An Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery's James Bond in Goldfinger, thought lost for more than 20 years, may have been found at last.

Investigators believe that the DB5, which was one of two cars used while filming, is currently in the Middle East after being stolen from the Florida Quays in June 1997.

"I have been given a specific tip, but we are working on it. We want to reach out to the collector car community and a vast array of mechanics to let them know we are very serious about recovering it," said Christopher A Marinello, chief executive of Art Recovery International, according to car website Auto Classics.

"As there are many Aston Martins, it is very important that we get a shot of the chassis number, DP/216/1. This is what we are looking for, as it is very specific to the vehicle. It is quite possible the potential in the Middle East is a mere lookalike, which is why it is crucial we retain a close-up of the chassis number."

The DB5's disappearance was the stuff of heist legend: there were no clues left as to how the car was removed apart from a set of tyre tracks, no alarms were tripped and no other cars disturbed.

There was an urban legend which suggested the car had been airlifted from a garage on Florida Quays and dumped into the sea nearby, but that seems like a) a bit of a waste of time and b) not the most fun thing you could do with a priceless Aston Martin. Well, not quite priceless: the other of the two cars used while filming Goldeneye was sold for £4.1 million in 2010.