Celebrating 50 Years of James Bond and His Cars
007's cool has always been closely tied to his rides, from modest beginnings with a Sunbeam Alpine to the sexier era of Aston Martin.
By Claire_Martin Oct 5, 2012 4:01AM
James Bond without his cars -- and the concomitant car chases -- wouldn't be Bond at all. His inaugural ride, a Sunbeam Alpine in "Dr. No," was a weak start, but from that point on, his cars have been nothing less than luxurious, lethal, sex-magnets. They've been as important as Bond himself to the 25-film series, which celebrates its 50th anniversary today. "Octopussy" saw him steal an Alfa Romeo GTV6. In "The Living Daylights," he steered an Audi 200 Avant. "From Russia With Love" had him behind the wheel of a Bentley Mark IV.
And then there were the Aston Martins, which occupied the screen in no fewer than eight Bond films, first -- and perhaps most famously -- in 1964's "Goldfinger" and most recently in 2008's "Quantum of Solace."
To ring in the 50th anniversary, here's a look back at his best, worst and most badass.
The most versatile Bond-mobile? A toss-up between the Lotus Esprit that morphed into a submarine when it plunged into the Mediterranean in "The Spy Who Loved Me" and the AMC Matador Coupe in "The Man With the Golden Gun," which sprouted wings and took to the skies.
One of the most menacing was the Jaguar XKR featured in "Die Another Day." It was capable of generating machine-gun fire from its front grille, launching missiles from its door panels, shooting a Gatling gun from the rear and sending mortars from its trunk.
The most iconic was surely the inaugural Aston Martin in "Goldfinger." The DB5, with its machine guns, ejector seat, oil-slick machine and bulletproof glass, helped usher in the era of badass movie spy cars.
Debate over the best Bond car chase of all time is contentious. Was it his expert driving in "Dr. No," which sent three stalkers over a cliff? Or outmaneuvering the Czechoslovakian cops in "The Living Daylights"? We'll let you be the judge.
Also, click here to check out out our picks for the best Bond vehicles ever.
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