Anyone know the story behind the James Bond DB5's

Someone with far more knowledge than me will hopefully reply but there were 4 cars, 2 used for filming and 2 used for promotional work. The first was initially to be known as a DB4 but Aston decided to rename it a DB5 as there were several changes from the DB4. It was originally dark red. You are correct in that one of the film cars was sold on by Aston once returned by the film company but it may not have been a gadget car. There's stories on the internet worth reading if you want to do some research. I think the one sold in London a year or so ago for a few million was one of the promotional cars.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/car-manufactur...


p.s. here's a bit more detail clipped from the AMOC forum.

I've been asked a couple of questions about the old films re. the four DB5's used in Goldfinger and Thunderball/OHMSS DBS but can't remember in what threads
I was asked so hopefully those who asked will read this.

Car one...aka EFFECTS CAR/TRICK ASTON MARTIN in the EON world.
Reg no BMT216A chassis no DP/216/1 4 speed DB gearbox
This was the prototype DB5,was originally Dubonnet Red/Grey Leather although the only colour pics of it make it look like Fiesta Red.
This one was in the Saint episode The Noble Sportsman NOT driven by Roger Moore(Simon Templar) but Anthony Quayle(Lord Yearley).
The car is filmed near Pinewood Studios although the Saint was filmed at Elstree Studio's.
This first aired in the UK on 9 January 1964 (Season 2, Episode 17)
The timeline is roughly as follows:
Jul 1963 ....DB5 launched
Sep 1963 ....Car used in autocar road test
Oct 1963 ....DB5 at Motor Show
Nov 1963 ....Eon (Ken Adams and John Stears) visit Aston at Feltham NOT NP
Jan 1964 ....Sent to Pinewood for gadget fitment by SFX team
Feb 1964 ....Sent to NP for respray into Silver Birch
Mar 1964 ....Sent to Pinewood for start of filming

This is deffo the car that was used for Paris premiere and was driven there by Mike Ashley from Aston with Sean Connery in the passenger seat.
When they were swapping seats so Connery could drive the last bit he slid over to the drivers seat whilst Ashley walked around to the passenger side.
This is when the girl dived in through the passenger window...she was removed and they drove on.
The ORIGINAL gearknob that flicks up was stolen when this car toured Japan,the one sold for fortunes wasn't in the film.....


Car two...aka ROAD CAR in the EON world.
Reg no. FMP7B chassis no DB5/1486/R 5 speed ZF gearbox
No gadgets fitted at this stage but modified to look as close as poss to BMT216A.

The film scenes are a combo of the two car's PLUS there were interiors mocked up from spare parts hired/bought from Aston.

There were four drivers in the scenes...Sean Connery and three stunt drivers.

Bob Simmons is in BMT216A and FMP7B(in Black Park Woods doubling for Swiss woods).
BMT216A is at the security gatehouse with the old lady (this is near the current water tank at Pinewood) and the ejector seat bit is done with a dummy seat
and dummy guard.
Stoke Park is all FMP7B so the famous shot of Connery with the car isn't BMT216A!
The Mustang was taken there for publicity shots as well as the Rolls Royce.
FMP7B was taken to Southend Airport(not Lydd as Lydd claim but BMT216A did fly into Lydd by Carvair during European promotions) for the shots with Connery
watching the Carvair and Goldfinger,the Rolls etc
BMT216A is used for the Q scene at Pinewood(and he uses the wrong switch for the revolving no. plates...)

FMP7B goes to Switzerland originally via Cherbourg on a ferry but it got damaged on the crossing so it only 'long shots' were filmed.
These are the bits where Bond follows at a distance.
Bill Baskerville is now the stunt driver.
Then the gearbox failed and the car was pushed into place for the great shot where Connery looks down on Goldfinger buying fruit.
BMT216A was rushed across and by the time Tilly shoots at Goldfinger it has replaced FMP7B!
Bill then does all the fast driving in BMT216A.
Part of the effects here are in the studio with mocked up plastic parts of the Aston and the Mustang(Mustang wasn't really damaged!!)
Then it's BMT216A that goes to the petrol station and you can see the roof panel,car phone in the drivers door,missing sunvisor etc and again this car is
used when Connery looks at Goldfingers factory.

