuted into the stadium with Daniel Craig’s assistance. Now THAT was a proud British moment!
https://youtu.be/1AS-dCdYZbo
Barn find? – really? Incredibly cool car (as all DB’s are),
but why do you feature cars like this,rather than more affordable
ones that most of us here can afford.
I’m sure this one will be put into a private collection,& probably
never be taken out for a pleasure drive.
Well,,,I don’t care who owned what, these people put their pants on just like we do,,,I think, even though one surely has to recognize Sean Connerys talents. I don’t think the guy made a bad movie. Now, if it WAS the original Goldfinger car,( I read there were 4),,I can say, most kids that watched that movie, had an instant attraction to the car. Most had never heard of an Aston Martin, it was this magical car/weapon, that every kid with an imagination fell in love with. I think we were all devastated when he crashed,,oops, sorry, oh, Jeez, if you haven’t seen the movie by now. Ex-wife( or insert whoever you wanted out) would have found out about the ejection seat, fo sho. Very handy.
Like all these “celebrity” cars, Eastwoods pickup, what’s his names Rambler, Voights Chrysler, big deal( I think was the Seinfeld message there) and shouldn’t add a dime to the price. Besides, you got the money for this, what’s another couple ( hundred) grand for bragging rights?
This DB-5 is kind of the ultimate for collectors. Beautiful English performance GT car, with a pop culture provenance from the Bond films, and was actually owned by Sir Sean Connery. It will probably gavel at the auction, for more than the appraisal value.
As for your comment about Mr. Connery never making a bad movie,
Have you seen that flaming turkey sci-fi from the 1970’s called “Zardoz” ?
Definitely a Holy Grail car, for a collector to purchase.
And yes, I had the Corgi toy car, with spring loaded machine guns, and bullet proof shield on the back.
I remember this are offered 3 decades ago for sale about 30k
And i had this toy DB 5 with the Bond gimmicks too unless
back in the 70’s a wrong friend stole it from my toy cars shelf.
Beautiful car.
Well I can’t say I’m a big fan of British cars, but this is one I’d make an exception to. I saw it in Goldfinger and have loved it ever since. I have to say the newer BMW’s just don’t do it like this one did.
As the author notes, British sports cars of the era did not tend to match the gross power output of their highest performing contemporary American V8s it’s true…though only really because the Detroit motors used much larger cubic capacities. If you consider that the rarest high-output versions of V8s of the 1960s, like the 426 hemi or fuel injected Corvette motors just about hit that magic “one horsepower per cubic inch” – the Aston Martin, making 282 bhp out of just 244 cubic inches is comfortably better in terms of specific output, same for the Jaguar e-type in 1961making 265 bhp out of a 232 cubic inch motors as standard.
The DOHC hemi-head Aston engine or the Jaguar engine could be considered much closer in design to racing motors….but with the rumbling US V8s it’s true to say “no replacement for displacement”
It’s cheaper than the replicas by Aston Martin https://www.auto123.com/en/news/amp/aston-martin-db5-james-bond-goldfinger-replica/65897/
My son flew a DB5 via Southern/DHL 777F last year from Kuwait to London. I wonder if it was this one? Probably not, but I am going to tell anybody on the next bar stool it was. There were also two racing Porsches on the flight. I did not recognize the Porsche livery. I would post the images, but I am saving my BF money for when it is time to sell my Corvette. (P.S. I will be happy to share the images through another channel.)
Back in the ’70’s, when I attended Syracuse University in Upstate New York, my winter driver was this LHD DB6 Vantage…
… while my summer transport was this DB4C drop-head, one of 12 made in left-hand-drive with the Special Series engine (precursor to the Vantage).
You woke up in the right crib!
Can we assume you studied Finance at the ‘Cuse?
I hope it comes with a hot bond girl.
My God, that’s a thing of beauty. I miss wooden steering wheels too.
Also, for those with a sense of humor, here’s a very funny fake bit about Sean rejecting Steve Jobs.
https://www.cnet.com/culture/fake-sean-connery-letter-to-steve-jobs-goes-viral/
Betcha it hits 2 mil.
Celebrity cars are an absolute wild card when it comes to value. Sometimes they fetch far more than the same car with no celebrity provenance, such as John Lennon’s 1965 Rolls Royce, and there are instances when having been owned by one of the world’s most famous celebrities doesn’t add a penny to the value…such as Frank Sinatra’s blue Maserati Ghibli.
More recently a silver E Type roadster purchased by Steve McQueen in 1970 new, and driven by him around London and then taken to the set of the film Le Mans, only brought regular Series II money, even though Bonhams had expected that the “King of Cool” ownership factor would mean around a third of a million euros! Sean Connery only owned this DB-5 for a couple of years and barely drove it…so who knows what his brief ownership will mean to the value. If I had to guess, I would say that the whole James Bond/Sean Connery mystique associated with the DB-5, will transcend all logic and other precedents, including Connery’s fleeting ownership of the car, and that someone with deep pockets will indeed pay a fortune for it.
Connery bought the car only a short time before he died after “long battle with dementia” as it was reported. It raises a question for me about the actual provenance of the car. And how much it was used as his personal transportation.
Auctions make many claims. Anyway, nice Aston.
Nice car, but too rich for my pocket. I wouldn’t mind owning one.
SOLD for 2.2 million U.S.