A 2001 Aston Martin Vanquish – used for a photo shoot for the James Bond movie ‘Die Another Day’ – sold at a Cambridgeshire auction for £51,750, which includes a buyer’s premium.
It was loaned by Aston Martin to EON Productions for a photoshoot at Pinewood Studios with Pierce Brosnan to promote the twentieth James Bond film, ‘Die Another Day’
It was finished in the same Tungsten Silver with Charcoal leather and an aluminium centre console as the hero cars in the film (hence the reason it was requested for the photoshoot)
A notably early production example and one of seven cars which were initially retained by the factory for press duties.
It was sold at by H&H Classics at their Duxford auction:
Details here:
During the Bond movie, it was delivered to Pinewood Studios to be photographed alongside Pierce Brosnan.
Notable as the first 007 outing since ‘The Living Daylights’ in 1987 to feature a current Aston Martin model as the hero car, ‘Die Another Day’ signified a re-forging of the links amid the British manufacturer and EON Productions.
Brosnan was sufficiently bowled over by the Vanquish to acquire one which remained with him until 2015 (when it was sadly destroyed in a house fire)
Key facts
- Subsequently road registered as ‘M16 SPY’ and ‘A12 AML’
- Part of a prominent Aston Martin collection since 2003
- The lead car in a parade to commemorate the opening of the M6 Toll road
- Just c.37,800 miles from new
Technical facts
A landmark model in Aston Martin’s history, the Vanquish Mk I was unveiled at the 2001 Geneva Salon.
Styled by Ian Callum and notable as his first ‘clean sheet’ design for the marque (as opposed to the DB7 which sat on a modified Jaguar platform), the newcomer featured a bonded composite aluminium chassis with carbon fibre backbone.
Developed in conjunction with Lotus, the structure was equipped with all-round independent suspension and four-wheel, ventilated ABS disc brakes.
A true Grand Tourer available in two-seater or 2+2-seater guises, the Vanquish was powered by a 6-litre V12 DOHC engine allied to automated six-speed manual transmission.
With some 460bhp and 400lbft of torque on tap, the Fixed-Head Coupe was reputedly capable of 0-60mph in 5 seconds and 190mph.
Although it broke a lot of new ground, the Vanquish was also notable as the last Aston Martin to be hand built at Newport Pagnell, with just 1,503 being completed before the arrival of the Vanquish ‘S’ in 2004.
