1987 Aston Martin V8 Volante ‘Ex Cubby Broccoli’

·        Ordered new and owned by the father of Bond cinema, Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli

·        Purchased after broccoli had re-introduced Aston Martin cars to Bond in the 1987 film ‘The Living Daylights’

·        Retains its factory-correct colour scheme of Cannock Black over Natural leather, complemented by a Black soft-top

·        Powered by its matching-numbers 5.3-litre V-8 engine, mated to a three-speed Chrysler automatic gearbox

·        A well-preserved example, having covered just 19,020 miles at the time of cataloguing

·        Offered with UK V5C

Bolstered by the on-screen exploits of Sean Connery in the box office hit Goldfinger, every man, woman, and child with a pulse yearned to own an Aston Martin DB5 in the mid-1960s. Following the appearance of the DB5, Aston Martin and James Bond became synonymous with one another.

Without the actions of one man—Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli—James Bond might never have made it to the big screen. American-born, Broccoli moved to London in the 1950s when the British Government began to offer subsidies for film productions made in the UK. He later became interested in bringing Ian Fleming’s James Bond to the big screen, and discovered Canadian producer, Harry Saltzman, owned the rights. With Saltzman refusing to sell, he and Broccoli agreed to produce the films together under the company EON Productions. The first Bond film. Dr. No. was released in 1962 and to global acclaim, with later films receiving ever larger budgets. Broccoli remained heavily involved in the Bond franchise until his death in 1996.

Penned by William Towns, the strikingly modern Aston Martin DBS was launched in 1967. Initially powered by the DB6’s Vantage-spec inline six-cylinder engine, this was later superseded by the new 5.3-litre Tadek Marek-designed V-8 in 1969, after which it was dubbed the DBS V8. By 1972, the car was simply known as the Aston Martin V8, with convertibles denoted as ‘Volante’.

The ever-popular model began its life with a leading role in the television series The Persuaders!, where it was driven by Roger Moore’s character, Brett Sinclair. Following the 15-year hiatus of Aston Martin cars from the James Bond franchise, the V8 Volante was selected to be featured in the 1987 film, The Living Daylights. Broccoli was so enamoured by the V8 Volante used during filming that he placed an order direct with the Aston Martin factory so he could have one of his own.

Completed on 19 December 1986, Broccoli’s V8 Volante was exported to the United States via Aston Martin Lagonda of Beverly Hills, arriving at the dealership on 23 January 1987. Finished in the striking colour scheme of Cannock Black over Natural leather with a matching Black soft-top, he specified both a three-speed Chrysler automatic transmission and air conditioning. He used the car sparingly, having covered just under 6,000 miles by the time of his death in 1996.

His family retained the car for two years before selling to a private collector in Georgia. This V8 Volante then travelled across various states before returning to California in the early 2000s. Of note was its presence at the launch of Galpin Motors’ Aston Martin dealership in 2005, which was attended by then Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2011, the car was sold to a gentleman in North Carolina, who retained it for five years before selling it to the current owner, a prominent Aston Martin collector in the United Kingdom. In his care for the past seven years, Broccoli’s V8 Volante has been fitted with the period-correct BBS alloy wheels which are now shod with new Avon tyres, as per factory specifications.

The odometer reads just 19,020 miles at the time of cataloguing, and the car retains its matching-numbers V-8 engine. Accompanied by a recent clean Carfax and a copy of the delivery receipt and Aston Martin factory data, this ex-Cubby Broccoli V8 Volante represents an excellent opportunity to acquire a well preserved, low mileage example of a seminal Aston Martin model, with an intriguing history.

This car not only marks the return of Aston Martin to 1980s cinema, but is inextricably linked to the history of the franchise, having been owned by the father of Bond cinematography, and a significant figure in 20^th Century Hollywood and British film making.