One to Buy: 1973 Aston Martin V8 V540 'The Living Daylights'
/
After a brief dalliance with Lotus in The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only, EON Productions decided upon a return to Aston Martin for the 15th James Bond movie, The Living Daylights.
At the time of production (1986) there was an 18 month waiting list for a new Aston Martin V8 which meant second-hand cars had to be sourced from the used market and brought up to the desired specification. This included a colour change to Cumberland Grey paint with Black upholstery and installation of Webasto-style sunroofs for beneficial lighting of interior shots.
Four previously owned V8s were ultimately acquired by EON which would serve a variety of different roles during filming. Car Number 1 was used for close up scenes and those with James Bond driving, Number 2 and Number 10 were stunt cars and Number 3 was the special effects car.
Set to go under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s sale in Monterey on August 18th is chassis V8/10596/R, better known as car Number 10 from the production.
Number 10 was destined for use in The Living Daylights’ concluding chase scene where, sans engine and gearbox, it would descend down a snowy bank after which Bond and his accomplice would escape using a chello case as a sled.
With filming complete, Number 10 (which had been equipped with a jet-powered rocket booster and ski-type outriggers) was retained by EON Productions until 1995. Since then the car has been fully restored and re-fitted with a Vantage specification engine and five-speed gearbox to make it fully road-worthy.
