Aston Martin and James Bond Are Back Together in 'Spectre'

Aston Martin pulled out all the stops for the 24th James Bond film to hit the big screen.

The British luxury automaker, known for fast cars, eye-catching design and its longtime partnership with the Bond franchise, created a sports car exclusively for Daniel Craig’s character in “Spectre.” The Aston Martin DB10 got a starring role in the movie, further strengthening the brand’s ties to the Bond action flicks.

Director Sam Mendes visited Aston Martin last year to discuss Bond’s next ride when he spotted a sketch on the wall. Aston Martin turned that sketch into the DB10 in just six months. The company built 10 cars for use during filming, and one DB10 will be auctioned off sometime next year.

Aston Martin spokesman Matt Clarke confirmed that the V8-powered, two-door coupe will not enter production as a consumer vehicle.

Still, the DB10 will be unmistakably an Aston Martin to those watching in theaters once “Spectre” makes its U.S. debut on Nov. 6.

The DB10 shares similar design traits to Aston Martins on the road, and the brand has a 50-year-long history with Bond films that is quite familiar to fans. The fictional MI6 agent’s first Aston Martin was a DB5 driven by Sean Connery in the 1964 movie “Goldfinger.”

“If you ask people what they associate with James Bond, Aston Martin is one of the first things that comes to mind,” Clarke said. “For a company that doesn’t advertise, it puts us on the map around the world. It does a lot of things for our brand awareness.”

Aston Martin is not the only British car maker to get into the act. Tata Motors’ (NYSE:TTM) Jaguar Land Rover also made a car solely for “Spectre.” Jaguar built seven C-X75 sports cars, though none of them are slated to go up for sale.

“Spectre,” which is distributed by Sony (NYSE:SNE) Pictures and MGM, has already grossed $80.4 million overseas in its first week. The last Bond film, “Skyfall,” was the biggest box-office hit for the franchise at $1.1 billion worldwide.