Stunning new book celebrates Bond’s iconic Aston DB5
A NEW book delving into James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 has been released to coincide with the latest 007 film.
Simply titled James Bond’s DB5, the 280-page oversized coffee table book features 302 photos and is the first official in-depth history of the spy’s famous car.
It also has forewords by actor Daniel Craig, producer Michael G Wilson, and Aston Martin chief creative officer Marek Reichman.
Authorised by film makers EON Productions, the book has been carefully researched in close collaboration with EON and Aston Martin and draws on both their archives.
It includes storyboards, diagrams, design materials and many rare and beautiful photographs that cover every detail of the car, from the over-riders to the exhaust.
Reichman said: “There are no other cars that enjoy such an exciting connection to such a beloved character.
“I hope this book demonstrates that, among all the technical and marketing data that underpins car production, an indelible truth remains: great cars are wonders to behold, blending creativity with one crucial factor: fun. Bond definitely enjoys the DB5. I hope you enjoy it, too.”
When 007 first took control of a specially customised Aston Martin DB5 in 1964’s Goldfinger, it redefined action movies forever.
The car was fitted with hi-tech weapons and ingenious gadgets that were the stuff of dreams and, in the years that followed, Bond and the DB5 have become inextricably linked.
The car returned in the next film, Thunderball, while replica 007 DB5s set off on a world tour to promote the Bond movies. The spy would drive other vehicles but the DB5 was always the definitive Bond car.
After a 30-year absence, it returned to the screen in 1995’s Goldeneye and has gone on to feature in another five Bond movies, culminating in its appearance this year in No Time to Die.
This beautiful book covers the entire story, starting with the Bond producers’ initial letters to Aston Martin before detailing the modifications made to the car for the filming of Goldfinger, including EON’s original drawings and rare pictures of the cast and crew on location in Switzerland.
It goes on to explore the fascinating history of the DB5s that went out on tour and covers every subsequent appearance of the DB5 in the Bond movies, including the inside story of how it was seemingly destroyed in Skyfall before returning in triumph in No Time To Die.
Its appearance in the latest Bond film is covered in depth, with unique photography and insider reports from the shoot in Matera, Italy.
Published by Hero Collector Books, and written by Bond and film experts Will Lawrence and Simon Hugo, it costs £40 and is available from Waterstones and Amazon.
James Bond’s DB5 is billed as the definitive book about one of the most significant and coveted cars in movie history and a stunning addition to any library.
DATA from Irish car policy provider Chill Insurance has revealed that demand for Aston Martin’s has increased by 110 per cent in the UK in the past month – as the world braces itself for the new James Bond flick.
Using Google search data, Chill identified a huge spike in demand for the luxury car brand.
Interestingly, the DB5 that appeared in Goldfinger and Thunderball sold for £4.6million in 2019, while the Golden Eye variant fetched £1.9million a year earlier.