The Man With The Golden Gun And Moonraker Soundtracks Announced

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Remastered and expanded double CD editions of The Man with The Golden Gun and Moonraker’s scores will be released to celebrate their respective 50th and 45th anniversaries. Now available to pre-order, the John Barry soundtracks contain never before released music, using recordings from the EON and MGM archives. 

The Man With The Golden Gun’s 50th anniversary set features the score in chronological order on Disc 1, plus five never-before-released tracks including source music recorded for the film and an instrumental demo version of Lulu’s title track. Disc 2 presents the original 1974 soundtrack, newly assembled for this release.

Moonraker’s 45th anniversary package features previously unreleased music too, with thirteen additional tracks. CD1 is the film score in chronological order, plus eight extras such as source music and instrumentals. CD2 houses the original 1979 soundtrack, plus demo versions of the title track with early lyrics performed by Oscar and GRAMMY winner Paul Williams.

Both editions are limited to 5,000 units and include commemorative booklets written by Jon Burlingame. Pre-order now at 007Store.com.

Action Unit Photographer Jasin Boland

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“I’ve done some big films but nothing compares to James Bond,” says action stills photographer Jasin Boland. “The thing about Bond is just the awesome locations. I really love the snow in the mountains, that’s my happy place. Trudging around through there with all the equipment, that’s what I love to do.”

Capturing vibrant, dynamic images on Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die, Boland’s interest in photography began with creative attempts at skipping school in Australia. “We would put the red light on in the darkroom and go down to the beach to surf,” he says. After taking photos for his school and having served an apprenticeship in newspaper publishing, Boland gravitated to action photography, an interest inspired by his experience watching 007 films as a child. 

“I watched all the older Bond films with my dad,” Boland reveals. “The first film I went to see with just my buddies was Live And Let Die. I really remember that clearly. I swear that that is the reason why I got into action films to start with. I’ve now watched every James Bond film with my son.”

So, for Boland, what makes the perfect James Bond image?

“I was asked just the other day. ‘If you could go back and work on any film, what would it be?’, he says. “For me, it would be to go back and work on The Man With The Golden Gun and photograph that corkscrew jump. The perfect James Bond image is something that makes you stop and go, ‘Wow!’”

Below, Boland talks us through some of his ‘wow’ images from Spectre and No Time To Die…

SPECTRE (2015)

Having infiltrated a SPECTRE meeting in Rome, Bond (Daniel Craig) is discovered and makes a getaway in his newly stolen DB10, chased by the network’s top assassin Hinx (Dave Bautista) in a Jaguar C-X75. The pursuit takes in narrow alleyways and huge boulevards as Bond gets to grips with the new gadgetry.

ROAD TEST

“This shot was taken at over 100 miles an hour. The camera is on the actual camera crane mount and the boys will let me sit in the car, and fire my [camera] trigger. Sometimes if I can’t be in the vehicle, they will do it for me. But most of the time, I get the opportunity to do that. They might do 10 takes of it but I only get to do one run. You just don’t know what you’re gonna get but it’s better than sitting on the side of the road getting nothing. I really like this shot because it’s really weird. I didn’t really like it in the beginning. and then I looked at it five or six years later, and was like, ‘Oh, you know what? It’s actually pretty cool.’ What makes it the coolest is how you got it. It was a really tricky shot to pull off.”

JUMP STREET

“To get this shot I’m leaning out into the roadway. I’ve got a physical camera in my hands with a remote and a stunt guy, Frosty, behind me. He’s holding onto my Blackrapid Strap, which has a camera strap and other safety sash belt as well. He’s got hold of me there. And as the car has jumped, I’m firing the remote that is on the ground. I’m also firing my physical camera, and I’m holding that trigger down until I get pulled into the doorway into safety.

“When you are photographing action like that, anything can go wrong. But we are so well prepared with safety, it’s very unlikely for something to happen. I’ve already checked with safety. I’ve checked with stunts. I’ve checked with the first assistant director, and then I’ve told everyone where I’m going to be. Even if that car has bounced wrong, inertia carries it forward. So, by them pulling me out of the way, anything is just gonna fly past me. It could bounce off a wall, and then maybe fly in, but that’s completely unlikely.”

Leaving Rome, Bond heads to Altuassee in Austria to track down the mysterious Pale King aka Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), a Quantum operative. After White is exposed to thallium poisoning he takes his own life and Bond looks to find his daughter Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) who is taken hostage by Hinx. As Swann is spirited away in a convoy of cars, Bond tracks her in a Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander, smashing through an Alpine lodge to crash into a procession and rescue Madeleine.

PLANE SAILING

“This was really tricky. That shot is from a remote rig as well. I was actually in the window of a house straight in front of it. I had that camera on the ground — that’s where this shot is from — and then I had another camera on the left. Also, if you’re looking at it, you’ll see in the snow, there’s some square white boxes. That’s where the cine cameras were and I had another camera in there. But the one that worked is further in front.”

