How much it costs to live like James Bond
In celebration of the new James Bond release, Knight Frank has published a report on how much it would cost to drive, drink and live like the famous British spy.
The reports author, Andrew Shirley, dismisses the the range of cars driven by 007 throughout his franchise history including the Lotus and BMW, focusing solely on one brand.
“007 has always driven Aston Martins since MI6 forced him to give up his original Bentley 4.5 litre both for business and pleasure,” Shirley said.
To establish out how much it would cost to own a Bond car Knight Frank recruited Dietrich Hatlapa of HAGI.
| Model | Film | Price new | Year | 2015 Price | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DB 2/4 Mark III | Book | £2,600 | 1955 | £200,000 | 7,592% |
| DB5 Saloon | Goldfinger + | £4,175 | 1963-65 | £750,000 | 17,864% |
| DBS | On Her Majesty’s Secret Service | £4,473 | 1967-72 | £65,000 | 1,353% |
| V8 | The Living Daylights | £7,000 | 1972-89 | £85,000 | 1,353% |
| V12 Vanquish | Die Another Day | £180,000 | 2001-07 | £100,000 | -44% |
| DBS V12 | Casino Royale | £160,000 | 2007-12 | £90,000 | -44% |
The DB5 however, is not the most expensive car in the James Bond collection, with the 1960 DB4 GT Bertone “Jet” Coupe fetching a cool £3,249,500 (R68.6 million) at an auction by Bonhams.
The 2015 auction grossed over £10 million with additional notable sales including:
- 1966 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible to ‘Vantage’ Specification, sold for £1,524,700 (R32.2 million)
- LHR 1962 Aston Martin DB4 Series IV Vantage Convertible, sold for £1,513,500 (R32 million)
- 1962 Aston Martin DB4 4.0-Litre Sports Saloon, sold for £830,000 (R17.5 million).
Alcohol
According to Knight Frank, the first drink Bond orders in the novel Casino Royale, he describes it as “probably the finest champagne in the world”.
Taittinger’s Prestige Cuvee, Comtes de Champagne, is probably the best contemporary equivalent.
A bottle of the 1943 Taittinger Blanc de Blancs could still be drinkable, but so rare it’s almost impossible to price, the report’s author said.
A bottle of 1996 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Champagne would cost £184 (R3,882)
Bollinger R.D. Extra Brut Champagne – none offered worldwide. 1976 – £641 (R13,525)
Goldfinger served Bond a bottle of Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Premier Cru Classe 1947 – in the 1959 novel.
Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Premier Cru Classe 1947 – £3,194 (R67,392)
More modern equivalent: Chateau Mouton Rothschild Pauillac Premier Cru Classe 2005 – £367 (R7,743)
Home
James Bond’s home is believed to be a ground-floor flat in Wellington Square just off the Kings Road, which would set you back £6 million (R127 million) today.
The original article by Knight Frank can be read here
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