Being visible in a film from the “James Bond” saga is the assurance for a car, even an ordinary one, to claim a real capital gain at auction. Some cars in the cinematographic saga are worth more than 1000% more than identical but less famous copies.
James Bond and the automobile, it’s a long-lasting affair. From prestige models appearing onscreen to memorable stunts, cars have always held a special place in film adaptations of 007’s adventures from the pen of Ian Fleming. And the cars used on film sets are popular with collectors. A study by the insurance firm Hagerty, which specializes in vintage cars, reveals that an on-screen copy typically fetched at auction for several times the model’s average price.
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Variable capital gains
Still in the shadow of certain competing models badged Ford or Chevrolet for example, the AMC Hornet is not generally considered particularly remarkable. However, in 2017, the Hornet used for the spectacular “corkscrew” jump of the film The Man with the Golden Gun from 1974 changed hands for £ 89,105, while an equivalent copy was worth an average of £ 5,200. That is a capital gain of 1,614%. Closer to home, one of the seven Aston Martin DBS in use on the Quantum of Solace, released in 2008, found buyers in 2012 for £ 241,250 when the model was worth £ 70,000, or 245% bonus. The Aston Martin DBS-6 and the Mercury Cougar XR7On Her Majesty’s Secret Service claimed 182% and 559% more than their anonymous counterparts, respectively. One of the Defender SVX built specifically by Land Rover for Spectrum did better with a sale price of £ 365,000, which is 937% better than a standard copy.
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What about the legendary Aston Martin DB5 and Lotus Esprit?
“The” James Bond car remains the Aston Martin DB5. A copy of the English coupe, visible in Operation Thunder in 1965, then upgraded to the specifications of Goldfinger for a promotional tour, was sold for almost £ 4.7million in 2019 while a DB5 was worth just over £ 615,000, or 759% added value.
But the record goes to the amphibious Lotus Esprit from The spy who loved me. In reality, the vehicle seen underwater in the film is a submarine bodied like a Spirit. The submersible was left in a container for decades, until a New Yorker bought the container for £ 100 in 2013 in a blind sale. Following this discovery, the “car” was auctioned and purchased for £ 616,000, while an Esprit was only worth £ 12,300 according to Hagerty. These 4908% of added value should however be put into perspective, no comparison with a production model being possible. As for the buyer of the famous submarine, it would be a certain Elon Musk, the no less famous director of Tesla.
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A “Die can wait” car already for sale
A car used for filming a “James Bond” film is currently on sale. This is a Mercedes 190E appearing in the cast of Die can wait, the new opus of the saga. In excellent condition but far from rare, the German sedan is offered across the Channel by Car & Classic priced at £ 8,991, or € 10,516, while the model’s price is around £ 6,500 or € 7,600 in the same condition. To find out what “role” the car has in the film, go to the cinema from October 6, 2021.