2018 Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale (Bond Aston Martin Announcement)

The 1965 Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond in the film Golden Eye is the latest high-profile car announced for the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018 sale.

James Bond's 1965 Aston Martin DB5
© Bonhams

The silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5 driven by James Bond (played by Pierce Brosnan) in the 1995 motion picture Golden Eye will be offered for sale at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed classic car auction in England on 13 July 2018. The film famously opened with 007 racing this Aston Martin DB5 in a dice with villainess Xenia Onatopp in her Ferrari through the hills above Monaco.

Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale 2018

The annual Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale is held on 13 July 2018 during arguably the most important motoring event in Britain. It takes place at Goodwood near Chichester in the south of England.

1954 Mercedes Benz W196 Formula 1 Racing Car
1954 Mercedes Benz W196 Formula 1 Racer © Bohnams

The Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed sale is usually the most important of the three Goodwood auctions Bonhams holds most years. The Goodwood Members sale is in mid-March while the Goodwood Revival sale in September is usually a great occasion for historic cars.

The Goodwood auction record, also the British auction record, was set in 2013 when $29,650,000 (£19.6 million) was paid for a 1954 Mercedes Benz W196R Formula 1 single-seater racing car. At the time, it doubled the highest price paid for a car at auction and it is currently still the third most-expensive car ever sold at public auction.

James Bond’s 1965 Aston Martin DB5

James Bond's 1965 Aston Martin DB5
© Bonhams

The 1965 Aston Martin DB5 on offer at the Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale comes with an estimate of £1,200,000-1,800,000 ($1,600,000-2,400,000) – it seems the 007 connection is judged to be worth around half a million dollar bu the wide spread suggests a high level of uncertainy.

The DB5 has become synonymous with James Bond, and this example featured in the famous opening chase scene of GoldenEye where Bond dices with arch villainess Xenia Onatopp in her Ferrari through the hills above Monaco.

When purchased by the current owner in 2001, the car became the most valuable piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold. It has been on display at both The National Motor Museum and the Bond in Motion exhibition at Covent Garden.

Since then, Christie’s sold the 2015 Aston Martin DB10 Spectre one-off car that was used by James Bond in the 007 film Spectre for $3,476,466 in London. The car was sold without a running engine and with the condition that any subsequent owners will not fit an engine of any kind to make it a running vehicle.

Sholto Gilbertson, Bonhams Motor Cars Department Director, commented: ‘The DB5 is one of the most recognizable and desirable British classic cars in the world – it is also the ultimate Bond car. Every fan remembers Pierce Brosnan tearing through the hills in this car, and it must be up there as one of the most thrilling Bond car chases in history. This Aston Martin is something very special indeed.’

1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Bonhams
© Bonhams

Despite the Bond link, this Aston Martin is likely to be overshadowed by the 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato ‘2 VEV’ that will be offered in the same auction.

A more standard 1961 Aston Martin DB4GT is also likely to sell for over $3 million at the Goodwood Festival of Speed auction.

Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale 2018