“The Living Daylights” James Bond’s 1973 Aston Martin V8 Soon to be Auctioned

2

An Aston Martin featured in a James Bond film is about to hit the auction block, but it’s not the “Goldfinger” DB5 that you may be thinking of.

As part of the Monterey Car Week sale, orchestrated by RM Sotheby’s and set for August 17-19, a 1973 Aston Martin V8 will be up for grabs. This automobile starred in the 1987 James Bond film, “The Living Daylights”, an often overlooked installment of the Bond series that introduced Timothy Dalton as the new 007. Dalton would only retain this role for one more film.

Aston Martin Vanquish Brief

“The Living Daylights” signified the return of Aston Martin to the Bond universe following an extended break. Similar to the other Aston Martins that have been associated with Bond, both before and after, this V8 was fitted with a number of spy-like accessories, such as a rocket booster and deployable skis.

A Glimpse at the 1973 Aston Martin V8

Several vehicles were employed during the filming, including four fully functional ones and seven fiberglass replicas. The vehicle set for auction, referred to as car 10 during production, is one of the four operational ones. It was modified with a roll cage, a sunroof, and redesigned to resemble a more contemporary Aston Martin V8. These updates, along with the rocket booster and ski props, were made to ensure consistency among the other cars.

Car 10 had a scene where it was driven down a slope into a snow pile, necessitating the removal of its engine and transmission to lessen its weight. It managed to endure this ordeal and was retained by the Bond production company, Eon Productions, until 1995. It was then sold to Peter Nelson, a UK-based James Bond enthusiast, along with two other “Living Daylights” Astons. (The fourth fully functional car remained with Eon Productions.)

Another Look at the 1973 Aston Martin V8

The car exchanged ownership several more times and eventually ended up in the United States. It has been restored to a drivable condition, fitted with a new 5.3-liter V-8 engine taken from the more potent V8 Vantage model, along with the right 5-speed manual transmission. Corrosion damage was fixed, and the front part was repainted, as indicated in the auction listing.

While “The Living Daylights” might not be the most renowned Bond film, and the Aston Martin V8 might not carry the same symbolic status as the DB5, this is nonetheless a bona fide Bond vehicle anticipated to fetch a substantial sum at auction. In 2019, one of the James Bond DB5s was sold for over $6 million. However, for this car, RM Sotheby’s estimates a sale price between $1.4 and $1.8 million.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about James Bond’s Aston Martin Auction

More about James Bond’s Aston Martin Auction

• RM Sotheby’s Auction House
• “The Living Daylights” on IMDb
• History of James Bond’s Cars
• Aston Martin Official Website