The Aston Martin DB5, built in 1963-1965 model years, is a classic luxury grand tourer (GT) coupe made by British luxury sports cars manufacturer Aston Martin. It was a slight update from the DB4 model which preceded it and was succeeded by the DB6. This Bond Car is by far the most iconic in the franchise.
The DB5 is most famous for being the third, but most recognized, James Bond series car, though it is the very first automobile of choice for the film version of the MI6 00 Agent. The vehicle first appeared in EON Productions' 1964 film Goldfinger and went on to appear in Thunderball (1965), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time To Die (2021). In addition, the vehicle has appeared in several video games, including 007 Racing (2000), Agent Under Fire (2001), From Russia with Love (2005), Blood Stone (2010), James Bond: World of Espionage (2015) and the Best of Bond DLC for Forza Horizon 4 (2018).
Overview[]
The principal differences between the preceding Aston Martin DB4 Series V and the DB5 are: The all-aluminium DOHC Straight-6 engine was enlarged from 3.7 L to 4.0 L, A new robust ZF five-speed transmission (except for some of the very first built DB5s)[2] and three SU carburetors Producing 282 bhp (210 kW), which propelled the car to 145 mph (233 km/h), this engine, available on the Vantage (high powered) version of the DB4 since March 1962, became the standard Aston Martin power unit with the launch in September 1963 of the DB5.[3] Standard equipment on the DB5 included reclining seats, wool pile carpets, electric windows, twin fuel tanks, chrome wire wheels, oil cooler, magnesium-alloy body built to superleggera patent technique, full leather trim in the cabin and even a fire extinguisher. All models have two doors and are of a 2+2 configuration. A three-speed Borg-Warner DG automatic transmission was available as well. At the beginning, the original four-speed manual (with optional overdrive) was standard fitment, but it was soon dropped in favor of the ZF five-speed.[4] The automatic option was then changed to the Borg-Warner Model 8 shortly before the DB6 replaced the DB5.[3]
Appearances[]
Sean Connery era[]
The DB5's first appearance in Goldfinger.
The Aston Martin DB5 is by far the most popular Aston Martin-made car among many fans due to its famous use by James Bond in Goldfinger (1964). Although Ian Fleming had placed Bond in a similar-looking DB Mark III in the original 1959 novel, the DB5 itself was the company's newest model available when the film was produced. Aston Martin was initially reluctant, but was finally convinced by the film's crew into a product placement deal. The car used in Goldfinger was actually the original DB5 prototype from the factory, with another standard car used for stunts. Two more modified cars were built for publicity tours after the film's release. In January 2006, one of those original screen cars was auctioned for more than $2 million, and the other was sold in 2019 for $6.4 million.[5] In the 1964 New York World's Fair, both of the first two cars were used to promote the film, and sales of the model rapidly grew when it was described "The most famous car in the world".
Famous for its array of gadgets, the film's script initially had the car armed only with smokescreen. However, the gadgets rapidly increased as crew members began suggesting devices to install in it. For instance, director Guy Hamilton conceived the revolving license plate because he had been getting lots of parking tickets, while his stepson suggested the ejector seat (which he saw on television).[6] Some further changes were made during production; including the replacement of a caltrop-dropping gadget (located behind the rear light cluster) with an oil dispenser because the producers thought the original could be easily copied by viewers.[7] Production designer Ken Adam and engineer John Stears overhauled the prototype Aston Martin DB5 coupe, installing these and other features into the car over six weeks.[8] Only two of the gadgets were not actually installed in the vehicle: the wheel-destroying blades, inspired by Ben-Hur's scythed chariots (entirely made on studio); and the ejector seat. The scene where the DB5 crashes was filmed twice, with the second take being used in the film. The first take, in which the car drives right through the fake wall, can be seen in the film's trailer.[9]
The vehicle was used again in the following film, Thunderball (Reg: BMT 216A), where it was equipped with two rear-facing water cannons for Bond's escape from Bouvar's château. The effect was achieved using two fire hoses mounted under the vehicle, the hose pipes are clearly visible in some shots.
Pierce Brosnan era[]
The DB5 makes a long-awaited return in GoldenEye.
