Almost Half the Size but Just as Cool: Aston Martin DB5 Junior

Aston Martin and the Little Car Company have joined forces to create every little petrolhead’s dream car, the DB5 Junior — a scale version of possibly the most iconic car in the world.

When I was small, I desperately wanted one of those fancy pedal cars that looked like one of my Dad’s classic cars. I wanted to be able to drive my own little classic car around. Sadly I never got one, but a few lucky kids today might get something far better than the pedal-powered machine I craved.

The Aston Martin DB5 Junior by the Little Car Company is a two-thirds scale version of the car driven by James Bond in Goldfinger, albeit without a roof and all the cool gadgets. The pint-sized DB is based on Aston Martin’s reference 3D scan of an original DB5 to ensure “complete accuracy and authenticity”. It even comes in the same Silver Birch colour used on Bond’s famous ride.

The DB5 Junior is around three metres long and just over a metre wide and is designed to accommodate an adult and a child side by side easily, allowing different generations to share their love of driving. The ‘car’ uses an aluminium honeycomb chassis and a composite body, which provides a very rigid platform whilst keeping it light, with a total weight of around 270kg. Powered by a 6.8hp electric motor driving the rear wheels, the DB5 Junior will hit 30mph at top speed.

The team at the Little Car Company wanted to ensure complete authenticity. As a result, every DB5 Junior features the iconic Aston Martin winged badges and functional Smiths dials in the interior. Those dials have been smartly updated for the electric power train; the fuel gauge has been converted into a battery meter, while the oil temperature gauge now displays the motor temperature. Also, the same Smiths clock seen in the original 1960s DB5 sits proudly in front of the passenger seat.

It’s no basic go-kart underneath. The DB5 Junior sits on double wishbone suspension at the front, just like the full-size car, with the roll centre and camber gain matching the original geometry. At the rear, there is the period-correct live axle, with authentic upper and lower trailing arm suspension and Panhard rod.

All that electric power is put to the ground through 10-inch wire wheels, complete with ventilated disc brakes on all four wheels, complemented by regenerative braking. The battery pack is removable and stored under the bonnet. It gives up to 20 miles of driving range, with the option of adding a second battery pack. The battery packs can be swapped for a replacement in a matter of seconds.

If 6.8hp isn’t enough for the young person in your life, you can opt for the Vantage version. Like its full-size brother that received a significant performance bump when the Vantage version launched, the scale Vantage also has quite a bit more pep. The standard DB5 Junior has three driving modes; Novice, Expert and Race, which vary the power and performance of the car. There is also a fourth on the top-spec Vantage version, called ‘Vantage mode’. It is operated by a hidden ‘missile’ switch which doubles the power output to 13.6hp and increases the top speed to an “unconfirmed level”.

Just like the real DB5, just 1,059 will be made in total. Owners of the Junior will get automatic membership of the Aston Martin Owners Club and the ability to personalise their purchase with a range of options and accessories.

Prices start at £35,000 plus local taxes, with the Vantage version costing £45,000 plus taxes. That’s hardly cheap, but can you put a price on your child looking this cool?

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