James Bond car sells for $1.9 million...

[Zim Hosein]

PHOENIX, Arizona (Reuters) - A Swiss businessman won the keys to James Bond's silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5 coupe on Friday with a $1.9 million bid at an annual classic car auction in Arizona.

The 45-year-old man, who did not want to be identified, placed his bids over the telephone through friend and car dealer Beat Roos to win the gadget-packed 007 car used in such classics as "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball." Both men live in Bern, Switzerland.

"His instructions were to bring the car back to Switzerland," Roos said.

The winner, who was bidding in his first auction, will add the car to a collection of some dozen vehicles that includes classic Aston Martins and Porsches.

Auction officials had estimated that Bond's vehicle could fetch between $1.5 million and $2.5 million.

Two other classics cars also were sold, with bidders paying $565,000 for gangster Al Capone's 1928 Cadillac sedan and $195,000 for country music singer Hank Williams Jr.'s 1964 Pontiac Bonneville convertible, officials said.

All three vehicles had been at the Smoky Mountain Car Museum in Tennessee.

The sale, presented by Canada's RM Auctions, is one of five held by different companies in the Phoenix area through the end of the month. More than $100 million is expected to be spent on vehicles of all makes and sizes.

© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved.

James Bond car sells for $1.9 million :Q

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

yeah that's my dad, he called and said he just took it for a spin. he said the clutch is a little rough though.

 

[Bryan]

Ha, they GAVE away the Jag used in one of the Bond films (the one with Halle) at my company Christmas party a few years ago. I sh!t you not.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Bryan
Ha, they GAVE away the Jag used in one of the Bond films (the one with Halle) at my company Christmas party a few years ago. I sh!t you not.

 

[Bryan]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Bryan
Ha, they GAVE away the Jag used in one of the Bond films (the one with Halle) at my company Christmas party a few years ago. I sh!t you not.

Yeah, that was my expression when they didn't draw my name.

The lady who won it turned it around right away for ~50k

 

[Excelsior]

I love that phrase, "I sh!t you not."

 

[Akhen]

it had to be a swiss guy

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I wonder how much the guy who did the bidding for it got...

 

[HamburgerBoy]

:heart:

That's probably the best looking one out of all the Bond cars.

 

[drnickriviera]

I though the DB5 was stolen years ago and never recovered??

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: Bryan

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Bryan
Ha, they GAVE away the Jag used in one of the Bond films (the one with Halle) at my company Christmas party a few years ago. I sh!t you not.

Yeah, that was my expression when they didn't draw my name.

The lady who won it turned it around right away for ~50k

well, if yuo think about it, the taxes, (considering it was a prize, so it's subject ot higher taxes), would probably have raped her if she kept it. the value of the car would be pretty damn high and all. It wouldve been better if your company had a drawing to not give away the car but to sell it to someone for $1, which would circumvent the tax law and thus she would only have to pay auto tax and registration of that $1.