After a thirty-year absence from the film series, the Aston Martin DB5 finally reappeared in GoldenEye (1995). Sporting a new number-plate (Reg: BMT 214A), the car was fitted with a radio that doubled as a printer and communication device, and a champagne cooler concealed under the centre arm rest, but doesn't use any gadgets. During the film, Bond is accompanied to Monte Carlo by an MI6 psychiatric evaluator, and engages in a race against a Ferrari F355 GTS owned by assassin, Xenia Onatopp. Three different DB5s were used for filming. The BMT 214A model also returned in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and was originally set to make a cameo at Castle Thane in The World Is Not Enough (1999). Although the scene was cut, the outline of the Aston Martin can still be seen in the closing scenes of the film; as M and her staff attempt to locate Bond with a thermal-imaging satellite.
Daniel Craig era[]
Alex Dimitrios' Bahamian DB5
Following the series' reboot in 2006, another DB5 (Reg: 56526) made an appearance in Casino Royale, in which Daniel Craig's Bond wins the classic Aston Martin in a game of poker against the villain Alex Dimitrios. Unlike the usual vehicle, it had Bahamian number license plates and was left-hand drive similar to American-built cars, whereas previous versions had been right-hand drive. The left-hand drive DB5 would not make a reappearance during Craig's tenure as Bond. Instead, the classic gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 (with the original registration BMT 216A) inexplicably returned in 2012's Skyfall.[10]
James Bond offers to protect M
Attempting to protect M from the vengeful ex-MI6 cyber-terrorist Raoul Silva, 007 swoops by a London warehouse to swap his vulnerable government car for the Aston Martin DB5. The pair travel to Bond's ancestral home, Skyfall Lodge, and use the vehicle's concealed weaponry to stage a defense of the building. The car is subsequently destroyed by heavy machine gun fire - much to Bond's fury. To achieve the effect during filming, replica miniature cars were used and destroyed, thus saving the actual DB5 car from destruction. 3D printing techniques were used to create models a third of the size of the real DB5.[11]
The destroyed DB5 being rebuilt by Q
Subsequently, in Spectre, Q attempts to painstakingly reconstruct the DB5 from the wreckage. In the final scene of the film, 007 retrieves the restored car and drives off with his new flame, Madeleine Swann. The vehicle (now with the registration "A 4269 00") would return for Craig's final film, No Time to Die, equipped with twin M134 Miniguns behind each of its headlamps.[12] Despite its upgrades, the outline of its ejector hatch indicates it retained some of its old features. Chase sequences involving the DB5 were filmed in southern Italy between late August and September 2019.[13][14] Eight different vehicles were used for filming.[15]
Alternate continuities[]
Video game appearances[]
The DB5 (alongside James Bond) as it appears in Russia with Love.
The classic Aston Martin DB5 (Reg: BMT 216A) has also made appearances in the James Bond video games 007 Racing (2000), Agent Under Fire (2001), From Russia with Love (2005), and Blood Stone (2010). In 007 Racing, it appeared in the first level of the game, featuring gadgets from the film Goldfinger and would appear in several later levels as well as the multiplayer mode. The DB5 promptly returned in 2001's Agent Under Fire, where 007 attempts to locate an incriminating data-chip ejected somewhere in Bucharest. Unlike its movie counterpart, the Agent Under Fire vehicle was equipped with rockets and guided missiles, similar to 007 Racing. For the video game adaptation of From Russia with Love, the Aston Martin (although it is first introduced in Goldfinger) is shipped out to Istanbul by Q Branch. In Blood Stone Bond drives a stock (and apparently not his own) DB5 during a chase sequence in Istanbul, in a bid to prevent the villain from passing on confidential documents. At the end of the pursuit, the car is effectively written-off of the game after crashing into a construction site. The car also appears in the James Bond's DLC of Forza Horizon 4: Best of Bond and as an unlockable cash-shop purchase in Rocket League[16].
Comic appearances[]
The BMT 216A DB5 vehicle in Eclipse Comics' Permission to Die.
The Aston Martin DB5 (Reg: BMT 216A) appears briefly in Eclipse Comics' 1989 graphic novel, Permission to Die, as Bond's personal automobile that he drives to work in London.
