Film spy's car fetches fortune
Source: Agencies |
October 29, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
ONE of the world's most famous James Bond cars - the specially equipped silver Aston Martin first driven by Sean Connery in "Goldfinger" - was auctioned off on Wednesday in London for 2.6 million pounds (US$4.1 million).
The unique car, which boasts an ejector seat, machine guns, rotating license plates and other spy gear, was initially expected to go for more than 3.5 million pounds.
"This is the only genuine 007 James Bond car," said Mick Walsh, editor-in-chief of Classic and Sports Car Magazine.
It was bought by Harry Yeaggy, an American classic cars collector who has a small private museum in Ohio.
"We'll ride it around the streets of London tonight," he told the BBC.
He said it was likely the car would end up on public display, perhaps as the centerpiece of an upscale office complex in a city like Los Angeles or Moscow.
Bond's creator, newspaperman and novelist Ian Fleming had originally placed Bond in a Bentley, which was his own personal car of choice. But the filmmakers put him in the Aston Martin, which then competed mainly with the Jaguar E-type for the lucrative British and American sports car market.
Aston Martin was seen as a heady mix of Italian design and British engineering.
The silver Aston Martin DB5 coupe was used by Connery to elude various villains in both "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" - generally regarded as early classics in the long-running film franchise.
It is closely associated with the Connery-era Bond films, which are often preferred by aficionados, who rate him above George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and the current 007, Daniel Craig.
The use of the Aston Martin, with a rear bulletproof shield activated with the push of a dashboard button, provided a major boost for the British carmaker, which received worldwide publicity when the car was featured in "Goldfinger" in 1964.
It was the Bond movies that made Aston Martin a household name, even though its handmade cars remained far too expensive for most.
The street version of the Aston Martin DB5 was released in 1963 and had a top speed of 233km per hour.
The car auctioned by RM Auctions of London is one of two Aston Martins modified for use in the early Bond films, and it is the only surviving example.
The car, which contains an early version of the modern-day navigation system, is described as being in excellent condition. The other 007-modified Aston Martin was reported stolen in 1997 and has never been recovered. Many believe it has been destroyed.
The buyer also gets extra perks: A signed photograph of Connery standing with the Aston Martin on location in Switzerland during the filming of "Goldfinger," and several other bits of film memorabilia.
The unique car, which boasts an ejector seat, machine guns, rotating license plates and other spy gear, was initially expected to go for more than 3.5 million pounds.
"This is the only genuine 007 James Bond car," said Mick Walsh, editor-in-chief of Classic and Sports Car Magazine.
It was bought by Harry Yeaggy, an American classic cars collector who has a small private museum in Ohio.
"We'll ride it around the streets of London tonight," he told the BBC.
He said it was likely the car would end up on public display, perhaps as the centerpiece of an upscale office complex in a city like Los Angeles or Moscow.
Bond's creator, newspaperman and novelist Ian Fleming had originally placed Bond in a Bentley, which was his own personal car of choice. But the filmmakers put him in the Aston Martin, which then competed mainly with the Jaguar E-type for the lucrative British and American sports car market.
Aston Martin was seen as a heady mix of Italian design and British engineering.
The silver Aston Martin DB5 coupe was used by Connery to elude various villains in both "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" - generally regarded as early classics in the long-running film franchise.
It is closely associated with the Connery-era Bond films, which are often preferred by aficionados, who rate him above George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and the current 007, Daniel Craig.
The use of the Aston Martin, with a rear bulletproof shield activated with the push of a dashboard button, provided a major boost for the British carmaker, which received worldwide publicity when the car was featured in "Goldfinger" in 1964.
It was the Bond movies that made Aston Martin a household name, even though its handmade cars remained far too expensive for most.
The street version of the Aston Martin DB5 was released in 1963 and had a top speed of 233km per hour.
The car auctioned by RM Auctions of London is one of two Aston Martins modified for use in the early Bond films, and it is the only surviving example.
The car, which contains an early version of the modern-day navigation system, is described as being in excellent condition. The other 007-modified Aston Martin was reported stolen in 1997 and has never been recovered. Many believe it has been destroyed.
The buyer also gets extra perks: A signed photograph of Connery standing with the Aston Martin on location in Switzerland during the filming of "Goldfinger," and several other bits of film memorabilia.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
