Sean Connery, the Scottish actor who became world famous for his portrayal of James Bond, passed away last weekend at the age of 90. Fans of the film series still praise the way he played 007. Of course, the Bond films are not complete without the right cars. Connery set the tone for this. In remembrance, these are the five most prominent cars with which he appeared on the silver screen as 007, starting of course with the most iconic Bond car ever.
1. Aston Martin DB5
This one was obvious, of course. When you think of James Bond, you think of the Aston Martin DB5. Connery drove the Aston in two movies: Goldfinger and Thunderball. The DB5 first appeared on the silver screen in Goldfinger. Of course, the stylish coupé was equipped with the necessary gadgets by Q, including machine guns, crow’s feet, an armored shield behind the rear window and an ejector seat. While filming Goldfinger, the above iconic photo was also taken at the Furka Pass in Switzerland, where Bond was chasing Auric Goldfinger’s Rolls-Royce Phantom III. Unfortunately, the DB5 does not do very well in Goldfinger: in the end the secret agent crashes the DB5 into a wall and his enemy has it.
2. Toyota 2000 GT Cabriolet
Strictly speaking, the 2000 GT was not James Bond’s own, but Aki, the Japanese lady who saved his life twice in the movie You Only Live Twice and later came to a tragic end. There was only one problem, because Connery did not fit in the dense 2000 GT. That is why the plan was initially conceived to turn it into a Targa. That turned out not to look very good on the screen, because the tall Scot was sticking his head above the roof. That’s why Toyota decided to make two convertibles especially for the film. The roof was really no longer present, because they did not bother to put a folding roof in the trunk of the 2000 GT. This version of the 2000 GT is an absolute rarity, but the dense 2000 GT is just as good with 351 units built. It should be no secret that there is a corresponding price tag attached to it.
3. Sunbeam Alpine Series II
Source: Internet Movie Cars Database
The DB5 was not James Bond’s car from the start. In fact, Goldfinger – the first film to feature the Aston Martin – was only the third Bond film in the series. In the very first movie, Dr. No from 1962, Connery was moving in a Sunbeam Alpine Series II. Of course it was a car produced in England. Dressed in a light blue paint, the Sunbeam was supposed to help 007 out of the fire when he was ambushed by Miss Taro, an enemy spy. He soon managed to shake off his pursuers, who ended up in the ravine due to an error of judgment. Incidentally, the Sunbeam was not very fast: the convertible had an 80 hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder in-line engine, with which it could accelerate to 100 km / h in 13.6 seconds and a top speed of just under 160 km / h. In the 1960s these were relatively good values.
4. Bentley ‘Mark IV’
Also in his second Bond film, From Russia With Love from 1963, Connery drove another English brand: Bentley. Only, there is no such thing as a ‘Bentley Mark IV. It is believed to be a figment of Ian Fleming, the writer from whose pen the character of James Bond originated. In the film, Connery drives a 1935 Bentley 3½ Liter Drophead Coupe built by Park Ward. At that time, Bentleys did not yet have a standard design, but the customer could choose a coachbuilder to design his car as desired. The car can be seen when 007 is having a picnic with his girlfriend and MI6 calls him over the car phone – very unusual in 1963 – to come to the office. That phone was the only gadget that could be found in the Bentley. In the movie Goldfinger, 007 asks Q where the Bentley is, but the mad scientist then replies that it has ‘had its day’, and then supplies Bond with the iconic Aston Martin DB5.
5. Ford Mustang Mach 1
After ‘You Only Live Twice’ Connery was done with James Bond for a while, but in 1971 he returned as the flamboyant secret agent in the movie Diamonds Are Forever. In Las Vegas, 007 drives Bondgirl Tiffany Case’s Mustang Mach 1 and must escape the local police force. Ultimately, Bond does this by driving into an alley on two wheels, after which he can calmly continue his way. The Mustang Mach 1 naturally differs from the rest of the list due to its American roots. In the film, Connery drives the last facelift of the first-generation Mustang, which was in production from 1971 to 1973. The Mustang grew considerably with this facelift and also gained around 363 kg. This made the Ford more of a GT than a sports car, a decision that enthusiasts of the model vehemently criticized. Fortunately, James Bond was able to make the car look good in the movie.