007's original Aston Martin DB5 attracts just two bids, sells for £2.6m ($4.1m)

An original Aston Martin DB5 that James Bond drove in "Goldfinger" was auctioned in London tonight, where it fetched a lower than expected £2.6m ($4.1m). Experts had estimated it would sell for at least £3.2m / $5m - with upper estimates pegging it at $10m.

It opened in a rather flat manner as one 'bidder' jokingly shouted out "£10 million!" for the opening salvo, but it was not taken seriously by the auctioneer.

The real opening bid was £2.5m from a telephone bidder, and then stalled at £2.6m to a buyer in the room with just the second bid. With the lack of a third bid, the auctioneer stalled the count by offering others 'thinking time' - appearing to try to drive the price up, to no avail - before finally counting it down.

It took almost six hours to get to the famous Lot 197 at the event held at Battersea Evolution, but the action ultimately underwhelmed many who traveled to the occasion with just two bids on a car that may not come up for sale again for decades.

But a spokesman for the auctioneer said: "It's still a lot of money and I don't think anyone's disappointed."

The purchaser was Ohio collector Harry Yeaggy, and it is understood it will be returned to the US and go on display at a museum in his home state.

An RM official declined to comment on a rumor that an offer was made before the sale to buy the car for $5.5 million, or £3.5 million - a lot more than it sold for at the auction.

The 'most famous car in the world' comes with the ejector seat, rotating license plates and machine guns Sean Connery had at his fingertips in the legendary film, as well as "Thunderball." The car also has a rear bulletproof shield that can be activated with the push of a dashboard button and a top speed of 145 miles per hour. Click here for more information about the auctioned DB5.

Put under the hammer by RM Auctions Automobiles of London, the vehicle is one of two Aston Martins factory-modified for use in the two Bond films, and it is the only surviving example. The other 007-modified Aston Martin was reported stolen in 1997 and has never been recovered.

It was sold by U.S. radio broadcaster Jerry Lee, who bought it for $12,000 in 1969. It has remained in his home since then and has rarely been seen publicly.

Also at the auction, a Jaguar XKR equipped with gadgets and re-fitted by the real-life Q-Branch at EON Productions for use in stunt filming on the 2002 film "Die Another Day" sold for £52,500 (over its estimate of £25,000-£35,000). Click here for more information about the XKR.

A 1969 Lamborghini Islero GTS, Sir Roger Moore’s car in the movie The Man Who Haunted Himself, sold for £95,000 to a telephone bidder.

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