Yes, a certain Silver Birch DB5 with one rather famous previous ‘owner’ is getting much pre-sale publicity. But look beyond the ‘Bond Aston’ and the 105-car catalogue is packed with many other interesting entries.

Such as a further 17, yes, SEVENTEEN, Aston Martins ranging in price from a 1979 V8 Vantage (£50,000 - 60,000) to a 1964 DB5 Convertible (£320,000 - 375,000). Many of these are ‘DB era’ machines, all clearly wishing to hang onto the coat-tails of one of the world’s most desirable cars, an icon in its own right, which could sell for, what... two, three or four million pounds?

For the hermits out there, ‘FMP 7B’ is the very car that featured in the fast driving scenes in Goldfinger and as a fully functioning ‘007 specification’ DB5 in Thunderball. It’s on-screen appearance forever linked the Aston Martin marque with 007 and it soon became top of every schoolboy’s wish-list.

There were other cars prepared for publicity work and stills (and one actually used in the films, which was stolen in 1997, then believed to be destroyed) but, in addition to its starring role in celluloid, the car's value is further enhanced by having just one owner since its release by the factory in 1969: American radio station owner Mr Jerry Lee.

“Enough, enough,” I hear the non-Bondomaniacs among you cry. Let me simply suggest that you invest £50.00 in the beautiful catalogue, with its wonderful, separately printed and bound ‘FMP 7B Mission Dossier’, and I defy you to resist the magic. It will also allow two of you entry to the 27 October London sale and a ringside seat as Lot 197 comes onto the stage.

Oh, and don’t forget Lot 201, the actual 1960 Hillier 12E4 helicopter as piloted by Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, complete with a Certificate of Airworthiness and yours for £200,000 - 400,000.

Right, that’s that covered, then.

1931 Bentley 8 Litre Open Tourer Coachwork by Harrison - £770,000 - 1,000,000	1962 Aston Martin DB4 Convertible - £210,000 - 270,000
1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Coachwork by Brockman - £150,000 - 180,000	1961 Ferguson P99 Climax P99 Four-Wheel-Drive F1 Racing Car - £475,000 - 575,000

Looking elsewhere, there are superb entries - top-billing at any other sale - which include the ex-Masten Gregory 1952 Jaguar C-type for £1,900,000 - 2,400,000, the 1938 Talbot Lago T23 Teardrop Coupé, Coachwork by Figoni et Falaschi (£1,100,000 - 1,400,000) and the fabulous 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Open Tourer, Coachwork by Harrison at £770,000 - 1,000,000.

The latter, magnificent, pre-War tourer is one of several Bentley and Rolls-Royce motor cars in the sale, which also number another 1931 Bentley 8 Litre Open Tourer (£415,000 - 545,000, the lower estimate reflecting a 1960s re-body from saloon to Vanden Plas-style tourer coachwork), a sporting 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Saloon by Thrupp & Maberly (£95,000 - 125,000) and, from the Hooper Corporate Collection, a 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom II with Coachwork by Brockman.

1971 Lamborghini Miura SVJ - £800,000 - 1,100,000

2004 Ferrari Enzo - £640,000 - 720,000

For £150,000 - 180,000, an enthusiast for the truly unique will appreciate the latter’s all-copper, unpainted bodywork – believed to be the only Rolls so produced. Other Hooper cars include the gold-plated 1926 Pierce-Arrow Opera Coupé (£70,000 - 100,000), the 1989 Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Emperor State Landaulet by Hooper (£80,000 - 120,000) and, something a little more sporty, a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL ‘Gullwing’ competitively estimated at £350,000 - 400,000.

Ferrari, as a marque, has always done well at RM sales. Who can forget the Chris Evans Cal' Spider, and the record-breaking ‘pontoon’ TR250 in its Maranello sales? For this year’s London event, the catalogue lists nine, carefully chosen examples – and you wouldn’t say ‘no’ to any of them.

From the £640,000 - 720,000 2004 Enzo, to the £75,000 - 95,000 1974 365 GT4 BB, there’s something for any well-heeled collector. My money would go on the LHD 1965 275 GTB, a £500,000 - 600,000, matching numbers car, beautifully finished in its original colour scheme of Azzuro and black hide.

From arch-rival Lamborghini come two Miuras (a 1971 SVJ for £800,000 - 1,100,000 and a 1972 SV at £500,000 - 560,000), a 1975 Countach LP 400 'Periscopo' (£190,000 - 240,000) and one of the most intriguing cars in the sale, the 1969 Islero GTS that was driven by Roger Moore in the film The Man Who Haunted Himself. £95,000 - 135,000 is the estimate on this one – a nice, underappreciated car. And Moore, Roger Moore, now where have I...

1957 Ferrari 250 GT Ellena - £230,000 - 260,000	1954 Lancia B 20 GT - £50,000 - 60,000
1956 Maserati A6 A6G/2000 Competition Berlinetta - £590,000 - 650,000	1972 BMW 3.0 CSL - £35,000 - 45,000

In addition to the C-type, historic racers will appreciate the 1961 Ferguson P99 Four-Wheel-Drive F1 car which always does so well at the Revival in Barrie Williams’s hands (£475,000 - 575,000), and the 1954 Tojeiro Bristol for £160,000 - 225,000.

Finally, a more unusual – and bang up-to-date – entry is Lot 178, the 2010 Pagani Zonda R. Its all-carbonfibre bodywork and up-and-over-garage-door wing attests to the fact that this 750bhp supercar is colossally fast. So quick, apparently, that professional driver Marc Basseng has set a new lap record (6min 47sec) around the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a similar example.

£1,300,000 - 1,400,000 will buy you a car that’s quicker (by 11 seconds round the 'Ring) than an FXX Ferrari.

Or maybe 50%, or less, of the sole surviving James Bond Aston Martin DB5. See you in Battersea: it should be memorable.

To see a full lotlisting of entries to the 27 October 'Automobiles of London' auction please CLICK HERE.

To see all the entries to the 27 October 'Automobiles of London' auction in the Classic Driver car database please CLICK HERE.

Timetable:

SALE:
October 27, 2010
4:00 PM

PREVIEW:
October 26, 2010
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
October 27, 2010
10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

'KISS KISS, BANG BANG' DRINKS RECEPTION:
October 26, 2010
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM GMT
Strictly by invitation only.

ADMISSION:
Admission to this event requires the purchase of an official auction catalogue available for £50.00. The catalogue admits two and must be presented at the entrance to the sale to be granted entry.

AUCTION LOCATION
Battersea Evolution
Chelsea Bridge Entrance
Battersea Park
London, SW11 4NJ UK

RM Auctions in association with Sotheby's 46a Carnaby Street London W1F 9PS UK UK Telephone: +44 (0)20 7851 7070 Fax: +44 (0)20 7851 7079 North America Telephone: +1 519 352 45 75 Website: www.rmauctions.com Email: [email protected].

Text: Steve Wakefield
Photos: RM Auctions

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