Danbury Mint Aston Martin DB5

ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
in James Bond Memorabilia, Collecting & Props
Hi there, does anyone know much about the Danbury Mint Aston Martin DB5 - not the gold plated one but the one in Gunmetal Grey with a black interior - 1/24th Scale version. Think it may have been from 1998

Many thanks
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Comments

  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    Thomo wrote:
    Hi there, does anyone know much about the Danbury Mint Aston Martin DB5 - not the gold plated one but the one in Gunmetal Grey with a black interior - 1/24th Scale version. Think it may have been from 1998

    Many thanks


    I do - I have one of them. Probably the best model of the DB5 with working gadget in any scale so far.
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    Jag wrote:
    Thomo wrote:
    Hi there, does anyone know much about the Danbury Mint Aston Martin DB5 - not the gold plated one but the one in Gunmetal Grey with a black interior - 1/24th Scale version. Think it may have been from 1998

    Many thanks


    I do - I have one of them. Probably the best model of the DB5 with working gadget in any scale so far.

    Nah, autoart's 4th gen goldfinger db5 was the best IMO.
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
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  • Kai RoweKai Rowe Posts: 37MI6 Agent
    Between us Im sure we know everything about it.What exactly did you want to know?
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    Just value etc. Seen them on eBay for about £250 +

    Good to hear the quality is good with them
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    The quality is very good, but I am sure you will be able to get one for less than half this price. Don't go for the "Buy It Now" offers, as the prices appear to be inflated.
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    You think that's too expensive ??
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    edited August 2012
    I have as good as new Danbury Mint DB5 (grey), cost me approx 60 quid with all and I have the gold-plated one in mint condition (factory sealed) cost me about 90 quid. So i'd say £250GBP + is pretty much for the gunmetal one ;) As this year is 50th anniversary of JB on screen - everything will be more expensive than usually.

    Then again Danbury Mint DB5 was made in about 1998 to 2001 and 31/12/2001 all molds were destroyed, so it's hard to find one new in box for a decent price these days.


    Edit: There was one daft seller last year asking for both (gunmetal & gold-plated) nearly 1750USD :o
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    You can actually still see them on eBay going for very close to the price Teppo paid. Just watch a few and see how much they sell for before you buy, and you are likely to scoop a bargain. Just because a few sellers there ask silly prices does not mean you have to pay that much. Those valued over $200 hardly ever sell. Those on auction with a low starting price fetch realistic prices, which are surprisingly affordable. Of course, the gold-plated version is a bit more expensive, but I never even bothered to get it as it is unrealistic and not screen accurate.
  • SilentSpySilentSpy Private Exotic AreaPosts: 765MI6 Agent
    I have one of these Danbury Mint DB5 models. It was advertised around 1998. I remember the ad in the Tomorrow Never Dies movie magazine. I like the model but it's kind of small and it doesn't have a leather interior. I have the Kyosho Bond Z8 which is probably the best car model I've seen. Although, I've seen pictures of Ferrari, Audi, and other models that look even better.

    Let's see if you guys here can help ID this DB5 and Lotus model without me needing to make a thread. They look like large scale models. I found the images here on AJB before I joined. The DB5 looks like it has some gadgets too. I can't tell about the Lotus.

    Bond_Car_Models.jpg

    Bond_DB5_Lotus_Models.jpg
    "Better late than never."
  • Rainier WolfcastleRainier Wolfcastle Posts: 484MI6 Agent
    As far as I remember the Danbury DB5 had a real leather interior.

    The large DB5 and Esprit (and the Vanquish and DBS) are most likely Ertl RC2 models, not Autoart.
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    edited August 2012
    My Danbury Mint DB5 certainly has a leather interior (unfortunately, as there are cruelty-free alternatives, and I almost did not buy the model back in 2000 or so because of that).

    It also looks much more screen accurate than the AutoArt one, despite being much smaller. It even has a working weapons tray and phone, neither of which appeared in the movie.
  • ThomoThomo ReadingPosts: 964MI6 Agent
    Many thanks guys - really helpful information
  • SilentSpySilentSpy Private Exotic AreaPosts: 765MI6 Agent
    Rainier Wolfcastle wrote:
    As far as I remember the Danbury DB5 had a real leather interior.

