James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 from 'GoldenEye' expected to fetch £1.6m at auction

The Aston Martin DB5 used in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye is estimated to fetch between £1.2m and £1.6m when it is offered for sale by Bonhams on July 13. 

Built in 1965, the car starred alongside Pierce Brosnan in one of the franchise's most famous car chases. In it, Bond races Xenia Onatopp in a Ferrari F355 around the mountain roads of Monaco, before seducing the psychiatrist sent by MI6 to evaluate his mental state. 

It's far from the most sophisticated piece of cinema, but GoldenEye – released after a six-year hiatus in the James Bond films, and accompanied by an extremely well-regarded Nintendo game of the same name – remains a classic example of the series, and helped cement both Bond and his DB5 in the collective imagination of a generation. 

"A Bond DB5 is surely the pinnacle of cinematic cars," said Bonhams spokesperson Poppy McKenzie Smith. "This car captures the glamour, daring and quintessential Britishness of everyone’s favourite spy.

"This car broke the record for the most valuable piece of Bond memorabilia ever sold when it went under the hammer in 2001, and it’s easy to see why. It is a truly beautiful machine in exemplary condition, and one still capable of up to 150mph.

"The DB5 of the most recognisable and evocative British classics in the world, and the links with Bond make this even more special."

The car is finished in classic Silver Birch paint, with a black leather interior. Under the bonnet is a six-cylinder, 4.0-litre engine producing 282bhp. The DB5 remains an iconic grand tourer, and is arguably one of the best-looking cars ever produced by a British manufacturer.

After filming, the car was used by Eon Productions for promotional activities, and was later purchased by the current owner at a James Bond auction in 2001. It was here that it attained its record-breaking price.

The car will go on display on the 1st and 2nd of June at the Bonhams Aston Martin sale at Englefield House, Berkshire, before being offered at auction at Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.