The last known remaining original Aston Martin DB5 used during filming has returned to James Bond's hometown of London, England...

DB5 Returns To London

21st July 2010

The last known remaining original Aston Martin DB5 used during the filming of "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball" returned to James Bond's hometown of London, England, today to promote the car's forthcoming auction event. It returned to the scene of a London photo shoot it was originally used in more than 40 years ago.

The car was used in a photo shoot in 1969 by its owner, American broadcasting boss Jerry Lee, outside the London Hilton on Park Lane and it has spent much of its time in the United States since then. Like the 1969 picture, today's Bond-like set up was completed with a female model dressed in 1960s-style knee-high boots, leaving passers-by shaken but not stirred.

The car is one of only two of the original Aston Martins that featured on screen with Sean Connery behind the wheel, and is the only one of the two known to still exist. It comes with gadgets including fake machine guns, revolving number plates and smoke screen.

This DB5 was called the "road car" and was used to shoot driving and chase scenes. Originally, it had no gadgets, but a complete set—minus the ejector seat—was installed for promotional purposes after the Bond car became an instant icon following Goldfinger's release in 1964.


The model is being sold by U.S. radio broadcaster Jerry Lee, who bought it for $12,000 in 1969. It has remained in his home since then and has rarely been seen publicly. The car is going under the hammer at RM Auctions in London on 27th October 2010.

Click here for further coverage of the DB5's auction.

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