007-MODIFIED ASTON MARTIN SELLS FOR $4.1 MILLION

ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS JAMES BOND CARS, THE SPECIALLY EQUIPPED SILVER ASTON MARTIN FIRST DRIVEN BY SEAN CONNERY IN 'GOLDFINGER', WAS AUCTIONED OFF WEDNESDAY IN LONDON FOR $4.1 MILLION. THE UNIQUE CAR, WHICH BOASTS AN EJECTOR SEAT, MACHINE GUNS, ROTATING LICENSE PLATES AND OTHER SPY GEAR, WAS INITIALLY EXPECTED TO GO FOR MORE THAT $5.5 MILLION. 'THIS IS THE ONLY GENUINE, 007 JAMES BOND CAR', SAID MICK WALSH, EDITOR IN CHIEF OF CLASSIC AND SPORTS CAR MAGAZINE. IT WAS BOUGHT BY HARRY YEAGGY, AN AMERICAN CLASSIC CAR COLLECTOR WHO HAS A SMALL PRIVATE MUSEUM IN OHIO. 'WE'D RIDE IT AROUND THE STREETS OF LONDON TONIGHT', HE TOLD THE BBC. HE SAID THE FACT THE ICONIC ASTON MARTIN HAS NEVER BEEN AUCTIONED BEFORE MEANT IT HAD TREMENDOUS APPEAL TO COLLECTORS. BOND'S CREATOR, NEWSPAPERMAN AND NOVELIST IAN FLEMING, HAD ORIGINALLY PLACED BOND IN A BENTLEY, WHICH WAS HIS OWN PERSONAL CAR CHOICE. BUT THE FILMMAKERS PUT HIM IN THE ASTON MARTIN, WHICH THEN COMPETED MAINLY WITH THE JAGUAR E-TYPE FOR THE LUCRATIVE BRITISH AND AMERICAN SPORTS-CAR MARKET. ASTON MARTIN WAS SEEN AS A HEADY MIX OF ITALIAN DESIGN AND BRITISH ENGINEERING. THE SILVER ASTON MARTIN DB5 COUPE AUCTIONED WEDNESDAY WAS USED BY CONNERY TO ELUDE VARIOUS VILLAINS IN BOTH 'GOLDFINGER' AND 'THUNDERBALL', GENERALLY REGARDED AS EARLY CLASSICS IN HOLLYWOOD'S LONGEST RUNNING AND MOST SUCCESSFUL FILM FRANCHISE. THE USE OF THE ASTON MARTIN, WITH A REAR BULLETPROOF SHIELD THAT COULD BE ACTIVATED WITH THE PUSH OF A DASHBOARD BUTTON, PROVIDED A MAJOR BOOST FOR THE BRITISH CAR-MAKER, WHICH RECEIVED WORLDWIDE PUBLICITY WHEN THE CAR WAS FEATURED IN 'GOLDFINGER' IN 1964. THE CAR AUCTIONED BY RM AUCTIONS AUTOMOBILES OF LONDON IS ONE OF TWO ASTON MARTINS FACTORY-MODIFIED FOR USE IN THE EARLY BOND FILMS, AND IT IS THE ONLY SURVIVING EXAMPLE. THE CAR, WHICH CONTAINS AND EARLY VERSION OF THE MODERN-DAY NAVIGATION SYSTEM, IS DESCRIBED AS BEING IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE OTHER 007-MODIFIED ASTON MARTIN WAS REPORTED STOLEN IN 1997 AND HAS NEVER BEEN RECOVERED. MANY BELIEVE IT HAS BEEN DESTROYED.