marek reichman on DB12 goldfinger and the aston martin cars james bond drives in 007 films

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Aston Martin reveals DB12 Goldfinger Edition. It’s a super tourer inspired by the DB5, the car that launched the beginning of a long-term partnership between the 111-year-old British manufacturer and James Bond film franchise. Sitting down with designboom weeks before the unveiling, Marek Reichman tells us that just like James Bond, the fine details of the DB12 Goldfinger Edition are meant to be discovered, an allure to the true fans of the DB5.

‘It’s a treasure trove of tiny details that only a connoisseur will know where they’re from. That’s the exciting part. Like James Bond, it’s not obvious. The car is subtle, elegant, but you’ll know there’s something different about it. The more you look, the more you’ll see,’ Aston Martin’s Chief Creative Officer shares with designboom. Like James Bond, the 50 owners of the limited-edition DB12 Goldfinger may need a keen sense of design and appreciation to detect the nuances that pivots back to the DB5. The launch of the edition also marks the 60th Anniversary of the 1964 film.

Aston Martin DB12 Goldfinger Edition (left) beside DB5 | all images courtesy of Aston Martin, unless stated

‘eight of hearts’ embroidery harks back to the Miami pool scene

The DB5 first appeared in Goldfinger (1964) as Sean Connery’s vehicle full of gadgets to help him escape from and beat his adversaries. Today, Aston Martin reintroduces it as the DB12 Goldfinger Edition. Marek Reichman explains to designboom that the gold elements found in the super tourer are taken from the model used in the 1964 movie, while some of them are replicated to fit modern needs. The iconic Silver Birch paint color synonymous with the DB5 is the first obvious one in line, followed by the ‘eight of hearts’ embroidered onto the driver’s sun visor. The latter is a direct reference to the playing card seen in the last draw during the Miami pool scene in Goldfinger.

The British car manufacturer also adds 21-inch multi-spoke wheels with a silver color and a diamond treatment finish, black brake calipers, gold side strakes, and an Aston Martin logo in silver with a black enamel. As soon as the owners step inside, they find leather Sports Plus seats finished in the DB5 fluted style with an intricate Prince of Wales check perforation pattern, a nod to a classic James Bond suit. Topping it all off is a polished sill plaque adorning the Goldfinger 60th anniversary logo, harking back to the recent celebration of Aston Martin’s long-standing association with the 007 film franchise.

Aston Martin reveals the DB12 Goldfinger Edition, a super tourer inspired by the DB5 model

The DB12 Goldfinger Edition has been created by the marque’s in-house design experts at Q by Aston Martin, a personalization service similar to the James Bond films’ ‘Q Branch.’ Along with Marek Reichman, they’re the ones who place a 4.0-litre V8 Twin-Turbo engine in the modern take on the DB5, as well as the individually numbered 2007 vintage Champagne Bollinger with four Bollinger 007 glasses, exclusive to the model and its owners. ‘But then there are more subtle areas as well, like inside the cabinets within the car. The dogtooth check from the suit, things that are not absolutely expected. The little hidden secrets, the gems hidden underneath the cubby box lids, and certain tiny details like the graphic language we use,’ Marek Reichman shares with designboom.

When we ask the Chief Creative Officer what makes the DB5 timeless enough for Aston Martin to pay tribute to it with the recent DB12 Goldfinger Edition, he says that while timeless is a wonderful word, it mainly comes out of beauty. ‘Part of its longevity and timelessness is in its performance,’ he explains to designboom. The way it operates, mixed with aggressive and muscular proportions, makes it able to stake its mark. The car reflects its capability, and in several ways, Marek Reichman and his team attempt to stick with this design ethos, manifesting it through the DB12 Goldfinger Edition. In our conversation with the Chief Creative Officer below, he brings us back to the cars that James Bond/Agent 007 has driven, how they were designed for their specific movies, and what it’s like constantly recharging his creative drive now that he’s been working with Aston Martin for decades.

the DB5 first appeared in Goldfinger (1964) as Sean Connery’s vehicle

designboom (DB): Before the unveiling of the limited-edition Goldfinger DB12, you celebrated 60 years of Aston Martin’s association with the 007 film franchise, even opening the pop-up House of Q in the heart of London. How does it feel to celebrate this kind of milestone?

