31 Aug 01
Cars, and car chases, have been an intrinsic part of the glamour of James Bond since the famous film series began in 1962 with Dr No. However, it was the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger (1964) that really set the Bond car agenda with an arsenal of gadgets that captured the imagination of boys large and small all over the world. Nearly 40 years on you can still buy a James Bond Aston Martin Corgi model, which proves the impact of that car has proved difficult to beat. However, most subsequent attempts to 'do a Bond car' have descended, like the films themselves, into parody and product placement has run rampant.
Not all of the cars Bond has used have been upmarket - 2CVs, Renault 11s and three-wheeled Indian taxis have all featured - but recently, BMW has had the franchise. Would Ian Fleming have approved of his British agent driving a German car? I doubt it. Thankfully for traditionalists, Bond will be back in an Aston Martin, the forthcoming Vanquish, in the next film, due in 2002. Thank you, Mr. Ford.
