James Bond cars heading to auction with other series costumes and props
Here’s your chance to really drive what 007 drove. On Sept. 28, Christie’s will be auctioning 60 pieces from the expansive EON Productions archives, including costumes, props, and since this is Autoblog, cars! Much of the Sixty Years of James Bond Collection up for auction are pieces used during the filming of “No Time to Die,” but there are some other noteworthy items from earlier films. The 60 pieces coincide with the film franchise’s 60th anniversary.
Among the cars is one of seven Aston Martin DB5 replica stunt cars built specifically for the movie, complete with plenty of damage incurred during the pre-credits sequence. It would also seem to be one of the stunt cars fitted with Gatling gun props behind the headlights (you can read more about the team behind the stunts here). As it’s a replica and a stunt car, it does not have a full DB5 interior. However, as it’s a replica and a stunt car, it also has a 3.2-liter inline-six from an E46 BMW M3. Now that’s a melding of my personal tastes if there ever was one. Its price estimate is between £1.5 million and £2 million, or about $1.84 million and $2.46 million. Proceeds from every lot will go to various charities.
The auction’s other cars driven by 007 in the film include an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and one that’s particularly close to my heart, a 1981 Aston Martin V8. Although it appears to be the same car driven by Timothy Dalton in “The Living Daylights,” it’s in fact a different car, made obvious by the fact that its model year is from six years prior to Mr. Dalton’s first go in the tux. Also included in the auction are stunt vehicles used by baddies (we really need to talk about the blood money on JLR’s hands after doing all this business with Spectre), including a Range Rover Sport SVR, a Land Rover Defender 110 and Jaguar XF. There’s also a Triumph Scrambler motorcycle used in the filming, plus a new special edition 007 60th Anniversary Land Rover Defender 110 V8 not used in the film.
The only vehicles being auctioned from earlier films include a Q Boat from “The World is Not Enough” (I’m guessing EON still has a couple of them), the cello case from “The Living Daylights” (yes that counts as a vehicle), and a Day of the Dead parade bike from “Spectre” (I could buy that, ride around Portland on it and no one would bat an eye).
Besides cars, there are a number of suits, tuxedoes and outfits warn over the years by Daniel Craig (including the navy tactical outfit from the end of “No Time to Die”), plus a tux worn by Timothy Dalton in “Licence to Kill,” and costumes worn by Christophe Waltz (“Spectre”), Javier Bardem (“Skyfall”) and Rami Malek (“No Time to Die”). Two of the series’ more memorable dresses are also included: one worn by Ana de Armas in “No Time to Die” and the other by Barbara Bach in “The Spy Who Loved Me.”
Notable props include Primo’s bionic eyeball and various watches from “No Time to Die,” the clock M uses to escape her captors in “The World is Not Enough,” a dragon statue from “Skyfall,” a giant Aztec skeleton puppet from “Spectre,” a menu used in “Thunderball,” and one of the Faberge egg replicas from “Octopussy.” Or is it a real one? Either way, don’t smash it.
There’s also some signed sheet music, scripts and clapperboards, plus a few 007-related experiences.
Most of the key pieces will be auctioned live on Sept. 28, while a second part will occur online exclusively between Sept 15 to Oct. 5.
And should you be interested in checking out more James Bond cars and vehicles, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles will be running its Bond in Motion exhibit until October. You could also check out our list of All 25 James Bond movies ranked only by their cars.
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