The Aston Martin DB5 wasn't the first James Bond car, but it certainly is the most iconic, appearing in a total of eight 007 films. So much so that the original James Bond, the late Sir Sean Connery, owned one until his death in 2020. That same DB5 was sold at an auction for a hefty sum of R40 910 880,00 during the Monterey Car Week.

The 1964 DB5 sold was offered from Connery's Estate with a significant portion of the proceeds heading to the Sean Connery Philanthropy Fund, according to Broad Arrow Auctions.

Apart from owning a piece of history, the unnamed buyer will also get to enjoy a personal drive with Formula 1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart as part of the package. Stewart and Connery were long-time friends.

The DB5 first appeared in Goldfinger in 1964. The grand tourer recently sold didn't come with all the weapons and gadgets the Bond car was known for, though. It wasn't actually used in the film but rather a personal vehicle bought by Connery in 2018. It was in pristine condition and originally painted in black, but was repainted to Snow Shadow Gray to closely match the cars that Agent 007 drove in the movie.

According to reports, the DB5 was kept in Connery's home in Switzerland. The actor loved the car but never got to enjoy the vehicle as traveling to Europe went harder with his age. Connery was based in the Bahamas until his death in October 2020 at the age of 90.

In 2018, Aston Martin announced that it would build DB5 continuation models. A total of 25 samples were made at R59 million apiece, including all the gadgets seen in the film. Production started in 2019.

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