Classic James Bond memorabilia sold at auction

This gun was the real deal, but did not quite hit the heights of the air pistol found in the From Russia with Love poster. Nevertheless, it was a part of the very first Bond film, and appears in one of the very first scenes of that history-making outing. Bond is summoned by M for a mission briefing – soon to be a staple of the series – and reluctantly yields his Beretta in exchange for the Walther PPK.

This Walther air pistol is the only item on this list to never actually appear in a Bond film. The pistol was only used in a photoshoot to capture the main image in the poster and advertising campaign for From Russia with Love. However, the poster and film quickly became fan favourites in the Bond world and the humble air pistol shot to stardom with them.

42 years after it became one of the most famous onscreen weapons of all time, Oddjob’s deadly bowler hat sold for a price more suited to a solid-gold crown. In the film, Oddjob manages to decapitate a solid stone statue with just his lethal headwear – we certainly hope the buyer has put this to the test. 

The most expensive item on our list, the Aston Martin DB5 seen in both Goldfinger and Thunderball sold for a massive £3.7m at auction. A combination of Connery behind the wheel, one of the greatest sports car designs in history, and its inclusion in not one but two critically acclaimed films meant this is the only item on our list to break the million barrier – and it did it three times over.

It’s one of the most memorable scenes from the Bond franchise. Roger Moore speeds his Lotus Esprit straight off a jetty and into the ocean. Only does this reckless action become clear as he triumphantly transforms the car to submarine at the touch of a button! The real-life tech billionaire currently eyeing up interplanetary - not underwater - travel, Elon Musk, got his hands on said car at auction back in 2013, although he did mention he was disappointed “to learn that it can’t actually transform.”

Roger Moore’s battle dress jacket, seen in the grand finale of The Spy Who Loved Me, sold at auction in 2007. The jacket is centre-stage as Bond storms through a submarine, set on stopping the beginning of a cold war and the destruction of both New York City and Moscow. Thankfully our agent prevails - and manages to save his lover too - so understandably the suit had some sentimental value.

In a direct homage Ursula Andress’s bikini scene in the very first Bond, Dr. No, Daniel Craig emerges from the ocean in much less than the signature Bond tux. The scene, arguably Craig’s most famous in his role as Bond, featured heavily in the promotion of Casino Royale and so the skimpy trunks, made by Italian brand La Perla, are forever woven into the history of 007.

It may have only been a third of the size of the real deal, but it still made quite the splash at auction. This DB5 was put together for the express purpose of being showered with gunfire and flame; it may not have passed its MOT following such adventures but that did not stop it hitting five figures at auction.

This bit of memorabilia is actually up for auction right now. Open to bids at online auction house Catawiki are the licence plates from the Land Rover chase in Spectre. The plates are a chance for any Bond fan to own a piece of the history – although we do not recommended attempting to recreate the high-octane scene they feature in.