FMP7B was returned to NP.
BMT216A went to Pinewood and now George Leech drives it for the chase around Goldfingers factory(Pinewood again)
Then BMT216A went back to Black Park with Connery,Tania Mallet etc foir their scenes.
It is the gadget car that crashes into the false wall,it did go a bit too far and damaged the revolving number no plate on the real wall behind the false
wall.
To make the machine guns on the car look like they were firing the front wheel was taken off and real machine gun was fired through the hole!

The Merc was crashed in the chalk pits at Harewood,recovered and crashed again into the side of a stage at Pinewood.

After filming BMT216A got dumped at Pinewood for a bit until Aston took it back and modifed the gadgets to last a bit longer and the car started promotional
work.

FMP7B was used in Thunderball but BMT216A was called back from promoting Goldfinger to be filmed too(all at Chateau D'Anet outside Paris)

Easy differences to spot are the rear bullet proof screen aperture/side indicators on BMT216A.

FMP7B now got fitted with similiar gadgets to BMT216A for promotion.

Then two more unregistered cars(owned by Eon not Aston),DB5/2008/R and DB5/2017/R were prepped with gadgets as showcars and toured the world.

The gadgets were stripped off BMT216A in 1968 sadly..Duh! (and fake ones later fitted!)

BMT216A(6633PP) is the Cannonball Run car(the back up car with the ejector seat was a DB4GT that was crashed/burned out in a bad accident during filming paralysing a
stunt woman)

BMT216A was re-registered 6633PP and show car DB5/2017/R was registered as BMT216A.

Today:
BMT216A (6633PP) was stolen from Boca Raton and is now presumed dumped in the sea...last owner was Anthony Pugliese 111
FMP7B was owned by Jerry Lee who lives in PA,USA. This car was sold by RM Auctions in London in 2010 for £2.9 million. http://www.rmauctions.com/media/release.cfm?id=748
DB5/2017/R is owned in Holland by Mr Kort and this is the one we had at Pinewood last year.
DB5/2018/R is the one sold for approx $2 million in 2006 to a private collector in Switzerland.

FMP7B appears in OHMSS as well....sort of.....when they dubbed the film it's FMP7B engine's noise you hear not the DBS's........

Hope all that lot answers the questions and was interesting!

At the risk of talking out of turn, I have had the pleasure of doing some work for DB's son who lives in a small market town in north Yorkshire. If you know the story of Aston Martin you will know that the DB moniker was attributed by the person who bought (David Brown) and rescued Aston Martin. I have been told and indeed have seen the Third car off the production line. The story goes that the first car off the line went to a royal (take a guess), the second was destined for pinewood studios (for the Bond Movies), and the third is still with the brown family in north yorks and looks as new but is seen regularly driven by David brown junior with the number plate DB 111.

Fantastic summary posted up there but the "today" section may need some updating by somebody smarter than me...though I do know the Jerry Lee car was auctioned off a couple of years ago, not sure where

Yes Thanks RichB, I did say I may be talking out of turn on here , but it was indeed, and still is the third production DB5 off the production line as far as I know. DB tractors, the rights sold to caterpillar, and south African mining interest aside.

For reference the skyfall db5 was actually a customers car that was in at Newport Pagnell for a full restoration. AML needed a car to recreate BMT 216A and approached said customer to see if he would be willing to volunteer his vehicle (he wisely said yes!).

Car is db5/2007/R was previously dark green with tan interior

Smart man quick blow over in silver birch and a black reupholstered interior lend it to the film company,his pride and joy goes down in film history and rises considerably in value

There is an appeal on crimewatch today
Asking for information on the Goldfinger car that was stolen years ago, there is now a 6 figure sum for information leading to its return
Current thinking is it’s in the Middle East

No, but I did see the state of the 3D printed scale model that they blew the st out of!: http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/news/voxeljet-bu...

Loving the resurrection of the thread, let’s keep a close eye on proceedings

I'm glad this thread has resurfaced - it's reminded me of something my Dad told me shortly before he died, from 1964 to 68 he worked for an export business called Livingstone Allpack down at Watford Gap, c.1968 he and his mate were tasked with crating up one of the 'show' DB5s for onward transit to Jamaica, so presumably it would have been DB5/2008/R or DB5/2017/R.