It's not every day you come across an Aston Martin DB5, perhaps one of the most famous cars of all time thanks to its association with the James Bond franchise. Even Aston Martin cashed in recently with its $3.5 million continuation DB5 series of which just 25 examples are planned. But none of them are as unique as this one, which just sold for a far more "affordable" $201,007 (that's not a typo) on Bring A Trailer.
Despite still costing more than a new Aston Martin Vantage, this 1964 DB5 is actually a 1:1-scale replica display car. It has no engine or transmission and its body is made from fiberglass. The stainless steel bumpers are custom made, but the lights, front grille, and badging are all from Aston Martin.
There's a 110-volt power cord in place of the engine because something has to provide juice to its many gadgets. These are all inspired by what was seen on the movie car, such as a rotating license plate, smoke machine, rear bullet shield, rear axle tire shredders, taillight-mounted oil sprayer, and machine guns (fake ones, of course).
Other cool 007-inspired toys include a center console with functional controls and an illuminated radar map with a flashing tracker light and motorized door. There's even an "eject" button at the top of the gear shift knob, though neither the front nor passenger is actually ejected from the car; a thumping motion under the passenger seat happens instead. The removable roof panel has a monochrome British flag painted inside.
There are even Smiths gauges and a factory-style steering wheel. The odometer, go figure, is set at 007 miles. This replica was sold by its builder and has been displayed on numerous occasions at major events, such as SEMA, other auto shows, and a few Aston Martin dealerships. It's also been the subject of a few magazine articles. Other items that were part of the final sale were a master remote, keys, a green satin cover, three bottles of smoke fluid and oil spray, and a display stand for the removable roof.
Was it worth the final auction price? Any serious James Bond fan with sufficient disposable income would probably think so.