Slideshow: 007's Personal Vanquish on Display Outside Rockefeller Center
The name's Bond, the vehicle is an Aston Martin.
The Choice of a Legend
The choice for the best James Bonds (yes, I'm thinking of you and your Z4, Pierce Brosnan) has always been an Aston Martin. Whether it was Sean Connery in his classic DB5 or Daniel Craig in the DBS and DB10 concept, Bond has always had impeccable taste in vehicles. As fate would have it, Daniel Craig carries that impeccable taste to his personal life.
1 of 100
Playing Bond comes with its perks. Aside from the money and the fame, Craig was lucky enough to build a 2014 "Centenary Edition" Vanquish, one of only 100 ever made. Being the charitable guy that he is, Craig teamed up with Christie's to auction off his bespoke Vanquish for The Opportunity Network, a nonprofit featuring his wife, actress Rachel Weisz, as a board member. As the Aston awaited auction, it was on display outside Rockefeller Center in New York.
Working with the Boss
Craig worked in conjunction with Aston Martin's Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, to customize the Vanquish. To ensure the Vanquish lived up to 007's standard, the Vanquish wears midnight blue paint. Craig's vehicle is marked with serial number 007 and reads just over 1,100 miles on the odometer. Christie's tagged the Vanquish with a price range of $400,000 to $600,000.
Black and Blue
Craig and Reichman settled on a black and blue theme for much of the vehicle including the interior. The Vanquish's interior design has held up well over the years, although the antiquated automatic transmission is definitely behind the times. Bond would've been better served with the classic manual transmission setup. He of all people should know a true classic lives on forever.
Powerful and Refined
Squeezed into the engine bay of the Vanquish is the tried and true 6.0-liter naturally-aspirated V12. The highlight of the V12 has never been its low-end torque or lack thereof. Instead, the V12 specializes in the vocal department. The 6.0 liter provides a soundtrack all the way up to its near 7,000 rpm redline.
Quilted Attire
Craig's Vanquish features hand-stitched seats with varying shades of dark blue accents. The quilted leather is worthy of Bond's best-tailored tuxedo.
Crystal Clear
The dash of the Aston Martin features carbon fiber accent pieces. In contrast, the gear selectors are easy to read and clear as day. To get the Aston Martin going you'll need to insert the crystal key fob into the dash until the V12 breathes to life. Be careful to not misplace the key fob, a new one will cost you over $2,100.
Ready for the Streets
Craig's Vanquish is street-legal and ready to pull up to any red carpet event. In comparison, the last Aston Martin auctioned off by Christie's brought in $3.5 million in February 2016. Of course, that was the one-off DB10 used in the film "Spectre".