Sublime objects of desire

Today was Aston Martin day here in Healdsburg. First, I saw a car that I'd seen before in passing, but not close up: a beautifully restored silver DB5 (the Connery Bond car, which was made between 1963-1965). Close up, it was simply gorgeous. I'm no expert in car restorations, so I don't really know what to look for, but this car was sweet.

After that, I happened to park next to a rare 1973-1978 V8 Series 3. The Series 3 was black and looked like it needed some work; the paint was dull and it was kind of dirty.

It's interesting to learn just how few of these cars were made; the DB5 is a filmic icon, but according to Wikipedia, only 1,021 of them were built, and the original one used in Goldfinger, has a sad history:

The first DB5 prototype used in Goldfinger with the chassis number DP/216/1 was later stripped of its weaponry and gadgetry by Aston Martin and then resold. It was then retrofitted by subsequent owners with nonoriginal weaponry. The Chassis DP/216/1 DB5 was stolen in 1997 from its last owner in Florida and is currently still missing.

There's an interesting article about the DB5's used in the movies, as well as details about the star car's theft and the insurance wrangling, here.

These are amazing cars, and it's nice to see them being used on the street, rather than being garaged.