The original Bond DB5 going up for auction in two months has been the property of Sir Anthony Bamford and since the late '70s
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| Famed Chicago gangster Al Capone's car is a 1928 Cadillac, completewith some weapons and defense mechanisms of its own. (Photo: RMAuctions) |
has been on display at the Pigeon Forge, Tennessee museum. The DB5 will join a variety of celebrity cars in the auction, including cars made for the notorious Chicago gangster Al Capone and country music star Hank Williams, Jr.
Capone's car is a 1928 Cadillac, complete with some weapons and defense mechanisms of its own. First of all it is bullet-proof, featuring steel-plating reinforcements in the body shell and windows that are more than one inch thick. The rear window folds out of the way so that firearms could be used, no doubt against ensuing police or rival gangs. Interestingly, the Cadillac was painted in the exact same colour scheme as the Chicago police cars of the day, and combined with its siren and flashing police lights the car would have allowed for convenient getaways. It was seized by
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| Hank Williams Jr.'s 1964 Pontiac Bonneville is adorned with eighteenpistols, 547 silver dollars, twelve silver horseshoes and seventeensterling silver horse heads. (Photo: RMAuctions) |
the U.S. Treasury Department when Capone was jailed for tax evasion, of all things, and reportedly was used by President Franklin Roosevelt after that. RM estimates its value at $250,000 to $500,000 USD.
Less interesting, unless you're a country music fan, is Hank Williams Jr.'s 1964 Pontiac Bonneville, which RM states made use of guns in a different sort of way. Gifted to Williams on his 15th birthday, it is adorned with eighteen pistols, including twelve large ones and six small ones, plus 547 silver dollars, twelve silver horseshoes and seventeen sterling silver horse heads. Replacing the centre console is a saddle, no less. Its value is estimated at $100,000 to $200,000 USD.
