Mattel’s first James Bond Aston Martin DB5 made in China, used wheels unlike any used before; they were flat, 16mm in diameter as apposed to the normal 18mm and made the car look squat, low and clumsy. It is possible that they were taken from another model awaiting the correct issue to be manufactured. There was no mention of James Bond on the “blue” box and even the wording “Aston Martin” was printed on clear plastic and placed over the name plate on the front of the box.
By 1991, Corgi Sales Ltd had agreed their James Bond contract and the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 (94060) was released as part of a ten vehicle collectors series. The Packaging was one which had not been used before for 007. It was a clear plastic case containing a 007 logo badge printed in black and red on a mirrored finish. The same car was was reissued in 1992 with the logo badge on the left of the car, the 1991 variant had the badge on the right hand side.
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| 1991 Mattel's 'Made in China' Corgi (94060) |
Manufactured in China, both models came with 7-spoke wheels and a baddie in dark brown plastic. Apart from these changes, the car was identical to that last issued from the Swansea factory.
To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the film Goldfinger, Corgi issued their current DB5 model as a gold plated limited edition collector’s item. Released in 1993, a year early, the model sold out before it reached the stores, very few even appearing on the shelves. Its initial retail price of £19.99 almost doubled within 6 weeks of its launch.
