A Car Stolen From A James Bond Set Turns Up Again 20 Years Later

While it may sound ludicrous in hindsight, James Bond was not always a fan of Aston Martin luxury vehicles. In fact, 007 creator, Ian Fleming, first imagined the MI6 agent driving a DB Mark III in the original novel, while in earlier installments he drove an old-fashioned Bentley! But once production began on the third Bond movie, Goldfinger, a new supercar passion was about to explode.

While working on 1964's Goldfinger, special effects expert John Stears convinced Fleming to allow the team to use an Aston Martin DB5 prototype during filming. Without hesitation, Bond actor Sean Connery sprung into the driver's seat and made use of the vehicle's mind-blowing gadgets, including missiles and an ejector seat. Just like that, the Aston Martin love affair had begun.

Having made a lasting first impression, the same Aston Martin was brought back for the next Bond installment, Thunderball. Just as was the case in the last film, this supercar was a major talking point among fans thanks to its mind-blowing gadgetry. As a result of its glowing reception, Aston Martin vehicles continued appear in 007 movies. Bond's car might have been the most famous auto in cinema.

The Bond films reached peak popularity in the 1960s, with the then-U.S. President, John F. Kennedy, naming Ian Fleming as one of his favorite writers. In fact, Sean Connery became so recognized as James Bond that he struggled to overcome the image, eventually leaving the role in order to reclaim his own identity. Still, the Bond car obsession only continued to skyrocket — and more than just film producers took notice.

When The Beatles' Paul McCartney saw the famed Aston Martin while in London for the Goldfinger premiere, he was so starstruck that he ordered one for himself. And as the years passed, collectors were shelling out big bucks to lay their hands on the iconic Aston Martin DB5. Naturally, though, they weren't easy to get.

The Aston Martin was displayed at several showrooms and hotels over the years, where fans could marvel at the very vehicle that Connery himself drove in two Bond films. Then in 1986, the vehicle's true worth was revealed, shocking fans worldwide.

In 1986, the original Aston Martin DB5, equipped with all its gadgets, was placed on show at an RM Sotheby's auction. A truly marvelous sight, attendees wondered who might have pockets deep enough to afford the timeless masterpiece. Soon enough, this pressing question would be answered.

Real estate mogul Anthony Pugliese decided that if anyone was going to walk away from the London Hilton with the DB5, it would be him. While he may have paid a massive $275,000 for the vehicle, he would soon realize that, in hindsight, this price tag was not so hefty.

Just like any responsible collector, Pugliese made sure to insure his new prized possession. After just two years, the insured value of the Aston Martin jumped to $700,000, and a year later, it reached the million-dollar mark. By 1991, the DB5's value had skyrocketed to $4 million. Naturally, this price tag left a few jealous people licking their lips — criminals included.

The year was 1997, and it seemed to be an evening like any other at Boca Raton Airport in Florida. Unfortunately for Pugliese and his beloved Aston Martin, it didn't stay quiet for long. With only one guard on duty that night, the airport was completely vulnerable to any burglar or criminal bold enough to sneak into its hangars.

Knowing that the northern section of the airport remained unguarded, a group of thieves in a tow truck snuck into the airport a little after midnight. The driver effortlessly swiped a card through a slot to open the gate, enabling the bandits to effortlessly breach the airport in search of a truly invaluable treasure.

Upon entering the airport, the towtruck proceeded directly to hangar number 11, where the crew, dressed in overalls and dark caps, cut the wires to the alarm system and sawed off the door latch. Clearly, these thieves knew exactly where the Aston Martin DB5 had been waiting.

While the security guard on duty saw the lights on the north side go off, he did nothing about it. They would usually come back on as planes began moving, you see. In a flash, the Aston Martin had vanished from its home without a trace, leaving the hangar completely empty.

While Pugliese may have lost his prized possession, he was not the only one who mourned the DB5's disappearance. James Bond fans across the globe were devastated to learn that the most iconic car in the franchise — and possibly the entire world — had been stolen. Understandably, many of them felt the urge to assist in the search for the missing vehicle.

Within days of the theft, people from across the United States were calling the Boca Raton police with tips, claiming that they had spotted the car. Their alleged locations ranged from the O'Hare Airport in Chicago to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina. If these callers were correct, then the thieves had embarked on one heck of a road trip.

While plenty of fans jumped on the bandwagon when it came to the hunt for the Aston Martin, one woman wasn't so sure that there had been a theft. A month after the car's disappearance, she contacted the police and told them that she believed that Pugliese had moved the car himself in an effort to claim insurance money. But what did the businessman have to say for himself?

