Aston Martin is a serial producer of movie-inspired special editions and, to be honest, who could blame it? The British marque’s cars play a central role in one of the greatest film franchises of all time, so it’s little wonder that it likes to cash in on wealthy folk wanting a slice of the 007 lifestyle.
Bond memorabilia falls into one of two categories: subtle nods to the franchise, such as the Omega Seamaster worn by 007 in the flicks, and ‘branded tat’, which is usually just a generic product with some Bond references slapped onto it. Aston Martin has managed to cater to both sides over the years, with the Bond Edition DB9 GT falling into the former category and wacky Vantage 007 Edition – with roof skis and faux gadgets – firmly in the latter. What you see here, however, is the DBS Superleggera OHMSS (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) Edition, which somehow manages to have a foot in both camps.
I’ll start off by admitting this: I think, from the outside, the OHMSS Edition is the most tastefully specced DBS there is. The chrome elements on the grille, diamond-cut 21-inch wheels inspired by the movie car and classic Aston blade across the side air vents tone down the DBS’s inherent aggression for a far more sophisticated look. Even the ‘almost brown’ Olive Green finish looks, to my eyes, rather elegant and stands out nicely from the endless amount of resale-friendly matte black, silver and grey cars on the classifieds – a special shoutout to whoever specced this example.
It's the cabin that’s a bit more of an acquired taste. Black leather with an Alcantara headliner is about as inoffensive as it gets, but the 007 logo and OHMSS name embroidered in red on the divider between the two rear seats is a tad gaudy. Apparently, it’s to mimic the red-trimmed glovebox that housed Bond’s rifle sight. There is a box in the boot with red suede trim, though you’ll find two Bond-branded bottles of Bollinger champagne and a set of four glasses in place of a gun. Both are equally useless, seeing as though you can’t shoot or drink and drive – which is probably why the bottles haven’t been cracked open.
Dodgy red stitching aside, I’ve actually got a soft spot for the OHMSS Edition. However, the general consensus on Matt’s original launch story of the Bond-inspired DBS was, er, mixed at best. “I thought the DBS couldn't get any better, but that's just stunning!”, said one commenter; “Bloody embarrassing if you ask me”, said another. It did seem as though many just weren’t fans of the movie and therefore didn’t see the point in Aston releasing a special edition to commemorate it, but I’ll refrain from commenting as I’ve not seen the film in about 20 years.
We’re not here to talk about films, though, so let’s turn the attention back to this lovely OHMSS Edition that’s up for sale. It's one of just 50 examples produced and has covered a mere 700 miles in the past three years. And although it’s a collector’s item, this example is actually some £40,000-odd cheaper than it was when new and isn’t the priciest DBS currently in the classifieds. Mad, because it’s arguably the best. Perhaps to my eyes only.
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