You know his name. You know his number. And when it comes to British secret agents under the employ of Military Intelligence, Section 6 (MI6), nobody does it better than James Bond 007. Especially when he’s behind the wheel of the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 in the film Goldfinger. Often referred to as “the most famous car in the world,” the DB5 is a global phenomenon, a Silver Birch-painted streak of suave sophistication, inventive gadgets, and pure Bond excitement that remains as iconic today as it was more than 60 years ago.

Inspired by his own real-life experiences as a commander in the Royal Navy’s Intelligence Division during World War II, author Ian Fleming sought to utilize firsthand insight into espionage and covert warfare to create the daring, action-packed world of James Bond. Published in 1953, Casino Royale marked Bond’s literary debut, thrusting readers into a world of deadly espionage and intrigue that would become synonymous with 007’s lethal style and define the international spy genre for decades to come. 

In 1959, Fleming’s seventh James Bond novel, Goldfinger, was published to critical and commercial acclaim, further cementing Bond’s status as a cultural icon and introducing one of 007’s most nefarious adversaries in Auric Goldfinger. The novel also set the stage for its immensely popular film adaptation just five years later.

Throughout Fleming’s novels and in each of the 25 films produced by Eon Productions, Bond was the epitome of cool confidence, exuding a presence as refined as his Savile Row-tailored wardrobe. But it takes more than sharp wits, impeccable style, and debonair finesse to take on a dangerous mission — surviving the spy game requires getting in the driver’s seat of some of the most exotic cars ever produced. 

But not just any car would serve Bond’s dashing style and killer instincts.

A Legend on Page and Screen 

Throughout Fleming’s original novels, Bond’s car of choice was the Bentley — specifically three models that included the 4.0L “Blower” Bentley, the Mark VI Bentley, and the Mark II Continental. Each was customized with gadgets like reinforced bumpers and a hidden Colt .45 beneath the seat. But in the novel Goldfinger, Fleming had Bond borrow an Aston Martin “DB III” from the MI6 motor pool, an upgrade fitted with a range of experimental features that hinted at what was to come in the film version.

These flourishes from the novel captured the imagination of Eon Productions founders and Bond film producers Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who wanted 007 behind the wheel of something sleek and sporty for their planned film adaptation of Goldfinger. It had to be an iconic ride that could match actor Sean Connery’s magnetic portrayal of James Bond, a role he’d established to worldwide acclaim in two previous Bond films, Dr. No (1962) and From Russia With Love (1963). Knowing Bond’s style intimately, there was no question for Broccoli and Saltzman that 007 and the Aston Martin DB models were made for each other. 

The Name is Martin…Aston Martin

Before being immortalized on screen in 1964’s Goldfinger, the Aston Martin DB5 was already making waves in the automotive world. Unveiled in 1963 by British auto manufacturer Aston Martin Motors Ltd., the DB5 was the successor to the DB4, named after company owner Sir David Brown. Conceived as a grand tourer by Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, the DB5 was designed to embody a harmonious balance of high-performance engineering and genteel elegance, boasting a 4.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine that produced 282 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. With its sleek lines, classic proportions, and iconic Silver Birch paint finish, the DB5 ideally suited 007’s refined tastes for the finer things. Only 1,021 DB5 models were produced between 1963 and 1965, making it a rare icon that redefined automotive cool in popular culture.

“An Ejector Seat? You Must Be Joking.”

“I never joke about my work, 007.” The memorable scene in Goldfinger when Q reveals the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 and its array of dazzling and deadly modifications to Bond at Q Branch — the research and development division of the British Secret Intelligence Service — is one of the most famous in the James Bond film franchise. Among the hidden arsenal of gadgets and weaponry furnished in the DB5 by production designer Ken Adam and special effects supervisors John Stears and Chris Corbould were the twin front-mounted machine guns, rotating license plates, a bulletproof rear shield, radar tracker and scanner, hydraulic over-rider battering rams, an oil-slick dispenser, tire slashers, a smoke screen, and the now-legendary ejector seat.

Two DB5 models were furnished by Aston Martin for the production of Goldfinger. As filming began, the DB5 prototype — a Series 5 DB4 with a Dubonnet Red paint finish — nicknamed the “Trick Car” and repainted in Silver Birch to better fit Bond’s persona served as the original production car, bearing the indelible “BMT 216A” license plate. A second DB5 was also acquired for Goldfinger, this one a proper production model fitted with a ZF 5-speed gearbox. Dubbed the “Road Car,” this DB5 model was used for high-speed driving sequences, particularly those filmed in the Alps of Switzerland. Though nearly identical to the Trick Car, subtle differences like a more rounded number plate housing and the absence of wing indicators set them apart.

A Symbol of Style and Intrigue

The Aston Martin DB5 was the perfect extension of James Bond, blending elegance with deadly efficiency, charm with cunning, and British automotive engineering with international appeal. The introduction of the DB5 in Goldfinger forged a blueprint for the future of motion picture spy thrillers, elevating the Aston Martin brand into the stratosphere. Throughout the decades, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 has reappeared in a number of 007 film franchise installments, including Thunderball (1965), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die (2021), proving itself a beloved character in its own right.

The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 isn’t just a car. It’s a pop culture icon that helped shape the mythos of 007 and transcend the franchise’s cinematic roots. As of this writing, each of the two original DB5 models used for the filming of Goldfinger has an estimated value of $25 million. One Goldfinger DB5 was acquired by an American classic car collector, Harry Yeaggy, at auction in London in 2010 for an estimated $4.6 million. In an unexpected twist, the other Goldfinger DB5 vanished from a Boca Raton, Florida, airport hangar in 1997 and was recovered from a private collection in the Middle East in 2022.

In 2020, Aston Martin Works at Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire began producing a limited run of 25 precision-tooled “1964 Aston Martin DB5 Continuation” cars, complete in painted Silver Birch and sporting functioning gadgets. Its price tag — $3.5 million.

With its sleek design, smooth curves, innovative gadgets, and cinematic gravitas, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 remains the ultimate spy machine. And in the high-stakes world of James Bond, the DB5 has proven time and again that it’s as much of a legend as the secret agent risking it all for Queen and Country.