Iconic James Bond DB5 Restored

Other models have also played a part over the years, from the DBS in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the V8 Vantage Volante in The Living Daylights, the Vanquish in Die Another Day and the DBS in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

And of course, many of them have featured exciting gadgets from the ejector seat in the DB5 to the spike-producing tyres and a self-destruct function found on the V8 Vantage Volante.

Special role

Skyfall's DB5 was prepared for its recent role by Aston Martin Works at the spiritual home of the marque at Newport Pagnell, England.

The brief was to “clone” the DB5 owned by the makers of the Bond movies, EON Productions, to provide a second car for filming.

Once the car was sourced, it was prepared by the Aston Martin Works heritage team that perform restoration on all Aston Martins from the DB2 onwards.

In a few weeks, the DB5 was transformed from green with beige interior to the silver paintwork with black trim, which was “distressed” so as not to appear brand new. The final touch to the paintwork was to add a keyline on the roof to represent the exit hatch for the ejector seat.

In addition to the aesthetic works, the car also required a complete mechanical overhaul in preparation for filming.

Kingsley Riding-Felce, managing director of Aston Martin Works said: “We are very pleased that the role of the DB5 in Skyfall maintains the long association between James Bond and Aston Martin and that the expertise of our heritage team is showcased by this iconic car.”