24 Oct 08
BMW Z3 (GoldenEye)
Another golden opportunity for BMW to show off its wares. James, played by a Brylcreem-loving Pierce Brosnan, is punished by Q by being given a BMW Z3.
With a weedy 1.9-litre and effeminate looks, the Z3 unsurprisingly avoids getting its tyres dirty in anything as macho as a dash from the bad guys. Instead, Bond simply drives it to the airport. For a few horrible moments, the film resembles a glossy aftershave ad.
AMC Hornet (The Man with the Golden Gun)
Proof that product placement has been around for some time: a rumoured 11 companies paid good money to ensure their wares appeared in this film in discreet - and not so discreet - ways. One such company was the American Motor Corporation.
That's why love-interest Goodnight is bundled into the boot of a bronze AMC Matador X Coupe by the baddies, and why Bond gives chase in a AMC Hornet X Hatchback Special Coupe, stolen from a conveniently placed dealership.
The corkscrew jump across the river is still one of the most ambitious car stunts performed in any movie in one take and with no CGI - although we would have paid good money to see the dumpy Hornet trashed.
