James Bond villain’s iconic number plate to sell for more than £300,000
The personalised plate references the character's legendary name, which has its own little-known backstory
THE iconic number plate used by a James Bond villain is set to sell for more than £300,000.
The licence plate, used by one of 007’s arch nemeses, is being marketed by Primo Registrations.
Bearing the registration AU 1, it adorned the gold-plated Rolls-Royce Phantom III driven by Auric Goldfinger in the 1964 blockbuster that bears his name.
Played by Gert Frobe, Goldfinger is one of the most famous and enduring supervillains in cinema history.
In the film, he tries to execute his evil plan, known as Operation Grand Slam, to steal billions in gold bullion from Fort Knox to finance the Soviet intelligence agent SMERSH, with the help of his silent sidekick Oddjob.
He is famed in particular for, when asked if he expected Sean Connery’s Bond to divulge state secrets while being threatened with a laser cutter, quipping: “No Mr Bond, I expect you to die.”
The number plate references the character’s first name, which itself is a word for something derived from gold.
However, not many know that his second name was actually taken from the architect who built author Ian Fleming’s home in Hampstead, North London, who was called Erno Goldfinger.
And his persona was modelled on gold magnate Charles W Engelhard, according to a obituary in 1971.
The plate is certainly worth its weight in precious metal, with a pre-auction estimate putting the cost at around £300,000.
The price includes VAT and transfer fees, but still isn’t a scratch on the most expensive plate ever sold in the UK.
That honour goes to the registration ’25 O’ which was sold for £518,480 back in 2014
Peter Johnson, Managing Director of Primo Registrations, said: “As iconic number plates go, this one has to be right up there with one of the best, not least of all because of the plate’s association with the famed car used by Goldfinger and Oddjob to smuggle gold out of the country.
“The last time ‘AU 1’ sold, it realised a huge return on investment for its then-owner, and we anticipate the trend will only continue, especially with shorter plates.”
It comes after an Aston Martin found rusting in a garage was tipped to sell for a huge sum.
Meanwhile, a classic motor designed by Bradley Walsh was revealed as a Bond-inspired supercar.
