The Connery Era
CONNERY BOND CARS IN DIECAST
ASTON MARTIN DB5 AUTOart 1:18* Joyride Studios (RC2) 1:18 Danbury Mint 1:24* Corgi 1:36* Minichamps 1:43
TOYOTA 2000 GT ROADSTER AUTOart 1:18* Minichamps 1:43
FORD MUSTANG MACH I Joyride Studios 1:18 *Out of production |
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Many Bond purists insist that Sean Connery remains the true James Bond and that the car he is most closely associated withthe Aston Martin DB5 is the official Bond car. Even though it did not appear until the third film1964s Goldfingerit became as synonymous with James Bond as a shakennot stirredVodka martini. With a 280hp engine packaged in an undeniably beautifuland undeniably Britishbody, it was the perfect choice for Bond. The iconic Aston instantly became one of 007s defining attributes, and the tech-briefing that outlines its special options (machine guns, smoke dispenser and ejector seat among others) helped define another beloved character: Major Boothroydbetter known simply as Q. The DB5s mix of sophisticated bearing and brutal performance seemed to perfectly mirror Sean Connerys portrayal of the character. That, with the growing popularity of the Bond franchise and the charisma of Qs gadgetry produced a critical mass of appeal. The car exploded into stardom despite being on screen for less than the proverbial 15 minutes and meeting a rather ignominious end. Still, producers knew a winner when they saw it, and in 1965, the Aston returned for an encore in Thunderball. Thirty years later, the DB5 would be resurrected in GoldenEye.
LAZENBY BOND CARS IN DIECAST Neither the DBS nor the Cougar convertible is directly represented in diecast, although both would be funif somewhat obscureto see at some point. |
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The Lazenby Era In the sixth installment of the Bond franchise, 1969s On Her Majestys Secret Service, Aston Martin returned. Gone were Connery and the DB5 replaced by newcomers George Lazenby and the DBS. Though the DBS was cool, fans seldom remember it. This film is mainly remembered for being Lazenbys only Bond performance and for Diana Riggs scene-stealing portrayal of the only woman ever to trap the evasive 007 in the bonds of matrimony. Automotively, Riggs Mercury Cougar convertible (badged as a Ford in Europe) took center stage, despite its laughably incongruous use in and around French Alps ski-resort towns during a blizzard.
MOORE BOND CARS IN DIECAST LOTUS ESPRIT AUTOart 1:18* Joyride Studios (RC2) 1:18 Corgi 1:36* Minichamps 1:43
LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO AUTOart 1:18* Minichamps 1:43
CHEVROLET CORVETTE Joyride Studios (RC2) 1:18 *Out of production
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The Moore Era Roger Moore comprehensively remade the character for the 1970s. His first was Live and Let Die in 1973, but given the films Caribbean setting, automotive escapades are absent, but there are some rather spectacular boat stunts. Moore was not vehicularly challenged for long, though, as just a year later, he returned in The Man With The Golden Gun, which features one of the more memorable car gags of all timethe corkscrew jump across a collapsed bridge. The jump is so outrageous that fans can almost forgive that the car he was driving was a lowly AMC Hornet. The next Bond signature car arrived in 1977 with The Spy Who Loved Me. In this, Moore hops into the dramatically styled Lotus Esprit, which is then transformed into a submarine so he can take a beautiful Soviet agent (Barbara Bach) on an undersea jaunt. With its over-thetop gadgets and campy scenarios, the white Lotus sub has come to symbolize the Moore-era Bond. And just like Connery and the DB5, the Esprit seems to parallel Moores interpretation of the characterflashy and dapper, but a bit of a lightweight
. For 1981s For Your Eyes Only, the Lotus returnsthis time, in the more robust and garish Turbo model. The extroverted Turbos biggest moment was its self-destructionnot unlike the plots of many contemporary Bond films. The more memorable car scenes from this flick are actually those featuring the hideous Citroen 2CV. |