Daniel Craig's Aston Martin Fetches $468,500

An Aston Martin "Vanquish S" is displayed at The International Automobile Festival in Paris on January 31, 2018.  JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP
An Aston Martin "Vanquish S" is displayed at The International Automobile Festival in Paris on January 31, 2018. JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP
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Daniel Craig's Aston Martin Fetches $468,500

An Aston Martin "Vanquish S" is displayed at The International Automobile Festival in Paris on January 31, 2018.  JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP
An Aston Martin "Vanquish S" is displayed at The International Automobile Festival in Paris on January 31, 2018. JACQUES DEMARTHON / AFP

The Aston Martin Vanquish owned by James Bond actor Daniel Craig, numbered with the character's signature 007, sold at auction in New York on Friday for $468,500.

Christie's, which announced results of the bidding, had estimated the limited-edition midnight blue 2014 Centenary Edition Vanquish would fetch $400,000-$600,000. 

All proceeds from the sale will benefit The Opportunity Network, a non-profit organization  helping under-served youths develop their careers. Both Craig and his wife, actress Rachel Weisz, sit on the charity's board.

Craig made a surprise appearance during the auction, joining the Christie's team to encourage a client to bid higher.

The car, which has a top speed of 183 miles (295 kilometers) per hour, is part of a series of just 100 which Aston Martin created in 2014 to celebrate the firm's 100th anniversary.

It is made of a lightweight bonded aluminum structure and motorsport-inspired carbon-fiber exterior. The handcrafted interior includes luxury leathers, carbon fiber and aluminum.

“This Aston Martin Vanquish is a tour de force of automobile engineering and a distinct pleasure to drive,” said Craig. “While I will miss it, I am keen to further the very important work of The Opportunity Network with its sale.”

As for Becky MacGuire, the sale’s director, she said: “We are thrilled at the chance to support Daniel Craig’s generosity to The Opportunity Network with the offer of this unique and gorgeous sports car.”



Prince Harry Is in Angola to Raise Awareness for Land Mine Clearing, Repeating Diana’s 1997 Trip

Britain's Prince Harry remotely detonates a landmine at a minefield during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust in Dirico, Angola, Sept. 27, 2019. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP, Pool)
Britain's Prince Harry remotely detonates a landmine at a minefield during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust in Dirico, Angola, Sept. 27, 2019. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP, Pool)
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Prince Harry Is in Angola to Raise Awareness for Land Mine Clearing, Repeating Diana’s 1997 Trip

Britain's Prince Harry remotely detonates a landmine at a minefield during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust in Dirico, Angola, Sept. 27, 2019. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP, Pool)
Britain's Prince Harry remotely detonates a landmine at a minefield during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust in Dirico, Angola, Sept. 27, 2019. (Dominic Lipinski/PA via AP, Pool)

Prince Harry visited the African nation of Angola on Tuesday with a land mine clearing charity, repeating a famous trip his mother made in 1997.

Harry, the Duke of Sussex, met with Angolan President João Lourenço on Tuesday at the start of his trip, according to a statement from the Halo Trust, an organization that works to clear land mines from old warzones.

Princess Diana visited Angola with the Halo Trust in January 1997, just seven months before she was killed in a Paris car crash. Diana was famously photographed on that trip wearing protective equipment and walking through an active minefield during a break in fighting in Angola's long civil war.

Her advocacy helped mobilize support for a treaty banning land mines later that year.

This is not the first time Harry has followed in his mother's footsteps by raising awareness for the Halo Trust's work. He also visited the southern African country in 2019 for a land mine clearing project. British media reported that Harry traveled to Angola this week without his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex.

Halo Trust CEO James Cowan said in a statement Tuesday that he and Harry met with Lourenço to discuss continued demining efforts in Angola and thanked the president for his support for that work.

Angola was torn apart by a 27-year civil war, which lasted from 1975 to 2002, with some brief and fragile periods of peace in between.

The Halo Trust says there are estimates that around 80,000 Angolans have been killed or injured by land mines during and after the war, although there are no exact figures. The organization says just over 1,000 minefields covering an estimated 67 square kilometers (26 square miles) still needed to be cleared at the end of 2024.

Angola had set itself a goal to be land mine-free by 2025.