More than anything else, it is about being in the right time and at the right place. Fame, fortune, money, success — so much of this is down to hard work, talent, and skill, but perhaps it is even more down to luck. As the old saying goes, the best ability is availability.
In 1964, when Guy Hamilton was directing Goldfinger, the car that James Bond would be driving was to be the Aston Martin DB5. That was the car that Aston Martin made at the time, and it has since become iconic not only to the MI6 agent, but to Britain itself. Which is a shame, if you ask me, because I think the DB6 is, and always has been, the better car. The issue was it was simply produced a year too late. Timing is everything.
To a normal person, the difference between the DB5 and the DB6 (and, indeed, the DB4GT) is minimal. That famous front end is almost identical, the side profile similar, and the famous faired-in headlights. Where the DB6 stands out is its superb Kammback tail rear end, its ever-so slightly stockier profile and the split front bumper. It also came with power steering.
The joy of the DB6 is not that it is necessarily better looking (although I think it is) than the DB5, nor that it is faster, but that it is the perfect iteration of that particular design by Federico Formenti. No Aston has ever quite looked as good since (although the latest Vanquish is certainly giving it a run for its money).
'Love them or loathe them, these men know that the DB6 is the superior car'
Because of its appearance in Goldfinger, where it does things that it couldn’t do (namely, eject its passengers and hide machine guns in its headlights) the DB5 is the belle of the historical ball. Right place, right time.
It would appear that I am not alone in my love for the DB6. The King owns one, a 1969 MKII Volante, that he is frequently spotted driving around in and has converted to run on bio-ethanol that he himself produces on the Duchy of Cornwall estate. Another famous owner is Sir David Beckham, who owns a 1965 MK1 coupe. He is also an investor in Lunaz, which produces an all electric DB6. Love them or loathe them, these men know that the DB6 is the superior car.
The then Prince of Wales at Windsor for a polo match. The car was given to him by The Queen on his 21st birthday.
But the DB5’s fame is also its downfall. Should you wish to own a DB5, the price usually starts somewhere around ‘If You Have To Ask, You Cannot Afford It’, while a DB6 can be found right now, on Autotrader for the very reasonable price of £220,000. And, as mentioned, 95% of people you drive past will simply think you are in a DB5 anyway. What’s not to love?
I am aware that I am fighting a losing fight, and that the DB5 will remain the iconic British sports car of the 1960s. Aston Martin were aware of that too, when they released 25 new editions in 2020 — The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation — at a rather spicy $3.5 million each. It did at least come with some gadgets, notably a smoke screen, and the spinning number plate, which will be useful considering that it is not a road-legal car.
But someone has to say something. And that someone is me. I have always liked the DB5, but I love the DB6. If the DB6 has a million fans, then I am one of them. If the DB6 has only one fan then that is me. If the DB6 has no fans, then that means I am no longer on earth. If the world is against the DB6, then I am against the world.
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