The power of persuasion: Aston Martin goes for £533,500

A Roger Moore connection means that a 1970 Aston Martin DBS -- the classic usually considered the runt of the litter among the brand's biggest fans and collectors -- has just gone under the hammer for a world record price of £533,500.

The record price, which equates to $897,347 (€654,044) and is more than a pristine DB5 -- the car of choice for fictional British spies -- sells for in Europe, was achieved at this weekend's 15th annual Bonhams Aston Martin Sale at Aston Martin Works in Newport Pagnell in Buckinghamshire.

In all, the 50 lots raised a total of £8.7 million, but the star of the show was the DBS with its show business connection. After all, it was one of the stars of the 1970s TV show 'The Persuaders!'

It may have stared Tony Curtis and a pre-James Bond Roger Moore as globe-trotting ludicrously rich crimefighters but for a whole generation of motoring fans who grew up watching the 1971-1972 TV show, the two true stars of the show were Curtis's red Ferrari Dino 246GT and Moore's Bahama Yellow Aston Martin, which came up for sale for the first time in 40 years at the auction.

The event attracted 2,500 people and bidding came from around the globe, meaning that the yearly sale is really starting to establish itself as one of the key sales in the classic car calendar, a point Paul Spires, General Sales Manager at Aston Martin Works, was quick to highlight: 'With many exceptional sports cars sold, and bids coming in from right around the world, it's clear that Bonhams' Aston Martin Sale here at Newport Pagnell is, more than ever, a key fixture of the classic car world,' he said.

However, the DBS was by no means the only highlight. A DB5 restoration project, requiring a complete and utter rebuild and which had been estimated to fetch between £60,000 and £80,000, was claimed by a winning bid of £393,500 ($661,080) despite being offered in several pieces.