Fifty Years of James Bond, the live/online combo auction at Christie’s London, brought in a total of $2.6 million and brought out some celebrities to sell off tricked out cars and other merch used by the fictional man of mystery. The auction, the proceeds of which went to various charities including UNICEF, was one of many events celebrating Global James Bond Day, the 50th anniversary of the first screening of Dr. No.
Sir Roger Moore and Dame Judi Dench were among the guest auctioneers who prevailed over the live auction on the evening of Oct. 5, hawking the likes of Daniel Craig’s powder blue La Perla bathing suit, which the actor sported in Casino Royale. You laugh, but the swim trunks sold for $71,876. The Aston Martin driven by Mr. Craig in Quantum of Solace is surely bringing peace of mind to whoever bought the babe-magnet for $390,101. The 11 lots of the live auction realized about $1.2 million.
The online auction wasn’t without its glamor. A pre-production replica of the BMW Z8 Roadster from The World Is Not Enough brought in $136,409 and a poker table from Casino Royale sold for the same amount. Then there were items only a fan could love, like the “Solex Agitator,” an engraved circuit board encased in resin—an original prop from The Man With The Golden Gun, which sold for $88,406. The online auction, which drew many new clients to Christie’s (40 percent of online bidders), with 42 lots, lasted several days, ending on Oct. 8 and brought in a total of about $1.4 million.
Is it just us, or does anyone else have a craving for a martini? Shaken, of course.
