James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 is back on the market for $3.5 million

The Aston Martin DB5 that has provided British super spy James Bond with a much-loved iconic car since 1964 is now being faithfully rebuilt for avid collectors — at a price tag of $3.5 million.

“We’re part of a legend. DB5 is a legend,” Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer Mark Reichman said, recalling the moment the car popped up in “Spectre,” the newest Bond film. “There was a cheer in the theater, you know, it’s like great. Bond is back in a DB5 yet again.”

As CBS News’ Charlie D’Agata reports, just 25 of the timeless models are being built. They are “continuity cars,” rather than replicas, and each one is painstakingly handmade using the same materials and techniques, including the car’s lightweight aluminum body.

Featured in seven James Bond movies including 1964’s “Goldfinger,” 1993’s “Goldeneye” and 2012’s “Skyfall,” the car has outlasted every actor to play 007.

“It’s outlived many Bonds, because it has a stronger character,” Reichman said. “And visually’s it’s got that character — it’s got eyes, it’s got a face. It has language and it has a presence.”

 

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We invited journalists to get behind the wheel of our authentic reproductions of the DB5 from GOLDFINGER – find out what they thought… “This really is the ultimate DB5” – @topgear “The DB5 is one of those cars that feels like a proper experience” – @pistonheads #AstonMartin #DB5 #LicenceToThrill

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While it does not have the spy vehicle’s machine guns and ejector seat, the new DB5 has simulated toys such as revolving number plates, smoke machines and plastic cylinders acting as “toy guns.”

Creating the car itself, according to D’Agata, is a “lost art.”

“You want to sort of caress the material into shape as opposed to bashing it into shape. That’s the real art,” said panel beater Charlie Briggs.

All in all, painting just one of the 25 models takes 400 hours.

While not street-legal, the car is a collector’s treasure, with a hefty price tag.