Marek Reichman (MR): It’s an amazing relationship. One of the nice things is we feel like we’re part of the Bond family. Bond is Eon Productions, but I know the people involved personally. Daniel Craig was at our launch of Vanquish recently, and it was nice to catch up with him there. How does it feel? It feels like we’re part of the family, not part of the furniture, because furniture can be removed, but definitely part of the family. It’s been 60 years, which is the longest-running relationship in any film franchise.

Most importantly, it’s a milestone reaching 60. We’re a 111-year-old company, so for more than half our life, we’ve been associated with James Bond and the 007 franchise. A milestone for me was when we were in Spectre, and the DB10 was announced as a character in the movie, not just a car. The DB10 was on stage with all the cast and was introduced by Sam Mendes as the first cast member. That shows how deep and important the relationship is. We’re not backup, we’re a cast member. We feel like we’re part of the franchise, part of the entertainment that is James Bond and 007. Very special, and we’re very honored.

the gold elements found in the DB12 Goldfinger are taken from the model used in the 1964 movie

DB: Is there an important design takeaway during this time? It might have been a point of reflection for you as well as the Chief Creative Officer.

MR: I think the biggest design takeaway is that we’re a 111-year-old brand that in theory doesn’t need James Bond to exist. So, the nice thing is it’s a marriage or a partnership where both can coexist without, but together one and one is making three. The character of Bond, the nature of Bond throughout time, has had to change with the times. It fits to our makeup, it fits to our design DNA, to our language of design. I’ve just shown a very eminent customer around who said, ‘There are two brands. There’s a brand that is red, and people buy that brand, and there is Aston Martin, always renowned for its suave sophistication, elegance.

And you’re recognized as a person who’s a connoisseur of taste if you drive an Aston Martin. That’s where that relationship with Bond, who has very, very similar things, and the makeup of the movies and the sets that are created and the spaces that are visited, the places that are visited, the countries, what is mentioned in terms of being the zeitgeist of style, design, and culture, comes through in the movie as well, and it’s a relevance. I think what it helps with from a design perspective is keeping us relevant to a different consumer, a different fan base.

I think the biggest one has to be elegance and restraint. And they’re the two that I always carry away and think, would this be right for Bond as a character, whoever that may be in the future. I’m so lucky and so privileged. I’ve been involved in the last five, the entirety of Daniel’s movies as Bond. We were a transition. We put James Bond back into an Aston Martin. The prior movie didn’t have an Aston Martin in there.

So, the DBS for Casino Royale was the first time we’d been back in the movie with a big bang or a big role, if you like, with the six-and-three-quarter-turn role. I’m a kid in a candy shop, you know, each time. Just before, I get asked so many questions. ‘Oh, you must know who the new Bond is. You must know this.’ The reality is, even if I did, I’m part of the family and respect the decision not to tell anyone. But it’s just nice to know that we’ll be introduced to have a studio tour, to bring the director around. That’s the really nice part of this relationship as well.

DB: And before the reveal of the new James Bond, we have the DB12 Goldfinger Edition which has come out. Can you walk us through the design elements, both exterior and interior, that you feel capture the film’s essence?

MR: There are the very obvious ones, like color in terms of the exterior, and a lot of the finer detailing. The gold elements were taken from the movie and the car in the movie, and some of them were replicated onto the modern platform. But then there are more subtle areas as well, like inside the cabinets within the car. The dogtooth check from the suit, things that are not absolutely expected. The little hidden secrets, the gems hidden underneath the cubby box lids, and certain tiny details like the graphic language we use. The way the car will be given to the owners, in terms of certification, like a top-secret file, etc.

There are some obvious cues through color and material. Our side strike has been embellished with the anniversary plaque, and the badging itself. Tiny stitch details, even down to the weave of the cloth used in Bond’s suits in the movie, appear on the seats and partly on the headliner. It’s a treasure trove of tiny details that only a connoisseur will know where they’re from. That’s the exciting part. Like Bond, it’s not obvious. The car is subtle, elegant, but you’ll know there’s something different about it. The more you look, the more you’ll see.…Read more by matthew burgos | designboom

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