NO TIME TO DIE (2021)

No Time To Die’s pre-credit sequence sees Bond (Daniel Craig) and Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) travelling through the ancient hilltop town of Matera in Italy. Paying his respects at Vesper Lynd’s tomb, Bond is knocked off his feet by an explosion. Trying to make his way back to his hotel, 007 comes under attack from Safin (Rami Malek)’s operative Primo (Dali Benssalah). Following a bruising fight, Bond steals Primo’s Triumph Scrambler motorcycle, speeding up steps and jumping over walls in a race to get back to Madeleine.

EASY RIDER

“This is the easiest shot to do in the world. It’s all about patience and timing. I had minimal time to get into that position. I had a camera on the crane, I’m actually standing in front of the church in the doorway. So, I’m photographing it as he’s coming up the jump at the same time firing off the trigger. There’s a lot going on. I do actually love that shot but it was one of the easiest shots to pull off.”

HIGH FLYER

“In this one, he’s wearing a cranial helmet. It’s protection, but it’s not like wearing a full-face helmet. It’s so that they can do face replacement.”

POSTER 

“This was at the beginning of Bond going up the stairs for take off. He starts off sideways and comes into the shot. I knew that it was going to be really good. I knew it was going to be a powerful image, but I didn’t realise it was going to be the IMAX poster. It was actually my first James Bond poster. So I was pretty stoked. I was like ‘WHAT’S THIS? A JAMES BOND POSTER! NO WAY!’ It was pretty crazy.”

After returning to the hotel, Bond confronts Madeleine, believing she betrayed him to SPECTRE. Forcing her into his trusty Aston Martin DB5, the car is immediately pursued by Primo and his men. The chase comes to its climax when the Aston Martin is rammed by Primo’s Jaguar Land Rover, bringing it to an abrupt halt in a deserted town square. As black clad henchmen start hitting the bulletproof car with machine gun fire. Bond starts ‘donutting’ the car, spraying bullets 360 degrees from the headlamp machine guns and covering the square with a smokescreen.

DONUT DANGER

“I definitely had five cameras on it and obviously my physical camera as well. That was a lucky stroke because you have a very small window to set something up. Setting the camera up underneath the camera on the crane is a big ask. This one really came off. That’s one of my favourite shots of all time because it was super difficult to get really lucky. With these remote rigs, you’re shooting completely blind, so you’re having to just get timing and hope that you’re going to get something out of it. This was one that was one of those cases. When they come off, it’s really exciting.”

A QUICK GETAWAY

“This may actually be my favourite shot. Everyone who looks at it is just completely blown away. It was a really, really difficult shot to get. We set up in the beginning and it was just meant to be the car coming out of the donut. But then Alexander (Witt, Action Unit Director) was like, “No, let’s get it coming out of the donut and then flying off down the street.” We all set up our cameras, and then all of a sudden, everything in shot was too dangerous to be manned. I had to set up a complete remote rig within a minute. I’d set it up on a tripod on the ground, then there was nowhere to be except behind a big metal Church door. I am actually blind behind a church door with a remote holding it up as high as I possibly can hoping that I can get through these walls. All I could hear was, ‘We’re rolling! Action!’ There was a squeal of tyres and I’m pressing the button. This is actually framed on my wall in my house.”

Bond later learns from Blofeld that Madeleine didn’t betray him in Italy so tracks her down in Norway. Finding her with her daughter Mathilde (Lisa Dorah Sonnet), 007 fears for their safety and spirits them away in Madeleine’s old land cruiser. A chase ensues (with the Ardverikie Estate in Scotland standing in for rural Norway) with the land cruiser chased cross country by Logan Ash (Billy Magnusson) and his forces.

“A lot of the time with the remote rigs, you don’t get a usable shot. With the Land Rover Defender rolling towards the camera, it hit the camera and knocked it over. But, it’s all about how you set your cameras up so that they don’t get damaged. I set them up so that when they get hit, they just fall over. Or I have a camera mount which is flat bottomed and, if it gets hit, it just slides, so you’re unlikely to do a lot of damage.”

LOCH AND LOAD

“On No Time To Die, when the car is flying off towards the loch I’m actually down next to the wall on top of a big rock. Now, the rock isn’t so big that if I fall off, I’m going to hurt myself. But the rock is big enough that I can jump down behind it. It was too dangerous to have two of us there so I’m on my own and using my judgement.”

YOU’LL BELIEVE A CAR CAN FLY

“Everyone that sees this shot just goes, ‘I want to hear classical music whenever I see that image’. This floating car and you just want to hear some Beethoven or Mozart or something.”

The 007 At Burlington Arcade

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In homage to the 1964 classic film, Goldfinger, the prestigious Burlington Arcade in Mayfair created a unique 007 experience – The 007.

The 007 featured two exclusively designed bars, which were open from 18 September until 31 December 2024, where fans could enjoy a dash of 007 with signature cocktails specially created in partnership with Belvedere, Blackwell Rum, Champagne Bollinger and The Macallan and they could seek out iconic movie props including Oddjob’s hat, a Fort Knox gold bar, Goldfinger’s golf shoes and the spyhole clock from his private plane, never before exhibited.

The first floor featured a unique 007 boutique offering collaborations and collectibles to purchase, including a range of Burlington Arcade exclusive pieces.