    The large DB5 and Esprit (and the Vanquish and DBS) are most likely Ertl RC2 models, not Autoart.

    Thanks for the info. I'll read the reviews I found on MI6-HQ tonight. I really want a Lotus model. This is the only large scale one I've come across.
    Jag wrote:
    My Danbury Mint DB5 certainly has a leather interior (unfortunately, as there are cruelty-free alternatives, and I almost did not buy the model back in 2000 or so because of that).

    It also looks much more screen accurate than the AutoArt one, despite being much smaller. It even has a working weapons tray and phone, neither of which appeared in the movie.

    Yeah, I tend to pass on leather these days unless there isn't an alternative. I think some companies source leather from naturally deceased animals but I haven't really looked into it yet.

    Anyway, I'm 100% sure my Danbury Mint DB5 doesn't have leather. My DB5 is boxed away somewhere but here are a few eBay auctions with good pics. Are we talking about the same model?

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Danbury-Mint-James-Bond-007-silver-Aston-Martin-DB5-car-model-with-BOX-NO-RES-/190708682215?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item2c671f8de7

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Danbury-Mint-James-Bond-007-Aston-Martin-DB5-Silver-IMMACCULATE-CONDITION-MIB-/230785614128?pt=UK_ToysGames_DiecastVehicles_DiecastVehicles_JN&hash=item35bbe50130

    Also, what is the best Bond DB5 model? I tend to want a bigger model now that I have that Kyosho Bond Z8. It spoiled me. How is the Auto Art compared to the Ertl RC2? There is that UK magazine that sends a piece of the DB5 as well. But it's not finished yet.
    "Better late than never."
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    edited August 2012
    In my opinion Autoart gadget version (with roof plate) is the best one in scale 1:18th, although self-modified partwork DB5 in scale 1:8 would be really cool....why didn't i subscribe it back then :# ?:)

    1) it looked too toy-a-like, which is now proofed to be wrong for me :#

    2) I don't live in the UK, Australia or Germany


    well, you can't win always...


    Although i'm happy with my DM DB5's -{
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    As for the Danbury DB5, my leather interior os grey, but I saw pictures of the same model on the net with black interior. Perhaps they replaced leather with something else at a later stage? Is your iinterior grey or black, SilentSpy? My model comes with paperwork which also specifically mentions real leather.
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    Teppo, the AutoArt model is really nice, but in my opinion, the larger the model, the more accuracy you should expect. Unfortunately its details are not as nice as the Danbury model's (just compare the engine compartments!), and in addition it includes wing DB5 bades and front headlight cover lugs which the Goldfinger screen gadget car did not have, but it is missing the side indicators which the screen car did. That makes all the difference to me and makes the Danbury Mint one the winner.

    As for the 1/8 partwork model, there is a good chance it may be the best ever model, but a lot remains to be seen, as there are some issues with it (paintwork mismatch etc.), and even if they are resolved, a lot of extra work will be required to make the model look good and realistic. I am speaking from experience here - I am a subscriber myself.
  • Rainier WolfcastleRainier Wolfcastle Posts: 484MI6 Agent
    Jag wrote:
    AutoArt model is really nice [...] but it is missing the side indicators which the screen car did. That makes all the difference to me and makes the Danbury Mint one the winner.

    As for the 1/8 partwork model, there is a good chance it may be the best ever model
    Well, the 1/8 is also missing the side repeaters, so it will never be the best ever model by your definition ... And you are right: I have always wondered why Autoart did not add the side repeaters on their gadget version. And the DB5 badges are not only wrong for the film car, they are printed where the real DB5 did not have them.

