Few film cars carry a premium quite like how a James Bond car carries a premium, with a legion of fans clamoring for a drivable piece of cinema history. Whether the DB5 from “Goldfinger” or the BMW 7 Series from “Tomorrow Never Dies,” these machines are the sorts that almost everyone seems to want. Well, now’s the chance to get a car that actually made an appearance alongside Bond — sort of. H&H Classics is auctioning off an Aston Martin Vanquish with a genuine James Bond past, and it shouldn’t even be exorbitantly expensive.

If you’re up on your Bond, you’d know that the Vanquish played a supporting role in “Die Another Day,” a flick filled with Brosnan-era cheese and new-millennium techno-garble. Add in a glitchy, autotuned theme song courtesy of Madonna, and you end up with one of the stranger films in the franchise. Is it one of the best films in the series? Absolutely not, but just because something’s not great doesn’t mean we can’t like it. Secretly, it’s one of my favorites.

While this particular Aston Martin Vanquish didn’t get any screentime, it was used in publicity shots for “Die Another Day,” and it’s not hard to find photos of Pierce Brosnan with this exact car. In a way, that’s good as gold, because film cars are often abused. The fact that this one just had to sit pretty under studio lights definitely reduces the risk of buying a famous car. Then again, it also has a missing center cap, so who knows if it’s actually sorted as it sits?

However, this Vanquish didn’t just slip quietly into private life once the studio lights dimmed. Oh no, it was one of the original seven press cars put on Aston Martin’s U.K. fleet. Indeed, if you search hard enough, you can find at least one shot of this grand tourer cornering vigorously, hamming it up for the camera on its original number plates.

A Vanquish Worthy of 007?

So, would this Aston Martin Vanquish be a good buy? Well, let’s start by looking at it as a car. Well, 460 horsepower from a 5.9-liter V12 is nothing to sneeze at, even if a curb weight of 4,045 pounds isn’t exactly svelte. In addition, the single-clutch automated manual transmission isn’t the most refined piece of kit, but options are out there to convert it to a traditional manual transmission if you have the cash. After all, it’s really just a Tremec T-56. Combine V12 thrust with a finely tuned chassis, and you get a car that can cash checks its looks write. As per Motor Trend:

The result of all the suspension fine-tuning is a ride/handling balance that’s at the sportier edge of GT: not “knife-edged sports car,” but in no way flabby or over-insulated. An appropriately Aston-supple ride, while maintaining complete communication with the road, was among the goals, and we’d say they’ve hit this combination squarely on the money. Body roll is minimal, yet suspension travel is adequate. The aggressive 19-in. rolling stock sticks tenaciously, turn-in is excellent, and the overall handling attitude is neutral.

Brakes? All you want: firm, communicative, fade-resistant, with absolutely minimal front-end dive. More raves for the steering: super quick, lots of feedback and weight without any kick, just enough power assist to make parking easy, with good centering. All in all, a simply superlative driving experience in every way.

We’re talking about one of the big poster cars of the new millennium here, a landmark grand tourer that kicked off one of Aston Martin’s greatest eras. The bonded aluminum and carbon fiber structure beneath the Vanquish would go on to evolve and underpin the DB9, DBS, Vantage, Rapide, and yes, the second Vanquish. What goes around comes back around, right?

The Cost of Bond

Making things even better is the forecasted hammer price for this famous-by-association Vanquish. H&H Classics predicts it’ll fetch between £50,000 and £70,000, or about $66,000 to $92,300 at current exchange rates. Considering regular examples hammer in the $60,000 to $70,000 range, that’s not a hideous price to pay for a genuine 007 association. So, if you’re interested, the auction’s happening on Oct. 9. Do try to keep the shiny side up.

(Photo credits: H&H Classics)

A Slice of Movie History

One of the most famous and recognisable Aston Martins in the 007 film series could fetch up to £70,000 when it goes under the hammer.

The V12 Vanquish Coupe, which is being auctioned by H&H Classics, played a starring role in promoting the 2002 film Die Another Day, aided by Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.

The Aston began life as one of seven Vanquish cars in the manufacturer’s press fleet and was chosen to publicise the movie as it had the same Tungsten Silver paint finish plus charcoal leather and aluminium centre console as the hero cars seen on the silver screen.

Now it’s up for auction at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford on October 9, with an estimated sale price of £50,000 to £70,000.

H&H Classics sales manager James McWilliam said: “Our October auction offers a fantastic opportunity to own a slice of movie and motoring history with this stunning Aston Martin Vanquish. Not only was it used at Pinewood Studios for photoshoots with Pierce Brosnan for Die Another Day, but it was also the first car to drive down the M6 Toll to commemorate its opening in 2003.”

The 2001 Vanquish, which can reach almost 200mph, has only covered 37,800 miles from new and has been in a private collection for more than 20 years.