This ad shows up with somewhat of a regularity.

Hard to say if the color cast is based on available lighting (in which it was apparently photographed), or if the Aston Martin DB5 shown here isn’t quite the color we’re used to from the vehicle featured in Goldfinger (1964).

Again to the important role of branding in James Bond stories, recall what Ian Fleming wrote in Chapter 7 of Goldfinger (1959), appropriately titled, “Thoughts in a DB III.”

Click on image to see it at a higher resolution.

“The car was from the pool. Bond had been offered the Aston Martin or a Jaguar 3.4. He had taken the DB III. Either of the cars would have suited his cover — a well-to-do, rather adventurous young man with a taste for the good, the fast things of life.”

In chosing to update that to an Aston Martin DB5 for the film adaptation, note how the contemporaneous advertising copy here substantiates that characterization.

“The 4-litre engine is a pedigree world championship engine that made history on the race tracks of Europe (282 brake horsepower at 5,500 r.p.m.).”
Air conditioning. Electric windows. It has 22 coats of paint (“count them”), and “it’s upholstered in finest quality coach hide from the tanneries of Lancashire. The carpet is famous English Wilton, deep piled, hand-fitted throughout….”

At some point I’ll have to add pricing charts for commonly purchased goods here, by year, to provide context for just how much $13,000 would have meant in 1964.

One of the passions that drove me to launch this Blog was an interest in sharing my own collection of artifacts related to James Bond brands.

Given my background in and passion for marketing, it shouldn’t be a surprise to find most of these related the tools of that profession. I like the way brands are manifested in advertisements, promotions, and collateral. The rubber-hits-the-road ways in which product placement associations with James Bond are leveraged.

Broadly speaking, they’re great time capsules — and often bring historical debates to resolution through fact. For example, rather than speculate on what Ian Fleming would have known of the Rolex image when putting 007 in a current Explorer model from the early 1960s, we can know by referencing a cross-section of contemporaneous print media.

Specific to Our Man, I think it’s kinda cool to see the differences between the Aston Martin DB III from the 1959 Goldfinger novel and the DB5 that was featured in the 1964 Goldfinger movie. (And, in original contexts, we can see that Fleming typed his model as “DB III,” and the manufacturer referred to its model as the “DB5.”)

In addition to serving the general coverage here, I’ve added a Category titled, “Dell Deaton Collection” to help organize original materials I own and am sharing here.

After all: This is fun!

Perhaps some element of the vocal opposition to product placement in James Bond films is based in a fear that it subjects audiences to subconscious manipulation.

“Does Subliminal Persuasion Work?” asked the title of an article featured in the September / October 2009 Skeptical Inquirer. Subtitled, “It Depends on your Motivation and Awareness,” authors Brandon Randolf-Seng and Robert D. Mather assert that recent psychological research provides more answers about why and when subliminal information can influence people’s preference and behaviors.

Foundationally, they note that subliminal processing is “simply a consequence of the way we are cognitively built.” In other words, if we had to otherwise process activities such as how, mechanically, to walk, or make decisions about lunch menus from among all information gathered up to that point in our life, we’d be slowed to a crawl. Thus the argument of influence. Offsetting this, ” person’s current motivations at the time of being exposed to subliminal information and a person’s awareness of being exposed to subliminal information will determine in part whether subliminal persuasion is possible….”

James Bond all-but defines a motivation under this formula. As cited here previously, Kingsley Amis argued that fans “want to be Bond” (my emphasis). Now add context, which established product need — as opposed to mere association, which is the limitation of a commercial interruption, or tack-on before and after the feature film.

In Tomorrow Never Dies, 007 waits to see who Eliot Carver will send to his hotel room. There’s anticipation, anxiety for the audience as we watch. Bond drinks vodka in straight shots; we empathize. What brand does he drink? Smirnoff. Will have to remember that.

The Art of Bond (2006) provides rather a fascinating illustration of this. Introducing the section on Bond vehicles undr “Bond Worlds: sets, locations, gadgets and cars,” a well-known Holywood personality dominates the page, leaning against his own personal choice for transportation. The caption reads, “‘My favorite Bond film is Goldfinger. I own a DB9 Aston Martin and the only reason why I have it is because of James Bond.’ Steven Spielberg.”

That’s power.

Is The Aston Martin Your Top Car Of All Time? What Do You Like About It?

Aston Martin

This is one of many illustrated classic car guides I’ve created for the community. I hope you enjoy it and if you would like to find out more about the classic Aston Martin car art featured in this guide please click here.

This guide includes several classic Aston Martin car models.

DB2/4

Introduced to the public at the London Motor Show of 1953, the DB 2/4 was a continuation of the DB2 theme. The 4 designation denoted four seats and to provide extra room the model was given an extended roofline and much larger rear windows. The longer rear fender development gave the DB2/4 a sense of bulk not found in the DB2. Originally fitted with a 2.6 litre engine, this was enlarged to 2,922cc (140bhp) in April 1954, which improved the top speed to an impressive 118mph and 0-60mph in around 10.5 seconds. Both closed and drophead versions of the car were offered from the beginning of production. Total production for the DB2/4 Mk1, DB2/4 Mk2, and DB Mk3 was 565, 199 and 551 vehicles respectively.

