Matchbox/Lesney 53a; Aston Martin DB2-4; Green Metallic, Grey Plastic Wheels

The Aston Martin DB2/4 (in 1:1) replaced the DB2 in 1953 and was produced up to 1957 when it was replaced by the DB MkIII - which in the Ian Fleming book of Goldfinger is the car James Bond drives in pursuit of Goldfinger's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. (In the book by the way Tilly Masterson does not drive a Mustang but a Triumph TR3 and Bond is given the choice of the Aston or a Jag MkI) The DB MkIII is an evolution of the DB 2/4 and looks fairly similar to it, so with this car we are (almost) looking at the original Bond Aston.

Lesney introduced the DB2/4 in 1958 the year after the car was dropped from production by Aston Martin. Nick Jones' excellent website (http://www.vintagebritishdiecasts.co.uk) tells us that Lesney made this car because Jack O'Dell had bought himself one. If I was him I'd have done the same - bought an Aston and had my company make a model of it. The Aston remained in the Lesney range through to 1963. The car is known in silver, pale metallic green, metallic red and gloss red. It was fairly unusual in having both silver trim and red tail lights.

No version of this is cheap and some are exceptionally rare and valuable. The prize is the early silver pre-production version - these are vanishingly rare and very valuable indeed. Next in line are red, metallic red and finally metallic green. In any colour grey plastic wheels out value black plastic wheels.

This MBX was sourced in July 2020 from a private collection