Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 sells for record sum

Working Bond car went for £5.26m at RM Sotherby's Monterey Auction

A number of impressive lots went under the hammer at RM Sotherby's Monterey Auction over the weekend, but none more so than this record-breaking Aston Martin DB5. As one of the four cars modified to 007-spec for Sean Connery's use in Goldfinger, original estimates had placed its value somewhere between $4-6 million, but it smashed even those lofty expectations, selling for $6,385,000.

That makes it the most expensive Bond car ever sold by quite some margin, beating the previous holder - another of the four Goldfinger cars - which went under the hammer for $4.2 million back in 2010. It also makes it twice as costly as Aston Martin's modern recreation although, unlike those new cars, this 1964 machine is road legal.

As far as on-screen appearances go, however, the 21st century replicas have just as much heritage as this car does. It may have been built to the same specification as the original film cars, but was in fact created by the studio for the US promotional tour of Thunderball. So while it comes complete with fully-functional bulletproof screen, oil slick sprayer, smoke screen and pop-out prop machine guns, as well as an ejector seat and in-dash radar, none of them were ever operated by 007 himself.

Nonetheless, the record-breaking DB5 is in immaculate condition, having recently undergone an extensive restoration at Roos Engineering in Switzerland, one of just 13 facilities worldwide appointed by Aston Martin as a Heritage Specialist. How extensive, you ask? Well it took four years, during which time the car was subjected to a thorough once over, meaning that it drives and functions as well as Q would expect, and ensuring it can continue to enthrall Bond-lovers for years to come.

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