A one-third scale gold-plated replica of James Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5 complete with "Q Branch" gadgets is being auctioned off by Christie’s auction house. The auction, which marks the 50th anniversary of the première of Goldfinger, is being staged to raise money for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).
If there’s any car in the world that needs no introduction it’s the Aston Martin DB5 driven by secret agent 007 in the 1964 feature film. It’s also the only DB5 to come with a proper optional extras package that includes a bulletproof shield, Browning heavy machine guns, rams, tire shredders, revolving number plates, smoke screen and oil slick projectors, a homing tracker, and an ejector seat.
Commissioned by EON productions, the one-third replica may not be able to go head to head with SPECTRE, but it does have a realistic interior and deployable shield, machine guns, revolving number plates and a detachable passenger roof section signed by Sir Ken Adam, who designed the DB5’s special "Q Branch" features. It even has a replica of the original BMT 216A number plate and comes with an upholstered case containing a ‘60s-style radio remote for controlling the gadgets.
The replica is based on the model DB5 that made a return in the 2012 Bond film Skyfall. In the script, 007’s car was supposed to be destroyed by machine gun fire, but since this is the automotive equivalent of eating a baby, the PropShop was commissioned to build a scale model.
They did this by making a 3D scan of a real DB5, then using this to scale down the plan and then fabricating the parts using a 3D printer. These were then assembled and finished by hand. The same technique was used for the charity auction one-off, though the original livery was swapped out for gold plating.
"The Aston Martin DB5 is clearly an iconic sports car," says Nicolette Tomkinson, Head of Popular Culture at Christie’s. “However this Goldfinger model version, with 24-carat gold detailing, is truly unique and as such we anticipate worldwide interest and competitive bidding. We are confident that this online-only sale will raise a significant sum for the NSPCC."
The online auction continues until September 17 with the DB5 estimated to fetch £40,000 to £60,000 (US$65,000 to US$97,000).
The video below shows off the features of the replica DB5.
Sources: Christie’s, Aston Martin, PropShop
