James Bond DB5 stunt car raises over $5 million at charity auction
The replica stunt car which featured in the 007 film No Time To Die has raised big dollars for charity at an auction to celebrate 60 years of the Bond films.A replica Aston Martin DB5 used in the latest James Bond film was the star lot at a Christie's Charity Auction in London raising money for a number of good causes. It was one of three special Aston Martin models included in the multi-million-dollar charity auction, accelerating beyond the auctioneer’s estimate before being sold to a telephone bidder. Originally expected to fetch between £1.5 million – £2 million, the iconic car, synonymous with the 007 series was sold for £2,922,000 ($5,142,001 AUD).
This stunt car is one of eight exclusively built and engineered by Aston Martin for No Time To Die, with each car uniquely modified for its individual role on screen. The replica stunt DB5 car sold at Christie’s features operational gadgets including a rotating digital numberplate, retractable headlights, pop-out machine guns and firing prop bomblets.
In the film, the DB5 features in a thrilling opening chase sequence, driven by James Bond (Daniel Craig), with Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), through Matera, Italy. The car demonstrates its incredible dynamic capabilities as the pair drive at high speed through the town to shake off their pursuers before Bond deploys the hidden machine guns.
The proceeds of the auctioned Aston Martin DB5 will benefit The Prince’s Trust in its work with young people; The Prince of Wales's Charitable Fund in support of charities assisting serving and former members of the UK Intelligence Agencies; and three charities supporting serving and former members of the UK Special Forces.
The other vehicles to go to auction included the 1981 Aston Martin V8 which was driven by Daniel Craig as James Bond in No Time To Die. The iconic model, which was the fastest four-seat production car of its day and Britain’s first true ‘supercar’, is similar to that used in the 1987 Bond film, The Living Daylights. The Aston Martin V8 was sold for £630,000 ($1.11 million AUD) to support the work of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
An Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 007 Edition, one of 25 examples created by Aston Martin to celebrate the car’s inclusion in No Time To Die also hit the block. Featuring a unique plaque with etched signatures from producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and actor Lashana Lynch, who drove the same Aston Martin model as Nomi in the film, the car raised £403,200 ($710,000 AUD) to support the Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales.
Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin said: “Aston Martin is incredibly proud to be part of James Bond’s DNA and we are delighted to celebrate this 60th anniversary with the sale of a truly unique Aston Martin model that we created for No Time To Die. It is fantastic that the sale of this special car will now hugely benefit several good causes which are close to our heart, playing our own part in the long-standing tradition of the James Bond franchise supporting charitable causes.”
The live auction featured 25 lots which included vehicles, watches, costumes and props that were featured in the 25th Bond film, No Time To Die.
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