Legendary Aston Martin DB5 Can Be Yours
Slideshow: 007's favored vehicle is making an appearance on the auction block through RM Sotheby's at Monterey Car Week this summer.
RM Sotheby’s—The Usual Suspect
RM Sotheby's is known for auctioning off some of the rarest and most exotics cars in the world. What makes this one even more exclusive is the fact it is allegedly the 5th DB5 to ever be produced. Of course, all the numbers are matching, which means this is one of the rarest Aston Martins to ever be sold. What will it fetch?
Image courtesy of ewallpapers.eu
Prices, Mr. Bond. Prices.
These cars were made famous by the likes of Sean Connery in the James Bond franchise and made a comeback in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig. They are immediately recognizable and command insane price tags—some have reached beyond $700,000 when the gavel dropped. Obviously, being one of the earliest models ever made, this DB5 is sure to command a hugely impressive price tag. Is $1,000,000 possible? You can almost count on it.
Image courtesy of Jalopnik.com
Old School Driver
One of the reasons these cars have become so popular is that they are a joy to drive. They were made in the early 60s, which puts the power output of 282bhp in the realm of pure speed. Combine this with a manual transmission and steering that communicates to the driver and it’s easy to see how people fell in love with these brilliant machines. They have the looks, the star power, and the speed to solidify them as one of the great Aston Martins of all time.
Weight Distribution and Handling
With a curb weight of 3,230 lbs, these cars weigh about as much as a modern sports car. The DB5 had an ace up its sleeve for the time it was built: perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Couple this with rear-wheel-drive and the DB5 was actually a stellar handling car for the decade. Part of the reason these cars are so sought after is that they are simply great on any B-road you subject them to. Zero to sixty is served up in 8.1 seconds with the quarter-mile somewhere in the 16-second range. Pretty fast for the day.
A little Celebration
The auction will be held at the Monterey Car Week so stay tuned for an update on how it sells. While many of these were right-hand drive, this particular one moves the steering over the left-hand side, which would suit American buyers nicely. All records have been kept and the car looks to be in sound mechanical condition as one would expect of such a valuable piece of history. While no one knows what this car will sell for, one thing is for sure: it will shake the market up and stir up a lot of conversation come auction time.