SEAN CONNERY’S ASTON MARTIN DB5 GOING TO AUCTION

A highlight of the upcoming Monterey Car Week in the US will be the auction of Sir Sean Connery’s personal 1964 Aston Martin DB5, in a sale conducted by Broad Arrow Auctions.

The DB5 on offer is not one that was used in any of Connery’s numerous outings playing 007 in the James Bond franchise, but rather one he purchased some years later.

During the shooting of Goldfinger, the 1964 movie where Bond and Aston Martin were united for the first time, Connery reportedly developed an affection for the car, so decided to buy one for himself.

“Dad used to talk about owning his own DB5, for no other reason than he loved the car, and I think in hindsight it did represent something in his life that was unique and captured a moment in time,” said Jason Connery, Sir Sean’s son.

While it looks like the DB5 that featured in Goldfinger, the Connery car is different in a few key areas.

Firstly, the paint is Snow Shadow Grey, not Silver Birch like the movie cars. Secondly, the interior is trimmed in red Connolly leather instead of black.

Of course, the Connery car lacks all of Q’s gadgets, but the acting legend joked that he would have liked his car to include an ejector seat!

“He did tell me that driving the movie cars, all laden down with the gadgets, especially the machine guns in the front, made the car really front heavy and turning at slow speed was a Herculean task, so driving without gadgets was a joy! He loved how well balanced it was,” Jason added.

Fitted with the standard 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine and available five-speed manual transmission, chassis # DB5/1681/R was delivered to its first owner in July, 1964, and spent much of its life in the UK before coming into Connery’s possession.

In a deal brokered by Barney Ruprecht, a family friend of the Connerys and now Senior Car Specialist at Broad Arrow Group, the DB5 was sourced through Surrey-based Aston Martin specialists, R.S. Williams in early 2018.

“Helping Sir Sean source the Aston was one of the most enjoyable memories of my experience in the vintage car world,” Ruprecht recalled. “His brief to me was find the best example possible. He was fastidious in everything he researched and acquired. This was no exception and after many months of searching we settled on this example from R.S. Williams, the foremost Aston Martin experts.

“It is a great honour to have been involved with the purchase and now sale of the DB5, Sir Sean's personal car.”

As consigned, the Connery DB5 is described as being in highly-presentable condition, with restorative work conducted by R.S. Williams shortly after Connery's purchase, including mechanical freshening and a full respray of the Carrozzeria Touring lightweight aluminium bodywork in correct Snow Shadow Grey.

Well maintained since, the DB5 has recently undergone a full service and inspection ahead of the Broad Arrow Auctions sale, which will be held at the Monterey Jet Center on 18 August as part of Monterey Car Week. Pre-auction estimate is US$1.4 – US$1.8 million (AU$2.05 – AU$2.63 million, approx.), with a large portion of the sale proceeds going to the Sean Connery Philanthropy Fund.