DB4

Aston Martin chose the London Motor Show of 1958 to launch the new DB4, although the DB2/4 Mk 3 was not discontinued at that time and production of the two models overlapped until July of 1959. The DB4 featured a new aluminium twin cam 3.7 litre engine designed by Tadek Marek and superb new body by Touring of Milan, making it a truly handsome sports car. The DB4’s stunning top speed of 140mph and 0-60 in 9 seconds was matched by precise handling and excellent four-wheel brakes. Numerous production changes in both body (such as enclosed headlights on late DB4s) and mechanical details resulted in five distinct series with production ending June of 1963 and totalling only 1,113 cars.

DB5

Compact and purposeful, the Aston Martin DB5 was produced between July 1963 and September 1965. Rounded front fenders immediately distinguish the model from the early DB4s but the car does share its design with the late Series IV and V DB4. The advantage of the DB5, which represents for many, the best of the post-war production Astons, is the extra performance provided by the powerful 3,995cc engine. In standard tune the six cylinder three SU unit produced 282BHP @ 5,500rpm (Vantage up-rated to 325bhp) and maximum speed had increased to 145mph. In addition to 886 standard Aston Martin DB5s, 123 convertibles were produced together with 12 shooting brakes by coachbuilders Harold Radford.

DB6

Announced at the 1965 London Motor Show and an obvious development of the DB5, the DB6 marked the increasing trend away from the sporting side of the early Aston Martins. Clearly bigger and different, the DB6’s roofline was some 2 inches higher and the rear window no longer faded away to a point as on the DB5. At a glance the most distinguishing feature was the upswept tail of the DB6. The basic 3,995cc dohc engine was retained but power steering was offered, along with a limited slip differential and also air conditioning. Automatic transmission was a no-extra-cost option and creature comforts were greatly improved over the DB5. A total 1,782 (including Volante) cars were built between October 1965 and November 1970.

DBS

Styled by William Towns, the DBS was introduced in September 1967 as a ‘next generation’ replacement for DB6. Despite a new body, the mechanicals were basically the same as the DB6 MkII since Tadek Marek’s new V8 engine, for which the DBS was prepared, was not ready in time. Some 200lbs heavier than a DB 6 Mk II, performance of the DBS inevitably suffered. Nevertheless the 140mph top speed and 0-60 in under 8 seconds could hardly be considered inadequate. Among the plus points for the DB S were a larger interior and a generally higher level of refinement. DBS production amounted to 790 cars built between October 1967 and May 1972 before being replaced by the DBS V8.

AM V8

The new Aston Martin was announced on April 24th 1972 with a revised front. The outline of the grill was now more in the David Brown tradition and the two headlamps also chose to pick up on the earlier styling themes. Maintaining the usual high standards that had come to be expected of the Aston Martin, it was the AM V8’s performance that was particularly impressive. Zero-to-sixty times hovered around 6 seconds with high maximum speeds now in the 150mph-160mph range. Continual refinement lead to five distinct series being produced and in 1978, the Volante convertible was added to the Aston Martin AM V8 range. The Volante, built on the AM V8 platform, was a very handsome and desirable option.

Thank you for reading my guide and I hope you found it interesting!

By Calvin Palmer

Think Aston Martin and the name conjures up the high-speed car chases in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

The famous British marque has had a long association with James Bond since a DB5, complete with machine guns and an ejector seat, first appeared in Goldfinger in 1964.

But think again. Auto Express magazine has released pictures of the luxury sports car company’s latest creation – a city car.

Aston Martin's city car -- the Cygnet. Picture courtesy of Auto Express.

Dubbed the Aston Martin Cygnet and based on the Toyota iQ, the car is a joint venture between the British supercar maker and the Japanese auto giant.

Aston Martin CEO Dr Ulrich Bez said: “Now is the right time for Aston Martin to take this bold step to embark on this special project – made possible with the support of an organisation of Toyota’s stature and capability and the intelligent design and perfect city car package of the iQ.”

The new car will help Aston Martin achieve its carbon emissions target and also boasts a five-star EuroNCAP safety rating.

The Cygnet  is expected to share the same three-cylinder petrol engine as the iQ but the design and interior shares much with the larger DBS versions.

Indeed, in order to buy the Cygnet prospective purchasers must already own an Aston Martin.

The company has found 30 percent of Aston Martin owners also have smaller cars such as the Mini and aims to cash in on brand loyalty.

Bez said: “The offering of a Cygnet with a DBS, DB9 or Vantage is a unique combination of opposites and a novel transport solution allowing intelligent and sensitive mobility on an exclusive and innovative level.”

[Based on reports by Auto Express and The Daily Telegraph.]

