Site MapThe Gadgets That Made Bond’s ‘Goldfinger’ DB5 Iconic
This is Bond’s signature car for a reason
From Oddjob to Pussy Galore’s the Flying Pussies to a murder victim covered in gold from head to toe, Goldfinger gave us a lot of firsts, and hopefully a lot of lasts. It‘s seen by many as the birth of Bond as a kind of superhero. It made him seem invincible but at the same time put him in some fairly precarious situations.
It gave us the famous “No, Mr.Bond, I expect you to die” line from the titular character. That was the first time a character in a movie had to escape being cut in twain by a laser. If that’s not the stuff superheroes are made of then we don’t know what it is. But, the ultimate tool that made him a superhero was of course a car.
The incomparable Aston Martin DB5.
By now the famous ejector seat needs no introduction. Just flip the knob atop your stick shift open, press the little red button, and bam your unwanted passenger goes shooting outward and upward into the air presumably never to be seen again. Au revoir!
If the ejection has gone well but you still have enemies chasing you down a Swiss Alpine road, then you may want to lose them by using the smoke screen. No problem, just reach down to your control box (pictured above), make sure you’re not on low battery, and flip the switch. Watch as the smoke billows out from the tail pipe like it’s a locomotive’s chimney. Fun fact, this particular tactical counter-measure is actually in the “The Beast” AKA the presidential limo. Thanks, Bond!
The problem with the smoke screen is that it obscures your vision as well as the bad guys’. Well, no worries because if they’re still on your tail you can just move your finger one switch over and activate the oil slick - the banana peel of espionage.
But wait, you’re still not sure if they’re still behind you? Well, you can use the very first parking assist sensor ever. The standard on-board radar will light all those suckers up on your pretty cool looking radar screen. Just be careful because that thing is by your feet basically and you’re in a car chase. Best keep your eyes on the road straight ahead.
Straight ahead because the smoke screen and oil slick did not work! The enemy has flanked you and set up a pretty mean looking road block up ahead. It’s time to get the big guns out, literally, as you work that control panel like a member of the USS Enterprise. The front headlights flip down and out come two machine guns because what’s a Bond gadget if isn’t murdering faceless henchmen?
The DB5 is so legendary for its prowess on the road and the battlefield. It’s been featured in 15 of 24 Bond films, well, 25 if you include the brand new No Time To Die. How’s that for longevity? And something tells us it’s got a long way yet to go before it is forgotten.
