The last Aston Martin DB5 used in the original James Bond movies will go up for auction at an auction being held in London at the end of October.

The iconic silver sports car comes with all of the usual gadgets, including machine guns, rotating license plates, an oil slick, ejector seat and bulletproof shield. The car was purchased from the Aston Martin factory by Jerry Lee, an American broadcaster. Lee paid $12,000 for the car, a hefty sum in those days, and the vehicle has remained in his collection for 40 years.

RM Auctions, the firm selling the vehicle, expects the Aston to go for roughly $5,000,000, with all proceeds going to the Jerry Lee Foundation, a charity designed to help combat crime and social problems brought on by poverty.

[Source: Auto Express]

GM might have dealt Pontiac a quick and undignified death, but the late performance oriented marque lives on. In classic car circles Pontiacs represent some of the most desirable vehicles of all, especially those from the muscle car era. And if perhaps to illustrate the point, on June 19th, RM Auctions will host it’s Classic Muscle and Modern Performance sale, at the Town and Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, CA;. the highlight of which will be an impressive number of primo Pontiac muscle cars, including a select number of GTOs and Firebird Trans Ams being offered for sale from the private collection of Jim Wangers.

For anybody with even a passing interest in muscle era Pontiac power; Wangers needs no introduction. Working at the Advertising Agency of McManus, John and Adams in the 1960s; Wangers, via his now legendary promotion techniques, helped cultivate a performance image for the Pontiac brand that resonates with enthusiasts to this very day. Among the cars up for auction from his personal collection, include a 1965 GTO hardtop, a 1966 GTO convertible; two Carousel Red 1969 GTO Judge coupes, one of which is an original Drag Race dealer program car; a 1967 Firebird 400 magazine project car “Greenbird,” an original 1969 Trans Am (one of just 697 ever built) a 1979 10th Anniversary Trans Am; 1989 20th Anniversary Turbo Trans Am and a 1999 30th Anniversary Trans Am that was featured in Car & Driver and Motor Trend magazines, back when it was new. The Auction is one of the most highly anticipated of the year and is likely to draw substantial crowds and a ready number of potential buyers for these rare and desirable Pontiacs. Check out our gallery below or hit the link for full details and specs on all the cars. Plus, make sure you stick with AutoGuide for our follow up report to this one-of-a kind auction.

GALLERY: RM Auction Jim Wanger’s Pontiac Collection

[Source: geetotiger.com]

On the heels of the Bugatti Type 57 that sold for “$30-40 Million” (hey, what differences does a mere $10 million make) a Ferrari 250 GTO, a car regarding as one of the greatest sports cars of all time, has just sold for $25 million.

The car, sold by RM Auctions, is one of 39 ever made, is powered by a V12 engine that puts out 302 horsepower and scoots to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds is good for 174 mph – incredible numbers for 1963 and still decent today. The styling is simply iconic, perhaps the most recognizable vintage Ferrari ever.

Max Girardo of R.M. Auctions had this to say about the sale of such a historic machine. “The exclusivity of Ferrari’s 250 GTO cannot be understated. As they rarely come to market, new owners become part of a very exclusive ‘club’ and are welcomed with open arms at literally any of the world’s great concours events, races, and rallies. We are pleased to have been able to unite this exceptional car with a new and immensely enthusiastic owner. It’s fantastic that this car will now be used in earnest on the classic car scene around Europe.”

[Source: TopSpeed]

When it comes to cars, few places are as mad about the automobile as Metro Detroit. It’s nicknamed the world’s motor capital and for good reason. Aside from the headquarters of  Ford, General Motors and Chrysler, it is also home to thousands of tier one and tier two suppliers, aftermarket companies, performance and restoration shops. On April 24-25, classic car fever was running hot as RM Auctions hosted it’s annual Classic Car Auction of Michigan, held at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, west of Detroit.

This particular auction tends to attract a sizable number of cars and is billed as the largest indoor event of its type in the Midwest. Naturally, being in the Detroit area, a lot of cars that cross the block are American classics and muscle cars, but other marques also tend to be well represented.

