LOS ANGELES: James Bond is parting with his personal Aston Martin.
Actor Daniel Craig, who has played the British spy known as 007 in four films, is auctioning for charity the limited-edition vehicle made for him by Aston Martin four years ago, Christie’s auction house said.
Aston Martin cars have appeared in Bond films over nearly 50 years, beginning with 1964’s “Goldfinger” in which Sean Connery drove a silver Aston Martin DB5. The brand has appeared in all four Bond films starring Craig.
Craig’s personal car is a 2014 Vanquish that Aston Martin produced just 100 examples of to celebrate its 100th anniversary. Craig’s vehicle is, naturally, number 007.
“It was an homage, really, to his career,” Becky MacGuire, director of Christie’s’ The Exceptional Sale, said in an interview. “What he’s brought to the Bond character has been so appreciated by the company and, of course, zillions of fans.”
The vehicle has a midnight blue exterior and dark blue luxury leather interior chosen because of Craig’s preference for denim and dark colors, Christie’s said.
Proceeds from the sale will benefit New York-based charity The Opportunity Network, which helps students from disadvantaged communities achieve their college and career goals. Craig and his wife, actress Rachel Weisz, both sit on the organization’s board of directors.
The car’s value is estimated at $400,000 to $600,000. It will be displayed at Christie’s showroom in Los Angeles from Feb. 27-March 3 before moving to New York, where it will be auctioned on April 20 as part of Christie’s annual decorative arts masterpiece sale called The Exceptional Sale.
Last year, Craig said he will reprise the role of James Bond one last time. The film is expected to be released in US cinemas on Nov. 8, 2019.
Daniel Craig puts his Bond car up for auction
Daniel Craig puts his Bond car up for auction
Lunar New Year prayers, robots and festivities usher in the Year of the Horse
- In Taiwan, worshippers heard a temple bell ring 108 times and left flower offerings
- In Hong Kong, people lined up at midnight to light incense and make wishes
BEIJING: People are marking the Lunar New Year on Tuesday with prayers, fireworks and festivities.
The activities ushered in the Year of the Horse, one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, succeeding the Year of the Snake.
The Lunar New Year is the most important annual holiday in China and some other East Asian nations and is celebrated outside the region, too.
Robots take the stage of an annual TV show in China
As every year, China celebrated the Lunar New Year with a TV show and once again the humanoid robots were a central part of the performance Monday night.
One of the highlights of the CCTV Spring Festival gala was a martial arts performance by children and robots. For several minutes, humanoids from Unitree Robotics showed different sequences and even brandished swords.
The performance shows China’s push to develop more advanced robots powered by improved AI capabilities.
Temple crowds at midnight in Hong Kong
Incense smoke wafted into the air at a temple in Hong Kong where people line up every year to make wishes for the new year at midnight.
Holding up a cluster of incense sticks, many bowed their heads several times before planting the sticks in containers placed in front of a temple hall.
Fireworks light up skies in Vietnam
Entertainers in Vietnam sang at an outdoor countdown event before multiple fireworks shows at several cities in the Southeast Asian nation, where the festival is called Tet.
Light shows lit up bridges and skyscrapers as the fireworks went off and crowds clapped in rhythm to live pop music performances.
Chinese street fairs in Moscow
People sampled Chinese cuisine from stalls and strolled along snowy streets decorated with red lanterns and dragons as two weeks of events got underway Monday at various venues in the Russian capital.
The third annual Lunar New Year celebration comes at at time of warming relations between China and Russia — ties that have frustrated many European governments because of the war in Ukraine.
A temple bell rings 108 times in Taiwan
The solemn peal of a temple bell rang out 108 times — an auspicious number — as people flocked to the Baoan Temple in Taipei on Tuesday morning.
They lit incense sticks, bowed their heads and left offerings of colorful flower bouquets on outdoor tables on the temple grounds in Taiwan’s capital city.
Argentines join celebrations in Buenos Aires
Thousands of Argentines gathered in Buenos Aires’ Chinatown to celebrate the Lunar New Year and enjoyed dragon and lion dances on the main stage, alongside martial arts demonstrations.
The Chinese immigrant community is among Argentina’s most dynamic, accounting for more than 180,000 people in the South American country.
