New hopes in mystery of Bond’s missing Aston Martin
IT IS a mystery worthy of the pen of Ian Fleming himself, featuring a high stakes theft, shady middle men and a 20-year-hunt for the dastardly individuals responsible.
When the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 featured in the James Bond film Goldfinger was stolen from a Florida airport hangar in 1997 there were fears it would never be seen again.
Since then, the search for the car used by Sean Connery in his role as Fleming’s 007 has proved fruitless. But now hopes have risen that it may yet be recovered, after a tip was received giving details of the DB5’s current whereabouts.
Its location, according to those supplying the information, is classic espionage territory – the Middle East.
Art Recovery International (ARI), which was hired by an insurance firm to help track down the stolen Aston Martin, have been told it is being held at a specific location in the region.
A six figure sum is being offered for information leading to its safe return.
Christopher Marinello, the chief executive of Art Recovery, told The Sun- day Telegraph: “I have been given a specific tip, but we are working on it. We want to reach out to the collector car community and vast array of mechanics to let them know we are very serious about recovering it.”
Naturally, Art Recovery are wary of the possibility the vehicle is simply one similar to the actual Aston Martin used
‘As there are many Aston Martins, it’s very important that we get a shot of the chassis number dp/216/1’
in the Bond film. “As there are many Aston Martins, it is very important that we get a shot of the chassis number, dp/216/1. This is what we are looking for, as it is very specific to the vehicle,” said Mr Marinello.
“It is quite possible the potential in the Middle East is a mere lookalike, which is why it is crucial we retain a close up of the chassis number.”
For the filming of Goldfinger, the car had been modified to include an array of 007 gadgets, including machine guns, tyre blades and oil and smoke emitters.
The car’s rightful owner bought it at auction for $250,000 (around £370,000) in 1986, but in June 1997 thieves managed to remove it from the hangar at Boca Raton. When thieves broke into the hangar, they had to drag the vehicle out by its axles and is believed to have been loaded on to a waiting cargo plane. The stolen DB5 was one of two used in Goldfinger, with another used in scenes with Connery behind the wheel.
ARI say it is estimated by some auction houses that the stolen Aston Martin could now be worth from £7-£10million, given its iconic status as a 007 vehicle. Following the release of Goldfinger in September 1964, it was known as “the most famous car in the world”. Police investigating the theft drew a blank, paving the way for years of speculation as to its fate.