The Evolution of Bond Cars
James Bond is synonymous with iconic cars, and with every film comes the excitement of which vehicle will be used by the English spy. Here at Auto Tyres and Exhausts, it’s no surprise that we’re as big fans of the getaway cars as we are of the films themselves, so in this articles we’ve listed 10 of the most iconic Bond cars in history.
Sunbeam Alpine
Model: Series II (1962)
Film: Dr. No (1962)
Bond: Sean Connery
The first Bond car was the Sunbeam Alpine, an English made car that had also featured in the novel Dr. No as well as the film.
Aston Martin DB5
Model: DB5 (1963)
Film: Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012)
Bond: Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
As its impressive CV suggests, the Aston Martin DB5 is commonly recognised as the quintessential Bond car, and one of the most famous cars in cinema history. Its feature in Goldeneye saw toy models of the car become the best selling toy of the year following the film’s release, and the car has since been featured in many more Bond films across the years.
Lotus Esprit
Model: Espite S1 (1976)
Film: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Bond: Roger Moore
For the tenth Bond film, the producers reportedly wanted to feature a Bond car like no other seen before. The Lotus was used in a chase sequence that covers land, air and water, giving this unique Bond car spectacular additional features – the Lotus transforms into a mini-submarine!
Rolls Royce Silver Cloud II
Model: Silver Cloud II (1962)
Film: A View to a Kill (1985)
Bond: Roger Moore
The last film to feature actor Roger Moore as James Bond used a Rolls Royce as it’s Bond car, which actually belonged to producer Cubby Broccoli!
Aston Martin V8
Model: V8 Vantage Volante
Film: The Living Daylights (1987)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
For Timothy Dalton’s first film in the role of bond, producers brought back the Aston Martin after an absence of 18 years! The V8 Bond car featured gadgets such as lasers, missiles, and rear rocket propulsion systems in classic Bond style.
BMW Z3
Model: Z3 (1995)
Film: Goldeneye (1995)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan’s first film as the English spy also featured the first BMW used in a Bond film. The car was equipped with ejector seat, all-points radar and stinger missiles behind the headlights, and following the release of the film saw a huge rise in sales for BMW.
BMW 750iL
Model: 740iL (1997)
Film: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
The second BMW Bond car featured some of the most impressive car gadgets to date. This car had bullet proof windows, electrified door handles, a remote control driving option and a body strong enough to withstand a hit by a sledgehammer.
Aston Martin V12
Model: V12 Vanquish (2002)
Film: Die Another Day (2002)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan’s final James Bond film brought back the Aston Martin as his favoured vehicle, and this Bond car was kitted out with some many gadgets many thought it was a step too far for Bond! The Vanquish included an invisibly cloaking device, as well as torpedoes and an ejector seat.
Aston Martin DBS V12
Model: DBS V12 (2006)
Film: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008)
Bond: Daniel Craig
The reboot of James Bond with Daniel Craig aimed for a sleeker, mature feel, and the DBS V12’s understated gadgets reflected this. The Bond car featured a defibrillator and a Walther PPK (gun), but lacked any other outlandish gadgets famous in previous Bond films.
Aston Martin DB10
Model: DB10 (2015)
Film: Specter (2015)
Bond: Daniel Craig
This year’s James Bond film featured another Aston Martin, making it the Bond car model of choice for over 50 years. Spectre’s vehicle was limited to just 10 cars made, specifically engineered for the films production. The DB10 featured little in the way of added gadgets, although it does include an ejector seat in a throwback to the older Bond films.
Whilst not everyone can own a car like Bond, it’s still important to keep your vehicle running at its top performance. Here at Auto Tyres and Exhausts, we offer a range of car services, including tyres, brakes and exhaust repairs, as well as comprehensive car servicing.
Contact us today to book your car in, and we’ll be happy to help.