Television appearances[]
The DB5 made a prominent appearance in the premiere episode ("The Beginning") of the 1991–92 spin-off animated television series, James Bond Jr., as well as its literary and comic adaptations. Borrowed by Bond's nephew, the vehicle is pursued by agents of the criminal organization, SCUM, who want to procure its electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generator. In reality, the vehicle is not equipped with one. This iteration of the car is equipped with a homing device and remote starter kit. Its most notable feature is its flight mode, whereby its doors fold into wings and a propeller emerges from the radiator grille. The car is destroyed after the SCUM plane it was being carried on crashes in the English countryside. It is implied that Bond Jr's sports car was constructed from the DB5's wreckage.
Gadgets[]
Film Gadgets[]
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Machine guns — There were two front-firing Browning .30 calibre machine guns hidden behind each of the front indicators (which flipped down when in use). Seeing action in both Goldfinger and Skyfall. After the Craig continuity DB5 was rebuilt they were built into the top of the rear light clusters, replaced in the front by a pair of M134 miniguns in No Time to Die. |
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Tire-shredding blade — Concealed in the hubcap of the vehicle's nearside rear wheel is a chariot-style retractable blade. It was used to cripple Tilly Masterston's Ford Mustang in Goldfinger. |
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Bullet screen — Perhaps indicating its rear window had conventional glass, the DB5 came equipped with a bullet-proof rear screen in Goldfinger and Thunderball. Controlled from the center console, a sheet of metal rose from the boot to form a protective barrier across the window. |
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Tracking equipment — A precursor to the modern GPS device, the scanner displayed the position of a Homing Beacon on a monochrome display concealed behind the dashboard. In Goldfinger, it was used to follow Goldfinger's Rolls-Royce Phantom III. The device is stated to have a range of 150 miles. |
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Ejector seat — For an unwelcome passenger, the DB5 came equipped with an ejector seat. The trigger is concealed beneath a flip-cap on the gear-shift stick. When pressed, a section of the roof is jettisoned, along with the passenger seat and its occupant. It was featured in Goldfinger and mentioned, but not used, in Skyfall. |
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Oil sprayer — An oil sprayer was concealed behind behind the nearside rear light cluster. The resultant oil slick severely reduced road traction and allowed Bond to evade persuers in Goldfinger. It was operated by toggles and switches hidden in the center armrest. |
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Smoke screen — In addition to other pursuit counter-measures, a thick smoke screen could be vented from the vehicle's exhaust pipes; reducing visibility for those following. As with the oil slick, 007 uses it in Goldfinger during his escape from Auric Enterprises. |
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Bullet-proof glass — In Goldfinger, the DB5's windshield had been reinforced to withstand impact damage from most conventional firearms. In No Time To Die, the Craig continuity DB5 is equipped with reinforced glass throughout. |
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Revolving number plates — The classic DB5 also came with rotating number plates, some of which included: "BMT 216A" (UK), "4711-EA-62" (France) and "LU 6789" (Switzerland). |
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Water cannons — For Thunderball, two high-pressure, rear-facing water cannons were added to the underside of the DB5. To achieve the effect two fire hoses were mounted under the vehicle. The hose pipes can be clearly seen in some shots. |
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Alpine 7817R — In GoldenEye, the Aston Martin featured an Alpine 7817R radio and CD player which acted as a communication device. It also doubled as a colour printer/fax machine for receiving intelligence from MI6; dispensing printouts from the disc slot. |
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M134 Miniguns — In No Time To Die, the Craig continuity DB5 was rebuilt by Q Branch and equipped with twin M134 Miniguns, concealed behind each of its retractable headlamps.[12] The weaponry is a significant upgrade to the original .30 machine guns. |
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Reinforced chassis — After the DB5 was rebuilt the cars chassis was reinforced to withstand high impact damage from other vehicles and conventional firearms, making the car's body and windows impervious to bullet damage. |
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Mine Dispenser — In No Time To Die while racing through Matera's winding streets the DB5 deploys a large cluster of small mines that release from a hidden compartment behind the cars's rear bumper. The mines are extremely powerful, instantly exploding upon contact with the SPECTRE agents pursuing Bond. |
Game gadgets[]
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Cutting lasers — Taking inspiration from the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, for 007 Racing (2000) laser emitters were concealed in the port and starboard side of the DB5; capable of cutting through the tires of any vehicle alongside. |