    What I don't like on the Danbury are its huge gaps around the opening parts. The details may be finer than on the Autoart (but this cost a fraction of the Danbury when new) but is only looking good with opened doors. The grey leather interior is correct for the film. 1/24 is an odd scale (at least in the Bond world); there are lots of 1/18 Bond cars but the DB5 is a bit of an orphan in 1/24 with the only other car in this scale the BMW 750.
    SilentSpy wrote:
    Also, what is the best Bond DB5 model? I tend to want a bigger model now that I have that Kyosho Bond Z8. It spoiled me. How is the Auto Art compared to the Ertl RC2?
    Ertl uses the Autoart model for the box illustrations ... ;)

    The Ertl is not a bad model and is much cheaper to get than the Autoart. The Autoart is without doubt better (finer grille, wheels etc.) but overall the Ertl is okay for the price paid. The Superleggera scripts are horribly oversized, would have been better to leave them off completely (as they did with the side DB5 emblems). At least the Ertl comes with a roof panel as standard; Autoart DB5's with roof panel are quite rare. I think both belong in a Bond collection.
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    Teppo wrote:

    2) I don't live in the UK, Australia or Germany


    well, you can't win always...

    Yeah, but why loose so badly and live in Finland? :))
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    I agree with you, Rainier, on most points. Of course the Danbury Aston could have been better, and it is not perfect. I just think it is (very slightly) better than the AutoArt one. As for the gaps in opening parts, they are not too bad in mine, and certainly better, if anything, that in most other 1/24 cars in my collection. Yes, I am a 1/24 collector! I do not have a single 1/18 model car - they're just too big, and would end up stored away, so there is no point collecting them (for me, of course). Interestingly, like you pointed out, the official Minichamps BMW from Tomorrow Never Dies, however, was released in 1/24 for some reason and that is about it.

    To sum up, if someone is looking for a "perfect" 007 DB5 - for the time being there still isn't one.

    You are also correct that the 1/8 DB5 does not come with indicators - but it doesn't mean than mine won't have them! It's much easier to modify a larger model than a small one, and mine already has heaps of improvements - and there are more to come.
  • Rainier WolfcastleRainier Wolfcastle Posts: 484MI6 Agent
    The gaps on mine are certainly a bit larger than on the Autoart, and combined with the smaller scale makes them look twice as large. I do not collect 1/18 except the Bond cars, and these only when Autoart came out with the underwater Esprit. I had seen the road version and the non-gadget DB5 before but didn't buy them. But then I had to add the - already sold out - older versions as well ... 8-) ;)
    As I was a bit late to the 1/18 game, I got a DB5 with roof panel and didn't even know that it was released without earlier. Was the standard model then; short time thereafter Autoart stopped producing 007 cars ...

    I would like to see the modifications on your 1/8 DB5 and the model when complete. Will you post photos in the 1/8 thread?
  • SilentSpySilentSpy Private Exotic AreaPosts: 765MI6 Agent
    Jag wrote:
    As for the Danbury DB5, my leather interior os grey, but I saw pictures of the same model on the net with black interior. Perhaps they replaced leather with something else at a later stage? Is your iinterior grey or black, SilentSpy? My model comes with paperwork which also specifically mentions real leather.

    I can't remember the exact color of the seats. I would guess dark gray or black. I know for sure they aren't leather because the ejector seat plastic/chrome piece was loose and I dabbed some crazy glue on it. I thought that the lack of a mechanism was really cheap and it needed a locking lever or something. My seat would pop up at the slightest bump on my desk so I just left it out. Plus, I was surprised seeing models with real leather after getting the DB5. I know I put my order in after seeing the ad in the TND movie magazine. I vaguely remember seeing a Danbury Mint DB5 (non Bond version) in a red color that I think had tan leather seats. So maybe they added leather seats to the later Bond DB5s?
    "Better late than never."
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    Rainier Wolfcastle wrote:
    The gaps on mine are certainly a bit larger than on the Autoart, and combined with the smaller scale makes them look twice as large. I do not collect 1/18 except the Bond cars, and these only when Autoart came out with the underwater Esprit. I had seen the road version and the non-gadget DB5 before but didn't buy them. But then I had to add the - already sold out - older versions as well ... 8-) ;)
    As I was a bit late to the 1/18 game, I got a DB5 with roof panel and didn't even know that it was released without earlier. Was the standard model then; short time thereafter Autoart stopped producing 007 cars ...

    I would like to see the modifications on your 1/8 DB5 and the model when complete. Will you post photos in the 1/8 thread?


