Almost as famous as its owner, as beautiful as it is lethal: it is the Aston Martin DB5, the car that James Bond drove for the first time in 1964 in “Goldfinger” and that the British car manufacturer has decided to faithfully reproduce gadgets and accessories from 007 included, for a group of selected enthusiasts.
Aston Martin has put into production 25 examples of the DB5 Goldfinger, and the first have started arriving in official dealerships, including the Milanese one, in recent days. Produced in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, it is the first new DB5 to be built in over half a century and is part of the company’s “continuation” program: between 1963 and 1965 fewer than 900 units were built, and the most famous of the first owners was the secret agent in the service of Her Majesty.
The new DB5s were created in collaboration with Bond filmmaker Eon Productions, in particular with the special effects supervisor of the latest Bond film. It is therefore not surprising that among the gadgets and accessories they are equipped with there are rear smoke and oil delivery systems (simulated), front and rear rotating plates, twin machine guns (obviously simulated), anti-ramming system, bulletproof glass and panel of the removable passenger seat roof. To the exteriors are added the hi-tech interiors: map simulation of the radar screen tracker, telephone integrated in the driver’s door, gearshift activation button, panel mounted on the armrest and center console, hidden compartment under the seat, remote control for activating the gadget.
From a technical point of view, however, under the hood there is a 4.0-cylinder in-line aspirated 290hp engine, triple SU and air cooler, coupled to a five-speed manual ZF gearbox in the rear-wheel drive, which features also a mechanical limited slip differential. Rounding out the picture is Girling power-assisted hydraulic disc brakes in steel, rack and pinion steering – which does not require assistance – and a suspension set-up that includes the coil over the spring and anti-roll bar damping units at the front, a suspension rear axle in tension with suspension arms and the Watt’s linkage, complete the dynamic package.
A real collector’s item that reproduces the car from the film in every detail, from the “Silver Birch” chosen for the bodywork to the aluminum exterior panels in full original DB5 style that mask the steel frame structure. Working on it, Aston Martin artisans and craftswomen, together with some of the best technicians, development engineers and designers in the world, who have collaborated to respect not only the wishes of the lucky owner but the Aston Martin tradition and that of cinema.
“The DB5 is arguably the most famous car in the world by virtue of its over 50-year association with James Bond – said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin Lagonda’s chief creative officer – See the first finished customer car and realize that this is the first new DB5 we have built in more than half a century is truly an exceptional moment. It is a real privilege and a great responsibility to have been involved in the creation of this new DB5 and to contribute to the continuation and creation of new versions of this car which is an icon in the world. I am absolutely certain that the 25 lucky owners who are starting to have these cars delivered will be literally thrilled ”.
