It is no exaggeration to say that the DB5 is the most famous Aston Martin. Of course, the biggest turning point was when the car was used in the movie “Goldfinger,” but it was originally planned to debut as the DB4 Series 6. We will also explain the unknown background.
Originally it was DB4 series 6
When the movie was released in 1964, the year after its debut, the DB5, nicknamed the “Bond car,” had such an impact on people that it took the lead role.
The DB5, introduced in 1963, was a car that significantly changed the fate of Aston Martin.
Initially, Newport Pagnell was developing this car as the DB4 Series 6. This is because its contents were almost the same as the DB4 Series 5, which had been extended to 4.57m in 1962, had a DB4GT-like headlight cover, 15-inch wheels, and a special series engine as standard equipment.
They claim to have made 170 improvements, but the main changes were expanding the engine displacement from 3670cc to 3995cc and changing the brake calipers to Girling, the same as the DB4GT. By the way, the maximum output has increased from 270 PS to 284 PS due to the increase in displacement, but on the other hand, the weight has increased to 1453 kg.
As a car in the 007 movie series
The “DB5” has “secret weapons” such as the front machine gun that is synonymous with Bond cars, rotating front and rear license plates, rear smoke sprayer, rear oil injection device, retractable bulletproof version of the trunk lid (photo), and radar on the center console. was installed and became popular.
So why DB5 instead of DB4 Series 6? That’s because it has been decided that the car will be used in the movie “Goldfinger”, the third movie in the 007 series starring Sean Connery.
In Ian Fleming’s original story published in 1959, the DB Mark 3, the latest model at the time, was depicted as James Bond’s favorite car, but it was changed to use the latest model for the movie. In addition, it was equipped with “secret weapons” that would become synonymous with later Bond cars, such as a front machine gun, rotating front and rear license plates, a rear smoke sprayer, a rear oil injection device, a retractable bulletproof version of the trunk lid, and a radar in the center console. It became a thing.
One of the DB5 prototypes, chassis number DB/216/1, was used as the “effect car” vehicle equipped with the gadget, and the other vehicle, DB/1486/R, was used as the “road car” for driving scenes. is available.
The first successful case of a partnership between an automaker and the media
In 2020, Aston Martin Works announced that it will be selling a limited edition of 25 DB5 Goldfinger Continuations.
When the movie was released in 1964, the DB5, nicknamed the “Bond car,” had such an impact on people that it even affected the lead actor, Sean Connery. The gimmick-packed 1/43 scale minicar released by Corgi, a long-established minicar manufacturer, was released just before the 1965 Christmas season, and quickly sold 2 million units worldwide. It became a huge hit, winning awards for “Toy of the Year” and “Best Boys Toy” that year, creating a huge sensation.
It was also the first successful collaboration between an automaker and the media, and has since created a large following. As we all know, the Bond car became a must-have item for the 007 series, and Aston Martin remains synonymous with it.
On the other hand, in production models, the gearbox for chassis numbers 1340 and above was changed from David Brown’s 4-speed MT to ZF’s 5-speed MT. Chassis number 1763 and later continued to evolve, including the addition of a high-performance version of the Vantage that produced 318PS with three Weber 45DCOE carburetors as an option, and by 1965 a total of 1021 units had been manufactured. In addition to the coupe, 123 Volantes, an open model with a soft top, and 12 Shooting Brakes, coachbuilt by Harold Radford, were built.
And in 2020, Aston Martin Works, Aston Martin’s heritage division, announced that it will produce and sell a limited edition of 25 DB5 Goldfinger Continuations in collaboration with Aeon Productions, the production company of the 007 series. The car, which takes 4,500 hours to build each, is also famous for being equipped with the gadgets used in the movie, which were supervised by special effects director Chris Corbould OBE. It became.
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