Part I-

Part II-

What makes a car sexy? I happen to believe that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but there are certainly a handful of cars that few people can resist. The enticement of a sexy sports car is undeniable.

10. 1961 Jaguar E Type

Arguably, the sexiest car of all time. It had it all, from good looks to great performance. The E Type was one of the most successful cars of its time, with over 70,000 sold during its 14 year lifespan.

9. 1963 Chevy Corvette stingray

The Stingray was the second generation of the Corvette, with its distinctie rear window. It’s the perfect symbol of American muscle and the perfect car for the open road. What’s not to like?

8. 1964 Porsche 911

Porsche are known for their designs. What makes the 911 desing so attractive is the fact that Porsche have maintained the distinctive features of the original throughtout its history. As a result, it has been one of the most successful cars of all time. The 911 is still being produced today.

7. 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing

The 300SL was introduced in 1954 as a two-seater coupé. It got its name from the distictive shape of the car when the doors opened. When opened fully the doors resemble a gullwing. Aside from this, what made the 300SL special was that it became the first car equipped with direct fuel injection.

6. 1964 Aston Martin DB5

Ever heard of James Bond? This car made the Bond films what they are today. It appeared in Goldfinger (1964), again in Casino Royale (2006) and other Bond films before.

5. 1974 Lamborghini Countach

In its time, the Countach invaded every boy’s room with its traditional Lambo good looks and sharp contour lines. Every man dreamed of having one. Its name is the exclamation from a man towards a beautiful woman in the Piedmontese Language, spoken in Northern Italy.

4. 1968 Ferrari Daytona GTB/4

The Daytona was a relatively new type of design for Ferrari. Its sharp edges and contour lines resemble more a Lamborghini than the traditional Ferrari. Be that as it may, it is undoubtebly a beautiful machine.

3. 1966 Maserati Ghibli

The Ghibli was the must successful car since Maserati withdrew from racing. Also, it outsold two of its biggest rivals, the Daytona and the Miura. That’s a sexy car!

2. 1966 Lamborghini Miura

The Miura is very special to Lamborghini because it was an unofficial project. Despite this, it became a tred-setter. It was the first official mid-engined road car. As a result, the Miura set the design template of sports cars for years to come.

1. 1962 Ferrari 250 GTO

Originally designed for racing, the 250 GTO offers Italian elegance and engineering at its best!Designer Giotto Bizzarrini created a masterpiece. The 250 GTO can easily be considered as the most beautiful car ever designed! Or as the Italians would say…bellissima!

There is something wrong with this picture. Can you spot what it is? Hint: It’s got silicone in it’s chest and a spray-on tan on it’s skinny ass.

Top Gear, WHAT WENT THROUGH YOUR MOTHERFUCKING HEAD WHEN YOU MADE THIS?!?!

Must we be so blatant about .. wait .. what are you being blatant about? Because you parade around in skimpy outfits and shiny hair, but what is this really about? So you can pose and open your mouth, but can you do anything else? Aside from your sex appeal, what else can you offer me? The car alone is nice enough. It really is. It’s a DB5 for fucks sake. It’s simple and uncomplicated. Why the fuck are you messing with a good thing?

Okay, the girls are .. er .. nice. No, I take it back. I’m lying. They’re skanks and whores. (I just can tell. I have a 6th sense about these things.) But I’m being nice so I’ll say that they’re nice and that they look like they’re having fun. But they are unnecessary to this whole thing. REALLY. For someone who’s interest lies in the wonder behind all that spray-net and heels, the girls are not appreciated. It’s between me and the car, nothing else. The girls, yes, they might push me to buy the magazine faster, but they’re not why I was running to the store for. It’s the DB5. It’s reading about it and knowing about it more than just being another Aston Martin baby. It’s about the power and control and the harmony that can develop between driver and car. I want to know about that. I want to read about that. It’s ALL about me and the DB5.

If you wanted to insinuate sex, you failed. What I got from this is that these women are BLATANTLY unaware of how precious the DB5 is. People who do not understand why this is an awesome car should stay the hell away from it. If you want to learn as to why this is an awesome car, you shall be taught. But if you don’t ask, and you don’t want to know about it, hands off.

That slut bending over the hood should be bent over the sidewalk and kicked till her teeth willingly fall out. Do not hover with your gigantic fake tatas over the car. I am not amused.

Ooh, dit was ik Ff vergeten te posten; een paar Gadgets van de Aston Martin DB5 (James Bond car collectie):

Er is nu een reeks magazine’s uit over James Bond auto’s; de James Bond car collectie.

Hij komt om de twee weken uit en is verkrijgbaar bij Albert Heijn en sigaretten winkels.

Bij elk nummer krijg je een gratis James Bond autootje, in nr.1 is dat de Astin Martin DB5.

En in deel twee: de Aston Martin V12 Vanquish uit Die Another Day.

En als je een abbonoment neemt dan is het niet alleen goedkoper maar dan krijg je ook dit:

!!! !!!