    I guess the reason why I didn't go for the 007 1/18 models was that by time had already had a largish 1/24 collection. I do not regret - It seems that most models nowadays are made in 1/43 and 1/18, so 1/24 as a result is becoming a bit of a niche scale. Which hopefully means my models are more rare!

    As for the 1/8 DB5, it took me some time to decide whether to go for it, but then I realised that I would not be building a collection in this scale and that it is only a one-off. I am a few months behind the UK collectors, so my model has not began to come together yet - it is just a few bunches of modified bits. I do have an album on Facebook with the progress though, if you are interested. Once the model begins to look like a car, I might post some pics in the 1/8 DB5 thread.
  • JagJag Posts: 1,167MI6 Agent
    SilentSpy wrote:
    Jag wrote:
    As for the Danbury DB5, my leather interior os grey, but I saw pictures of the same model on the net with black interior. Perhaps they replaced leather with something else at a later stage? Is your iinterior grey or black, SilentSpy? My model comes with paperwork which also specifically mentions real leather.

    I can't remember the exact color of the seats. I would guess dark gray or black. I know for sure they aren't leather because the ejector seat plastic/chrome piece was loose and I dabbed some crazy glue on it. I thought that the lack of a mechanism was really cheap and it needed a locking lever or something. My seat would pop up at the slightest bump on my desk so I just left it out. Plus, I was surprised seeing models with real leather after getting the DB5. I know I put my order in after seeing the ad in the TND movie magazine. I vaguely remember seeing a Danbury Mint DB5 (non Bond version) in a red color that I think had tan leather seats. So maybe they added leather seats to the later Bond DB5s?


    So was your model an early or late release then? Did you get it new or used? Mine was bought brand new, and it has an ejector seat with a very well locking mechanism. I also have the non-Bond version with burgundy paint and tan leather seats. It's all pretty much the same, except for different colours and Bond gadgets.
  • SilentSpySilentSpy Private Exotic AreaPosts: 765MI6 Agent
    Jag wrote:
    So was your model an early or late release then? Did you get it new or used? Mine was bought brand new, and it has an ejector seat with a very well locking mechanism. I also have the non-Bond version with burgundy paint and tan leather seats. It's all pretty much the same, except for different colours and Bond gadgets.

    I got it new, direct from Danbury Mint in the U.S. I think it was one of those payment things. Like 5 payments or something. I picked up the TND magazine right around the time of the movie. I guess late 1997. I don't know when Danbury Mint started making the DB5. I only found out from the ad in the magazine.

    The ejector seat on mine has a plastic tab. Basically you slide the seat down a spring loaded guide and the plastic tab holds it from under the car. The tab being plastic was adjusting or loosing its position over time.

    So I guess there isn't a perfect large scale DB5 yet. I really want a large scale DB5 and Lotus with gadgets. A company called Hot Toys is releasing a large scale 1989 Batmobile with all the weapons that looks pretty good. However, I think they are using a lot of plastic which wouldn't be good for the DB5 and Lotus.
    "Better late than never."
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    Some of the DM Aston Martin DB5's sold in US seem to have different kind of certificate, paperwork etc. too. Any ideas why? :s
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    Bondtoys wrote:
    Teppo wrote:

    2) I don't live in the UK, Australia or Germany


    well, you can't win always...

    Yeah, but why loose so badly and live in Finland? :))

    Don't ya read history mate... :v And Bond was in Finland in Icebreaker written by J. Gardner ;) Although Bond's Finnish woman has Swedish name - Paula Vacker. Vacker translated to English means beautiful (for those who didn't knew it already).
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
  • minigeffminigeff EnglandPosts: 7,884MI6 Agent
    So all these years my mrs has been calling me a silly 'beautiful'!?
    'Force feeding AJB humour and banter since 2009'
    Vive le droit à la libre expression! Je suis Charlie!
    www.helpforheroes.org.uk
    www.cancerresearchuk.org
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    minigeff wrote:
    So all these years my mrs has been calling me a silly 'beautiful'!?


    Lmao :))
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    no, a MINI "beautiful" :))

    And btw, I don't call anything Garner really relevant to 007.
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    Hey I think the "Mini beautiful is on it's way" i.e. "The big build" ;) Again, Good luck MG -{ :x
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
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