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The Bond Cars of Sean Connery

By Andrew Roberts |

18th November, 2020

In tribute to the late Sean Connery - a few facts about his 007 transport:

The first car 007 drove on-screen was a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible after defending himself against the evil Jones the Chauffeur.
The Bel Air clearly sports a Ford Fairlane dashboard in certain shots.
The main chase scene in No employs a Lakewood Blue Sunbeam Alpine Series II. It was sourced via the help of Syd Hirst, who was Lord Rootes’ representative in the then-British West Indies and Central America, and the Kingston motor dealer HE Robinson & Co.
The film production hired the Alpine at a daily rate of 15 shillings.
The battle between the Sunbeam and the hoods’ LaSalle Funeral Coach commences on the A3 coastal road near Ochos Rios.
The budget for No was not especially high, even by 1962 standards, and the Jamaica sequences were augmented by extensive studio work in Pinewood – as may been seen in this thrilling pursuit:

In the book, Bond eventually uses an innocuous-looking Austin A30.
The 1938 Bentley 4¼ Litre Vanden Plas Drophead Coupé in From Russia with Love reflects the automotive tastes of the 007 of the Ian Fleming novels
The principal car employed in Goldfinger was an Aston Martin DB5 prototype, augmented by a stunt vehicle and two other cars for post-release production tours.
The film’s director Guy Hamilton thought of the revolving number plates while the ejector-seat was inspired by a suggestion from his step-son.
Goldfinger marked the first time Q was played for comedy. In From Russia with Love, Desmond Llewellyn had portrayed the character absolutely straight -

BMT 216 A returned for Thunderball in 1965, and was now fitted with a pair of water cannons.
The famous die-cast Corgi 007 DB5 was released in October 1965 to capitalise on the impending release of The price was 9/11d.
Such was the impact of the Corgi Aston Martin that the advertising manager for the parent company Mettoy informed The Daily Mirror: ‘We never in our wildest dreams expected such phenomenal sales. We have now doubled production but many children will not be able to get one for Christmas’.
Thunderball remains the only 007 to date in which Bond rides in a Morris Minor 1000 Convertible.
For You Only Live Twice, Toyota supplied the film-makers with a pair of 2000GTs; one LHD and one RHD -

In May 1966 the GTs were transformed into convertibles to accommodate Connery’s frame. They were the only drophead versions ever made.
The special effects maestro John Stears was responsible for fitting the Toyota’s various devices.
007 was usually chauffeured on-screen by Agent Aki. In reality the actress Akiko Wakabayashi was a non-driver and so she was doubled by wig-wearing stuntmen.
The excellent Corgi die-cast model Toyota came complete with ‘secret instructions’ on how to fire the four rocket missiles.
The Triumph PR-fleet Stag in Diamonds Are Forever has an over-dubbed Herald engine-note -

The “Tournament of Thrills” stunt team was responsible for the Ford Mustang Mach I pursuit sequence.
A quartet of cars were wrecked before the driver Buzz Bundy achieved a successful take on the two-wheel stunt.
A glaring continuity error resulted in the Mustang exiting the alleyway on the opposite pair of wheels.
And in Never Say Never Again, 007 favours a 1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre Gurney Nutting 3-Position-Drophead Coupé. But then James Bond always was a secret agent of impeccable automotive taste.

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