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- The Aston Martin DB5 was originally made famous thanks to Sean Connery and the James Bond films of the 1960s
- In 1997, the DB5 from Goldfinger was stolen from an airport hangar in Florida
- Today the vehicle is worth an estimated $25 million
The iconic Aston Martin DB5 from the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger has been discovered almost 25 years later. The Aston Martin DB5 was originally made popular thanks to Sean Connery’s role as Bond.
Apparently the same DB5 used in Goldfinger eventually found its way to the auction block. The car was purchased by American businessman Anthony Pugliese for $275,000 USD at Sotheby’s New York in 1986.
Fast forward to 1997, when the vehicle mysteriously disappeared from a secure airport hangar in Florida where it was being stored.
Searching for the James Bond Aston Martin DB5
Back in August, The Telegraph reported the iconic DB5 had been found by Art Recovery International—an organization whose purpose is searching for lost or stolen luxury items. According to the report, an anonymous individual verified the vehicle’s serial number, confirming for sure that this DB5 was the same car stolen from the Florida airport hangar.
Seen a silver 1964 Aston Martin DB5 lately? It could be James Bond’s.https://t.co/95ypJcdetJ via @artrecovery pic.twitter.com/UxvXBnGDto
— Amanda Ruggeri (@amanda_ruggeri) August 6, 2018
The only hang-up is the exact location of the DB5 has not been confirmed, only that it’s been located in a “private setting” in the Middle East. Christopher Marinello had this to say to The Telegraph,
“I’m hopeful that the possessor will come forward voluntarily before I have to make an announcement. It’s my policy to give possessors of stolen and looted objects every opportunity to do the right thing. I don’t believe the current possessor knew the car was stolen when he or she acquired it. Now they do know, I think they should make every effort to have a discreet confidential discussion about how we clear the title to this iconic vehicle.”
What’s interesting is the Spyscape museum in NYC produced a podcast on the stolen James Bond DB5.
Titled “The Great James Bond Robbery,” the 5-episode series is hosted by actress Elizabeth Hurley and offers a deep dive into theories on how the vehicle was stolen and where it could have ended up today.
The Rise in Value of the James Bond Aston Martin DB5
Pugliese, the first buyer of the DB5, was paid $4.2 million from his insurance company after the car was taken from the Florida hangar. He then offered $100,000 as a reward for information on the stolen car.
Today the Aston Martin DB5 is worth an estimated $25 million.
Only time will tell when the physical car might be revealed, but considering how close the case is to being solved it’s possible we see the legendary vehicle here in 2022.
John is the Style & Gear Editor for BroBible. You can contact him on Twitter @johnthompsoniv or via email John@brobible.com