How Retro.com: Corgi James Bond Aston Martin DB5

Corgi's model of the James Bond Aston Martin DB5, complete with an impressive array of gadgets, won Best Boy's Toy of the Year in 1965, the year of its release. ...and was produced to coincide with the release of Goldfinger. This was despite the fact that it was painted gold and not silver as it appeared in the film. The reason for this discrepancy seems to have been that the silver colour made the toy look unfinished.

Almost 50 years after it's inception, the Aston Martin DB5 has become a hot collectible, not least because of the multifarious gadgets that were incorporated into the tiny toy car. Gadgets include a cool ejector seat that shoots the passenger up through the sunroof, mencing machine guns that emerge through the front indicators and a rear shield that rises up from the boot lid to protect the occupants against a potential rain of bullets. There was also a special agent Bond figure and an an envelope containing 'secret instructions', a lapel badge and a spare ejector seat, in case mum vacuumed the first one up.

Originally the car sold for a few shillings but one in mint condition with the original box and all the gadgets can go for hundreds of dollars. Still...a real, life-size DB5 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball and bought for $12,000 in 1969, sold for US$4,103,000 in 2010.

So many gadgets in such a little car.

Corgi Toys Batmobile, 1966