This year’s auction witnessed a flurry of activity as cars crossed the block on Saturday and Sunday, with strong bidder interest on both days. By the time the gavel fell for the last time, a 1958 Pontiac Parisienne convertible had garnered top sale honors, going for a robust $104,500. The Parisienne is a unique Canadian market Pontiac that features Arrowhead division body work and interior embellishments, with Chevrolet chassis and running gear. Pristine survivors are rare, but clearly in demand as witnessed here.

Behind the Parisienne, the next highest sale price was for a 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, which went for $82,500. Other notable vehicles of interest that crossed the block, included a selection of early “Brass Era” vehicles, notably the earliest known Ford still in existence – a 1903 Ford Model A (not to be confused with the 1928 version), a 1904 Rambler Model L; 1904 Overland and 1918 Nash truck. Big 1930s luxury cars, that pay homage to Detroit’s rich automotive past and continue to be among the most blue chip of investments in the hobby, were also out in healthy numbers, including a 1929 Dusenberg Model J convertible sedan, with bodywork by Murphy, a 1932 Dusenberg Model J Torpedo Berline Rollston and a 1931 Chrysler CG Imperial.

According to Ken Wallace, Car Specialist and Manager of RM’s Ypsilanti, Michigan based office, “RM was very pleased with the attendance and results from the April 24-25 auction. Bidder registrations were up substantially over 2009 – more than 45 percent with interest from across the U.S. and Canada and even beyond, including the UK, Ireland and Norway. Strong interest and enthusiastic bidding led to some great results, with prices realized that are consistent with current market values.”

[Source: RM Auctions]

For those with the means, RM Auctions is offering the chance to own not one, but two Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR street cars. Essentially road legal versions of the FIA GT1 race cars, just 25 of these incredible exotics were built to meet FIA regulations, which clearly state that any race car must be based on a production model street car.

As a result, these street cars are actually based on the race cars, and not the other way around.  They boast 612-hp 6.9-liter V12 engines, six-seed sequential transmissions with paddle shifters and carbon fiber brakes.

The CLK GTR race cars competed in the FIA GT1 class in 1997 and 1998, taking the championship in their first year.

As mentioned, just 25 of these cars exist with only five of the roadster models ever made.

Both cars will hit the auction block on October 28th at RM Auction’s Automobiles of London sale.

We’ll take both!

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Street Cars

More on the CLK GTR street cars after the jump:

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A Ferrari has once again set a new record for the highest sale price at an auction. The 1957 250 Testa Rossa sold for 9,020,000 Euro (or roughly $12 million), topping the previous record holder,  a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT that reached $9.6 million last year.

The 250 Testa Rossa hit the block in Ferrari’s home town of Maranello during a special Ferrari-themed RM auction titled Leggenda e Passione.

“The historical significance of this car attracted a bidding war as collectors from around the world – both in the room and on the telephone – competed to secure one of the most alluring and iconic of all Ferrari racing cars,” said RM Europe’s managing director Max Girardo.

Debuting at the Buenos Aires 1000 Km race in 1958, the 250 Testa Rossa is one of just 22 similar models. It placed fourth in that race and was later sold to an American who raced it extensively in the SCCA championship.

Official release after the jump:

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Ferrari has announced that it will auction off the rights to the very last F430 to roll off the assembly line and donate the proceeds to help citizens of the Abruzzo region that was devastated during the April 6th earthquake in Italy.

Rights to the car will be on the block at a special Ferrari-themed RM Auction this Sunday, however, the car itself will not be built until the end of the year.

The 490hp F430 will come with a special two-tone paint job using the traditional colors (red and blue) of Aquila, the city hardest hit by the earthquake. The owner will then be invited to the Ferrari factory in Maranello to chose the remaining options on the car. Ferrari has said it will toss in several pricey options from its Carrozzeria Scaglietti catalog.

The Italian exotic will come with a certificate signed by Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo and a special dedication plaque.

This news also marks the first admission by Ferrari that F430 production will end this year, making the arrival of a concept to succeed the impressive exotic at the Frankfurt Auto Show this Fall almost certain.

Official release after the jump:

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