For more than 60 years, James Bond and Aston Martin have been practically inseparable. Mention 007, and there’s a good chance the first car that comes to mind is a silver Aston Martin DB5, complete with machine guns, an ejector seat, and a rotating license plate.
But James Bond didn’t always drive an Aston Martin.
The connection between Britain’s most famous secret agent and Britain’s most famous sports-car brand really took off with Goldfinger in 1964. And while the Aston Martin DB5 has become synonymous with Bond, the relationship actually started with a different Aston Martin in Ian Fleming’s novel.
Bond Wasn’t Originally An Aston Martin Guy
In Ian Fleming’s 1959 novel Goldfinger, Bond drives an Aston Martin DB Mark III. Fleming’s Bond was actually more closely associated with Bentley than Aston Martin, and the DB Mark III was the only Aston Martin specifically given to Bond in the original Fleming novels.
The book’s Aston Martin was already modified with some spy equipment, including reinforced bumpers, a concealed firearm, and a homing device. So the basic idea of Bond having a gadget-filled Aston Martin was already there before Hollywood got involved.
When Goldfinger was adapted for the big screen, however, the filmmakers decided Bond needed something newer and more spectacular.
That’s where the DB5 came in.
The DB5 Changed Everything
When production on Goldfinger began, the Aston Martin DB5 was the company’s newest model. The filmmakers were able to obtain a prototype and transform it into Bond’s ultimate spy machine.
The result was far more outrageous than anything Fleming had written.
The movie’s DB5 received machine guns hidden behind the front indicators, a bullet-resistant rear shield, rotating license plates, an oil slick, a smoke screen, tire slashers, a tracking device, and, most famously, an ejector seat.
The official James Bond site says production received just one prototype DB5 to equip with the gadgets, and the special-effects team actually cut into the car to make the ejector-seat sequence work.
The car was effectively another character, and audiences loved it.
Aston Martin Fit Bond’s Image Perfectly
There’s also a simple reason the DB5 worked so well for Bond: it looked like something James Bond would drive.
The DB5 was elegant, expensive, fast, distinctly British, and relatively understated compared with some of the exotic supercars that would appear in later Bond movies.
That made it perfect for Bond’s character.
He’s supposed to be a sophisticated British gentleman who can walk into a casino in a tuxedo one minute and get into a high-speed chase the next. The DB5 communicated that personality before Bond even said a word.
Aston Martin itself describes the DB5’s Britishness, craftsmanship, and styling as major reasons it became such a natural fit for 007. The car was produced from 1963 to 1965, with just 1,023 examples built.
The Aston Martin Became A Bond Tradition
The DB5 didn’t disappear after Goldfinger.
It returned in Thunderball and eventually became one of the most recognizable movie cars ever made. The DB5 has since appeared across multiple Bond eras, including GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time To Die.
But Bond hasn’t exclusively driven Aston Martins.
BMW had a major run during the Pierce Brosnan era, while Lotus gave Bond the famous Esprit submarine. Bond has also driven Jaguars, Fords, Land Rovers, and other cars throughout the franchise.
Still, Aston Martin always feels different; it’s Bond’s signature rather than simply another car supplied for a movie.
A few things you might not know about Bond’s Aston Martins:
- The DB5 first appeared in Goldfinger in 1964, not in the first Bond movie, Dr. No.
- The novel used an Aston Martin DB Mark III, while the movie upgraded Bond to the newer DB5.
- The DB5’s gadgets were largely expanded for the movie, turning Fleming’s relatively restrained modifications into the outrageous Q Branch arsenal audiences know today.
- The ejector seat became the most famous gadget, even though the movie’s version obviously wasn’t a practical passenger-safety feature.
- The DB5 has appeared in more Bond films than any other Aston Martin, helping cement it as 007’s signature car.
- Aston Martin has leaned into the connection so heavily that it has even produced modern 007-inspired cars, including the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation and DB12 Goldfinger Edition.
People Still Can’t Agree On The Best Bond Car
The Aston Martin-Bond connection remains a favorite topic among fans, and Reddit discussions show just how much debate there is over which car deserves the title of best Bond car.
In a recent r/JamesBond discussion, Aston Martin received plenty of love, with fans ranking everything from the original DB5 to the V8 Vantage and modern DBS. One highly upvoted thread simply declared Aston Martin the best Bond-car maker.
There’s also plenty of disagreement over whether the DB5 is actually the best Bond car. Some fans prefer the Aston Martin V8 from The Living Daylights, while others point to the BMW 750iL from Tomorrow Never Dies because it makes more sense as a discreet spy vehicle.
There’s even an argument that the DB5 shouldn’t be considered Bond’s best spy car at all. It’s beautiful, expensive, and instantly recognizable—which isn’t exactly ideal if your job is to avoid being noticed.
But that’s also why it works. James Bond isn’t supposed to blend into traffic. He’s supposed to look impossibly cool while doing something completely ridiculous.
The DB5 Became Bigger Than James Bond
Ultimately, there’s no single moment when Aston Martin became Bond’s official car. The relationship grew out of a combination of Fleming’s original choice, the DB5 being Aston Martin’s newest model when Goldfinger was filmed, and the movie’s decision to turn the car into a rolling collection of gadgets.
That 1964 DB5 appearance was enough to permanently change both brands.
Aston Martin got perhaps the greatest product placement in movie history, while James Bond got a car that perfectly matched his image: British, sophisticated, fast, expensive, and just a little bit dangerous.
Bond has driven plenty of cars over the decades.
But when someone says “Bond car,” there’s really only one answer: Aston Martin DB5.
