“The name’s Bond; James Bond” – one of the most famous lines in cinema history, from one of the greatest characters of all. Ian Fleming’s James Bond – 007, Licenced to Kill – may have driven a Bentley in the written versions of the classic books, but in the films the suave and sophisticated spy will always be associated with another British brand, Aston Martin.

By 1969, the Bond franchise was already well underway, and it was in that year that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – the sixth Bond film – was released in packed cinemas everywhere. In that film, Bond – played by then-unknown actor George Lazenby in a one-off appearance in the role – drove an Olive Green Aston Martin DBS while fending off the menacing Blofeld, one of the greatest of all Bond villains, portrayed by Telly Savalas.

To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of the film, Aston Martin has announced a run of 50 exclusive On Her Majesty’s Secret Service DBS Superleggera models, special edition models finished in the same iconic colour in deference to the original DBS.

Synonymous with Bond

The Aston Martin-James Bond pairing must rank as one of the most famous combinations in cinema history. Indeed, Aston Martin President and CEO, Andy Palmer, certainly thinks so as he explains:

“Aston Martin is synonymous with James Bond and the DBS from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has provided great inspiration to the team tasked with creating this very special edition. This new DBS Superleggera will be an extremely distinguished ‘brute in a suit’, designed to capture the essence of the iconic DBS from the 1969 film but with a 5.2 litre twin-turbo V12, 715bhp engine!”

With exterior changes from the standard DBS including six horizontal vanes on a special bright metal grille, plus interior design that enhances the luxury tourer aspect of this magnificent car, the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service DBS Superleggera is a very special car indeed. Owners will be able to specify a specially designed drinks case, perfectly fitted to contain two bottles of champagne and four champagne flutes – something every good spy should have in his boot!

Exciting Challenge

This special edition is not the first to emulate past Bond Aston Martins. The company is currently working on the Goldfinger DB5 Continuation model, which comes complete with a range of gadgets as per the DB5 in that film, as well as the recent DB9 GT Bond Edition. Creating such cars as the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service DBS Superleggera is a challenge, as explained by Aston Martin Vice President Marek Reichman, who is also Chief Creative Officer:

“Creating a James Bond special edition is always an exciting challenge as we work to create a car that embodies the legend of James Bond, and the original movie car. The DBS Superleggera is a muscular car that commands attention, but the Olive Green gives it a subtlety that belies the beast beneath.”

In a neat touch, the 50 exclusive cars, which will begin delivery in the latter part of 2019, are priced at £300,007. I’ll have mine shaken, not stirred!