James Bond’s most memorable cars

Everyone has a favourite James Bond movie. In fact, most people will have a favourite Bond actor, girl and even villain from the past 51 years of 007 films. For me, it’s Goldfinger, Roger Moore, Halle Berry and Oddjob.

But when it comes to the selection of cars in James Bond, choosing one favourite is just too difficult. Instead, here is a list of some of the most memorable Bond cars to help you make your own mind up.

5) Aston Martin DBS

Aston Martin’s relationship with James Bond almost stretches back to when the film series began in the early 1960s. And after a short absence, the British manufacturers cleverly used the Bond debut of Daniel Craig in 2006 to reintroduce themselves and their latest supercar - the DBS.

The car features in one of the most dramatic scenes of ‘Casino Royale’ when a high speed chase leads to it flipping and rolling seven times – a new world record. The sequence was filmed on the Millbrook Proving Ground and required a compressed air cannon to complete the stunt successfully.

4) Toyota 2000GT Roadster

The 2000GT is a stunning and rare vehicle, having only been produced in a line of some 300 cars. Two of these were used in 1967 film ‘You Only Live Twice’ by Japanese S.I.S. agent Aki, who ends up saving James Bond’s life on a number of occasions.

Interestingly, Toyota didn't sell a 2000GT Roadster and only intended to produce their first-ever sports car as a coupe. But as Sean Connery was six-foot-two and couldn’t actually fit in the original car, Toyota's Toyopet Service Centre spent two weeks converting them into soft-tops for the film.

3) AMC Hornet X

In one of the most memorable scenes of 1974 film ‘The Man with the Golden Gun’, Roger Moore steals an AMC Hornet from a car dealership and jumps 40 feet over a Thai river in pursuit of villain Francisco Scaramanga. The highlight of the stunt is a 360-degree barrel roll in mid-air, before the car crashes back down on the opposite side of the broken bridge.

The 2-door hatchback had to be modified for the extreme stunt, which was shot in one take, with a redesigned chassis and the steering wheel placed in the middle of the car.

4) Lotus Esprit S1

There is no car more suitable for a secret agent than the Lotus Esprit in 1977’s ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. It served as a sports coupe for on-road chases and a compact submarine to escape from villains and reach underwater hideouts.

The chase sequence that led to Roger Moore plunging off the edge of a pier is well-remembered by Bond fans, as it came as even more of a surprise to the audience than Major Anya Amasova, played by Barbara Bach, in the passenger seat.

Lotus provided seven body shells for the underwater action scenes, but only granted one road-going car. And, unfortunately, the manufacturers are still yet to make this Bond fantasy come true.

5) Aston Martin DB5

The DB5 remains the most iconic Bond car of all time after featuring in more films than any other vehicle, including appearances in ‘Thunderball’, ‘GoldenEye’, ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and ‘Casino Royale’.

The first DB5 for 1964’s ‘Goldfinger’ became famous for its numerous hidden gadgets and went on to inspire all of Bond’s future vehicles. Some of its features include tracking radars, machine guns, smoke screens, oil slick dispensers, tyre shredders, and the most memorable piece of MI6 equipment from Q's lab, an ejector seat. One of the original DB5s was eventually sold at auction for a whopping £2.6 million ($4.1m) back in 2010.

The DB5 made a triumphant return in 2012 for the 23rd Bond film, Skyfall, which delighted 007 fans all over the world.