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EMP device — This weapon only appears in one mission of 007 Racing (Ambush). A violet beam is projected from concealed emitters in the port and starboard side of the DB5; capable of destroying computer hardware. |
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Forward-mounted rockets — First introduced in 007 Racing as "hellfire missiles". In Agent Under Fire (2001), two forward-firing rocket launchers were concealed behind the vehicle's front number plate, which lifted up to reveal the weaponry underneath. The DB5 contained a total magazine of 10 rockets. |
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Surface-to-air missiles — First introduced in 007 Racing as "stinger missiles". Also in Agent Under Fire, the DB5 came equipped with two guided missile launchers on either side of the vehicle. Like the BMW Z8, they were concealed behind the side vents and had total of 4 missiles. |
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Q-Boost — The Agent Under Fire car also came with a rocket booster for providing a short burst of speed. Like the Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante, it was concealed behind the rear number plate, which flipped upwards and retracted into the body of the car. |
Promotional & unused gadgets[]
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Caltrop dispenser — In one of the Goldfinger promotional vehicles, spiked caltrops can be dispensed from behind the rear light cluster. In the film this feature was replaced with an oil dispenser because the producers thought the original could be easily copied by viewers. |
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Radio telephone — As with Bond's 1935 Bentley 3½ Litre in From Russia with Love, the DB5 is equipped with a radio telephone for communicating with headquarters. While built into the vehicle, it was never seen in use in the film. |
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Front and rear extending rams — The DB5 comes equipped with front and rear battering rams which extend from the bumpers. Although not used on screen, the front rams were included on virtually all toy replicas of the car. |
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Concealed compartment — Under the driver's seat is a hidden compartment which contains several weapons. While not used on screen, it was built into the vehicle and featured in the Goldfinger novel. |
Misc appearances[]
Due to the high popularity of the vehicle and its clear association with James Bond, the DB5 made cameo appearances in some media outside the James Bond franchise. It appeared in the 1981 racing comedy film The Cannonball Run, fittingly driven by Roger Moore's character and the car itself is the one used in Goldfinger. Two years later, in the TV-film The Return of the Man from UNCLE, George Lazenby, playing a Bond-like character referred to as "JB", also drove a gadget-laden DB5 (with the licence plate "JB"). Another spy show in homage to Casino Royale, if not James Bond as a whole, the original Mission: Impossible (1966) television series, in Episode 6 "Odds on Evil", Steven Hill drives a uniquely painted red Aston Martin DB5 complete with twin yellow flags on the front. Consequently, Timothy Dalton remains the only official Bond actor who has never driven a DB5 on screen. However, scripts for his cancelled third Bond film confirm a DB5 was planned to be used.
The JB 700 as seen Grand Theft Auto V.
The most recent appearance of the classic vehicle in any non-James Bond movie or TV series is the 2004 film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, in which Geoffrey Rush, playing Peter Sellers, is shown driving one at the time of making Casino Royale; even though in real life, that film did not feature the vehicle. A DB5-like car in homage to the James Bond series, specifically Goldfinger, made an appearance in the popular 2013 Rockstar Games action-adventure video game Grand Theft Auto V under the name 'JB 700' (spelling out Bond's initials with "007" reversed). In two missions of the game's story, "Deep Inside" and "Pack Man", the vehicle is equipped with gadgets - spikes and a ejecting chair, as well as two high-caliber machine guns mounted on top of the front fenders (although the guns strangely function like shotguns and fire in union rather than together). The mission version of the vehicle has a unique license plate reading "4G3NT", meaning "AGENT", a reference to James Bond being a 00 Agent. This rare car can be bought from Legendary Motor Sports for $475,000 ($350,000 in Online) to be freely driven by the player after those missions are completed. However, to many James Bond fans of the GTA community's dismay, the JB 700 does not have most of the many gadgets featured on its Aston Martin DB5 counterpart in the Bond movies, nor the in-game gadgets themselves can be used in the free gameplay mode, as it is supposedly decommissioned, although they all are actually still visible but rendered inoperable. In a later update to Grand Theft Auto Online, an upgraded variant of the car, renamed the JB 700W, was added, with the capability to have functional machine guns and a choice between spike and oil slick mines installed, though the ejector seat remains nonfunctional. The 2015 vehicular soccer game Rocket League has the Aston Martin DB5 available as a DLC alongside many other iconic vehicles from various different franchises. The DB5 also makes an appearance in the 2022 racing game Gran Turismo 7 as an available car to be purchased in-game to compete against other real-world cars (although Gran Turismo 2 in 1999 previously used the DB6 model).