A furious Pugliese rejected the notion that he had moved the car himself. While refusing to take a lie detector test (his lawyer stated that they were often inaccurate), he and his attorney did everything they could to convince the police of his innocence. After authorities checked out Pugliese's warehouse in New Jersey, he was dropped as a suspect. But where could the missing car possibly have gone?

More than two decades after the theft, an Aston Martin DB5 that perfectly matched the description of the car was spotted in the Middle East. What's more, the car's VIN number was an exact match to that of the stolen DB5. Unfortunately, tracking down this car proves to be a far more challenging task than it first appeared.

According to the source that provided the latest information on the car, it could be located in either Dubai, Bahrain, Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia. It's believed that this car is part of a private car collection, and it may have even traveled between several of the aforementioned countries. But what could be done to recover the Aston Martin?

Christopher A. Marinello, an expert in the recovery of stolen art and artifacts, stated that he has intelligence that the car is located in one of the above countries. Interestingly, he doesn't believe that the current owner knows that the car is stolen. "I'm hopeful that the possessor will come forward voluntarily before I have to make an announcement," he announced. Currently, the The Most Famous Car In The World podcast is offering $100,000 to anyone who can locate the car. But not all hope is lost.

The Aston Martin isn't the only Bond object to disappear for years, only to emerge at an unexpected time and place. Adventurous gadget-finders usually have to settle for garage sales and flea markets, but the anonymous man at one such sale in 2013 was largely disappointed with what he saw. A lot of junk, he thought, until he came to the counter of destiny.

The vendor had an array of watches laid out before him, and many of them seemed like they were half a century old. While not the biggest or the shiniest, one piece caught the bored shopper's eye.

Though its appearance was a little clunky, he found himself taken by the timepiece. It looked a bit familiar, too. The make was Breitling — rather top end — but it had a weird modification.

That extra metal around the side looked a little-space age, and it probably explained the low price. But for 25 pounds, the picker figured it was as good as gold.

After taking the watch home, the buyer didn't think much of it for a while. However, that all changed when he was flipping through the TV channels. Something eerily similar to his clunky Breitling appeared.

The station was airing Thunderball, the 1965 James Bond flick that marked Sean Connery's fourth time in 007's shoes. One spy apparatus from the film had the watch buyer's hair standing on end.

The plot concerned an evil villain stealing nuclear bombs from NATO and hiding them in his underground lair — a clever spot. Fortunately for Bond, he was carrying a gadget capable of pinpointing these submerged weapons.

He did so with a 1962 Breitling Top Time watch, equipped with a covert geiger counter to measure radiation. The flea market frequenter could only hold the watch up to the screen and stare.

Surely, this couldn't be the same accessory used in the film. Props from the James Bond franchise are too valuable and noticeable to pop up at a secondhand sale. His must have just been a knockoff or replica.

The next day, the watch fan did a bit of research. It turned out that Bond's Breitling was a special piece, considering that the agent wore a Rolex in most films (sometimes with a laser).

Although he didn't have Q at his disposal, the excited buyer took the timepiece to get appraised. A horologist confirmed that it was an authentic 1960s Breitling, but also shared some disappointing news.

That geiger counter feature? Fake. The watch couldn't actually read radiation, at least not without some movie magic. However, the expert indicated that the lucky buyer very well might have stumbled upon the original film prop. Suddenly, visions of a vast fortune popped into his head.

Although he admired the look of the timepiece, the savvy buyer liked the look of a potential payday even more. It was just his luck when a prestigious art institution announced a pop culture-related sale.

Christie's in London already had some James Bond selections in their inventory, and they were happy to welcome the watch — now confirmed to be the Thunderball prop — into their auction. All kinds of loaded movie fans would be in attendance.

Experts at Christie's estimated that the Thunderball accessory, owing to its unique nature, could fetch over $80,000. That's a price that would make even Goldfinger blush!

But would the watch meet that estimate? When the watch went up for auction, the staff could hardly keep up with the stream of bids. They were coming rapid fire, just like Bond's Walther PPK.

Just as the watch was threatening to overtake Big Ben as London's most expensive timekeeper, the champion bidder hit his mark. Nearly doubling the estimated price, he shelled out an incredible $160,175!

Had he only been at the market weeks earlier, that posh buyer could have snagged the Breitling for about 0.0002% of the cost. At least he has the comfort of owning the most elusive prop in Bond history — minus the lost DB5, of course.