Goldfinger/Thunderball DB5 at the Dezer Collection
Gebruder Gumbold
San FranciscoPosts: 549MI6 Agent
Cheers All,
In our continuing story of a recent trip to the Dezer Collection, Amanda and I looked over their DB5, which appeared in much better shape than the poor OHMSS DBS.
Following years of Aston ownership and collecting, and research from Dave Worral's excellent book, this DB5 appears to be a hodgepodge of non Eon gadgets that will impress the general public, but frustrate collectors like us.
Yes, yes, very few people are lucky enough to be able to sit in a DB5, much less own one (GBP470,000 these days, and rising...), so I will try to confine my comments to the correctness of the gadgets that were visible.
1. Talbot Berlin mirrors: those on the car looked to b cheap repros, although new, the shape seemed off. Position is just about right. No spoon radar antenna contained therein.
I always thought that the entire mirror should rotate, as it looks like a radar unit anyway.
2. Silver Birch colour: very close, hard to tell in the funky lighting of the museum. All cars look bad in that light.
Silver Birch has a bit of green in it, although I have seen other versions closer to the MBZ silver, like this one.
3. Fit of the roof panel was surprisingly good. Probably better than the film seen effects car.
4. Missing Lucas side repeater lamps.
All replica cars are oddly enough, missing these relatively inexpensive items.
5. Interior colour is correct: Grey, NOT black, as claimed by many.
6. Front machine guns: Not even close, although the correct Lucas Beehive lamps appear original, the "guns" appear to be pieces of pipe. Not even aimed properly- Looks as if it would hit nothing directly in front of it.
7. Arm rest switches: not even close to film seen correct. See photo. Armrest appears to be spot on, from what I could see thru the glass.
8. Rear plate: looks good, although I would also like to see it retracted.
9. Front Number Plate Housing: better than others, but still not the correct, and smaller shape as the original. Not bad fit and finish. Too large and bulky. original was smaller, and elegantly shaped.
10. Borrani tyre slasher: wrong. See Ken Adam's drawings. The road wheel would fall off this car if it drove 3 feet! The Borrani knock on was machined into a sectional, and the threaded part stayed with the tyre, and still had part of the triple ear in place, while the sharpened part of the ear did the slashing. We all know it was a studio effect, however, since this is a static display, one would have thought that they would at least attempt to make it film seen correct. The slasher on that car would only bruise a shin!
11. Last photo is a screen shot of the GF DB5 gadget car. Note the controls, particularly the switches for the machine guns, with the guards. Look to be old RAF switches. One Aston made replica had these, but in white, and used only two. The third was a power window lift switch- which are now unobtainium!
12. Just noticed- those aren't Avon tyres. My God, for a car allegedly worth over $1M, one might think they would spring for a set of original Avons from Longstone Tyres? Also, just looked again, and the wheels aren't Borranis, nor is the spinner coorect, as Borrani spinners have the hand logo in the middle. Oh Dear. Lever shocks appear to be spray painted.
Well, that's it. Dave Zaritsky has done a very good blog film on the collection, and I refer you to that as well.
Overall, it was a very exciting and interesting visit, and I even got to see The Munsters Mobile...
Cheers,
GG
In our continuing story of a recent trip to the Dezer Collection, Amanda and I looked over their DB5, which appeared in much better shape than the poor OHMSS DBS.
Following years of Aston ownership and collecting, and research from Dave Worral's excellent book, this DB5 appears to be a hodgepodge of non Eon gadgets that will impress the general public, but frustrate collectors like us.
Yes, yes, very few people are lucky enough to be able to sit in a DB5, much less own one (GBP470,000 these days, and rising...), so I will try to confine my comments to the correctness of the gadgets that were visible.
1. Talbot Berlin mirrors: those on the car looked to b cheap repros, although new, the shape seemed off. Position is just about right. No spoon radar antenna contained therein.
I always thought that the entire mirror should rotate, as it looks like a radar unit anyway.
2. Silver Birch colour: very close, hard to tell in the funky lighting of the museum. All cars look bad in that light.
Silver Birch has a bit of green in it, although I have seen other versions closer to the MBZ silver, like this one.
3. Fit of the roof panel was surprisingly good. Probably better than the film seen effects car.
4. Missing Lucas side repeater lamps.
All replica cars are oddly enough, missing these relatively inexpensive items.
5. Interior colour is correct: Grey, NOT black, as claimed by many.
6. Front machine guns: Not even close, although the correct Lucas Beehive lamps appear original, the "guns" appear to be pieces of pipe. Not even aimed properly- Looks as if it would hit nothing directly in front of it.
7. Arm rest switches: not even close to film seen correct. See photo. Armrest appears to be spot on, from what I could see thru the glass.
8. Rear plate: looks good, although I would also like to see it retracted.
9. Front Number Plate Housing: better than others, but still not the correct, and smaller shape as the original. Not bad fit and finish. Too large and bulky. original was smaller, and elegantly shaped.
10. Borrani tyre slasher: wrong. See Ken Adam's drawings. The road wheel would fall off this car if it drove 3 feet! The Borrani knock on was machined into a sectional, and the threaded part stayed with the tyre, and still had part of the triple ear in place, while the sharpened part of the ear did the slashing. We all know it was a studio effect, however, since this is a static display, one would have thought that they would at least attempt to make it film seen correct. The slasher on that car would only bruise a shin!
11. Last photo is a screen shot of the GF DB5 gadget car. Note the controls, particularly the switches for the machine guns, with the guards. Look to be old RAF switches. One Aston made replica had these, but in white, and used only two. The third was a power window lift switch- which are now unobtainium!
12. Just noticed- those aren't Avon tyres. My God, for a car allegedly worth over $1M, one might think they would spring for a set of original Avons from Longstone Tyres? Also, just looked again, and the wheels aren't Borranis, nor is the spinner coorect, as Borrani spinners have the hand logo in the middle. Oh Dear. Lever shocks appear to be spray painted.
Well, that's it. Dave Zaritsky has done a very good blog film on the collection, and I refer you to that as well.
Overall, it was a very exciting and interesting visit, and I even got to see The Munsters Mobile...
Cheers,
GG