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- As the Aston Martin DB5 was only produced in two model years back in the mid-1960s, it is a rare and expensive vehicle even when it was new; Only 1059 cars were built. However, despite its age, Aston Martin still supports existing models today due to its popularity, and in 2020, the company created 25 authentic reproductions of the Goldfinger DB5 with all of the gadgets by the same manufacturers who built the original units for the film.
- Eight DB5 stunt replicas were said to be built by Aston Martin for the filming of No Time to Die and two cars that also appeared in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Skyfall and Spectre were used for some close-ups.[17]
- Interestingly, in the box art of 007 Racing, the front license plate of the DB5 reads "L1R1△◯X", which is most of the buttons of the PlayStation controller. However, in-game and during cutscenes, it instead reads "BMT 216A", meaning it is actually the car from the Goldfinger film.
- In terms of cult-following,the Aston Martin DB5 is likely the most popular "important object" in all of the James Bond franchise's history, alongside the Golden Gun.
- The first filming DB5 unit of Goldfinger, DP/2161/1, the original prototype car by Aston Martin, although it had its gadgets stripped and resold, was stolen in 1997 from its last owner in the state of Florida and the vehicle itself remains missing to this day. This same car was also used in The Cannonball Run (1981) and just before it appeared in Goldfinger, it is seen in one episode The Saint 1962-1969 TV series.
- The gadgets of the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger are an influence to the Mach 5's special button functions on its steering wheel in the popular 1966 Japanese manga/anime series Speed Racer.
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 (2002) 007 Spy Files #2 (Magazine), 007 Spy Files (in En-UK), London: GE Fabbri Ltd., pp.04-05.
- ↑ Flammang, James M. (1994). Standard Catalog of Imported Cars, 1946-1990. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 57. ISBN 0-87341-158-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 (4 July 1968) "Used car test: 1964 Aston Martin DB5". Autocar 129: 46–47.
- ↑ Mike Lawrence (1991). A to Z of Sports Cars. Bideford, Devon: Bay View Books, 36. ISBN 1-870979-81-8.
- ↑ James Bond car sold for over £1m (English). BBC News (21st January 2006). Retrieved on 2016-11-14.
- ↑ Bouzerau, Laurent (2006). The Art of Bond. London: Macmillan Publishers, pp.110–111. ISBN 978-0-7522-1551-8.
- ↑ Joe Fitt, Bert Luxford. Goldfinger audio commentary. Goldfinger Ultimate Edition, Disk 1: MGM Home Entertainment.
- ↑ (2000). Behind the Scenes with 'Goldfinger' [DVD]. MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
- ↑ The Stunts of James Bond. The Man with the Golden Gun Ultimate Edition, Disk 2: MGM Home Entertainment.
- ↑ It is never explained in the film series how Daniel Craig's incarnation of Bond could possibly have acquired the vehicle previously used by Sean Connery's 007, who, as of Casino Royale, existed in an alternate continuity.
- ↑ Mark Prigg (13 November 2012). The secret behind James Bond's Aston Martin DB5: How Skyfall producers used 3D PRINTED cars to spare the priceless original (English). Daily Mail. Retrieved on 2016-11-14.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Various. (2019). NO TIME TO DIE Trailer UK (YouTube). James Bond 007 (official).
- ↑ Rodriguez, Cecilia. James Bond: No Time To Die, But Time To Film In Gorgeous South Of Italy Locations (en).
- ↑ No Time to Die filming in Italy (en-US) (2019-09-09).
- ↑ https://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/event-bond-in-motion-no-time-to-die-action-vehicles
- ↑ 007’s Aston Martin DB5 Arrives in Rocket League. 'YouTube' (28th July 2021). Retrieved on 2021-08-04.
- ↑ No Time to Die - File (en) (2022).
See also[]
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