Iconic Cars: Aston Martin DB5

The Most Famous Car In The World

When Goldfinger came out in 1964, not only was it arguably one of the best Bond films presented to the world but from it, one of the most iconic cars of all time was born. Known as “the most famous car in the world,” fictional, super spy James Bond debuted his Aston Martin DB5, which was riddled with gadgets that were not only revolutionary for the time but gadgets that were also incredibly cool. A revolving license plate was one of the iconic key features of the car as it helped Bond travel through all the necessary countries on his mission undetected, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. Other gadgets in Bond’s Aston Martin included a GPS dashboard, tire slashers, a smoke screen, a rear bullet-proof screen, machine guns embedded in the front of his car, and most famously, an ejector seat. While many of these features were nothing more than science fiction at the time, they still helped the DB5 become the car of many car fanatics dreams, and over time even inspired some features, such as a modern-day in-dash GPS system that many now consider standard.

Driving From Book To Film

         Ian Fleming, the writer of the James Bond series, originally wrote in his novel Goldfinger that Bond drove an Aston Martin DB Mark III, but when the movie was being filmed Aston Martin had just released the DB5, and it was decided that in filming they would use the newest car. Thus, Bond’s famous car was introduced to the big screen, with two vehicles being used in the production itself. Referred to as the Road Car, one of the DB5’s in Goldfinger wasn’t altered at all, but instead, it was used simply for driving scenes when the gadgets weren’t being used. For scenes in which the gadgets were being utilized, the Effect Car, which was the vehicle upgraded with all of Bond’s iconic gadgets, was used. An additional two cars are often referred to as Bond cars, though they were never actually used in filming. Known as Promotion Cars, two Aston Martin DB5’s were given all of Bond’s gadgets, though they were simply used as promotional vehicles for the Bond films. The two Promotional Cars are regularly displayed around the world in various museums, and the Road Car is currently being displayed at a private museum in Ohio. In 1969 the Road Car was sold to American radio broadcaster Jerry Lee, and in 2010 the car was sold again, this time to car Collector Harry Yeaggy for $4.6 million. It is Yeaggy who is holding the famous Aston Martin in Ohio. As for the Effect Car, in 1997 the car disappeared from an airport in Florida, where the car had been stored, and in the 21 years since it was stolen the iconic Aston Martin DB5 has been missing without a trace. This is tragic news for James Bond fans and car lovers alike, with the only consolation being that the Bond films at least preserve the memory and the beauty of the car.

An Automotive Legacy

           However, even without 007’s involvement, the Aston Martin DB5 is still, in its own right, an iconic car. Honoring Sir David Brown, the man who owned Aston Martin at the time, the DB series unveiled the DB5 in 1963. With a top speed of 143 mph, horsepower of 282, and the ability to go zero to 60 mph in eight seconds, Aston Martin DB5’s can still hold its own compared to cars on the road today. More than that though, the Aston Martin DB5 is simply a beautiful car. It has a classic, timeless look to it, one that would have become iconic whether it was on the big screen or not, and one that is still considered the epitome of design to many. The Aston Martin DB5 is an impressive and iconic car, and for that, it is truly the most famous car in the world.