There was also a silent auction for a limited number of The Macallan’s highly collectible 60th Anniversary Decades whisky sets, which raised funds for Into Film’s Every Child A Film-maker Campaign.

Burlington Arcade is a landmark retail destination in the heart of London’s Mayfair. 007 brands have been in the Arcade since 1936, these include the longest trading retailer N.Peal, Crockett and Jones, Globe-Trotter, and The Royal Mint. Other 007 partners positioned in close proximity to Burlington Arcade are Orlebar Brown, BOGNER, Assouline, and Lock & Co Hatters.

“Anyone want to play poker now?”

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New poker and backgammon sets have joined Globe-Trotter’s 007 collection of travel accessories. The new games are designed for life on the move, presented in signature blue and grey cases, inspired by attaché case design. 

The sets celebrate some of Bond’s most iconic, high-stakes moments. From Octopussy, where 007 matches Kamal Khan and his ‘lucky’ trick dice in a game of backgammon with a Fabergé egg, to Casino Royale’s memorable game of Texas hold’em poker hosted by Le Chiffre.

James Bond’s history with the games even goes behind the scenes of the films. Producer Cubby Broccoli and Roger Moore played backgammon between shooting on the sets throughout his time playing 007. On location in Greece for For Your Eyes Only, the pair played for high stakes throughout the shoot, but somehow came out almost even by the last day. “We used to play during all the breaks from shooting and the directors always had a terrible job getting me back into the set when we were in the middle of a game. If Cubby was winning, he absolutely would not let me go.” – Sir Roger Moore.

On Casino Royale, Producer Michael G. Wilson hosted poker sessions with the cast and crew to help the writers develop an end to Le Chiffre’s card game. Neal Purvis took inspiration from one of these sessions when he lost to the same hand Bond held on screen.

“The card game was probably the most difficult scene I’ve ever had to film,” Director Martin Campbell recalled. “It’s one thing to shoot a game of chemin de fer or 21, that’s very simple. When you’re playing Texas hold’em poker with ten players around a table, that’s tough because it’s a more complex game and with ten players all looking at each other. It’s very tricky to film.”

Globe-Trotter’s new poker set includes a set of five dice, poker chips, a dealer counter and a pack of one-of-a-kind Elephant John playing cards. The set is finished with a branded metal plaque and signature 007 engraving.

The backgammon set features a leather board, and separate compartments for the dice, counters and shakers. The counters are in mother of pearl finish while the shakers have been crafted from high quality leather. 

Both sets are now available at 007Store.com.

Spotlight On Blofeld

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The founder and leader of criminal organisation SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion), Ernst Stavro Blofeld has been Bond’s chief antagonist across the 007 films, played by different actors but united by the same sinister qualities: ruthlessness, piercing intelligence, a way with words and the ability to mastermind the most ambitious, devilish schemes. 

Referred to only as Number One, Blofeld’s first appearance came in From Russia With Love, plotting revenge on board his luxury yacht for the death of Dr. No. Played by Anthony Dawson (the voice came courtesy of Eric Pohlmann), his face is never seen but he is glimpsed stroking a white Persian cat, soon to become a trademark of the character. Absent from Goldfinger, the character returned in Thunderball, this time hidden behind shutters and glass as he chairs a meeting of Spectre’s top executives, two of which he ruthlessly electrocutes.

You Only Live Twice featured the character’s first fully visual appearance. At producer Harry Saltzman’s suggestion, Jan Werich, a highly regarded Czech actor, was cast but director Lewis Gilbert had reservations. The role was recast with English actor Donald Pleasence.

When Blofeld returned in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service it was in the guise of actor Telly Savalas. “I found him a joy to work with,” recalled director Peter Hunt. 

Blofeld’s plan is to contaminate and sterilise the world’s food supply using biological warfare, carried by his brainwashed Angels Of Death from his snowy hideaway in Piz Gloria. When Bond (George Lazenby) thwarts Blofeld’s scheme, he takes revenge by instructing Irma Bunt (Ilse Steppat) to assassinate Bond’s new wife Tracy (Diana Rigg), leaving the secret agent bereft. 

With a vengeful 007 on his trail, in Diamonds Are Forever, Blofeld creates decoys of himself, building an orbital satellite weapon encrusted with diamonds in order to blackmail the world’s government, offering nuclear supremacy to the highest bidder. This time, Blofeld was played by Charles Gray who also played British intelligence operative Dikko Henderson in You Only Live Twice. 

Blofeld was reintroduced in Daniel Craig’s fourth film Spectre. “That clarified everything in terms of what the story might be, how it might personally connect to Bond in some way,” said Spectre screenwriter John Logan. “The idea that Blofeld has been orchestrating all these Daniel Craig stories for a particular end was very exciting.”

Taking his cue from Fleming, Logan initially conceived Blofeld as an arms dealer operating out of Africa, tying into real life events in Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. Other ideas included using the Japanese volcano from You Only Live Twice as a call-back to Blofeld’s penchant for secret bases.

The story evolved to explore the interpersonal connection between Bond and Blofeld. In the short story Octopussy, Bond refers to a man called Oberhauser who taught him how to ski and became a “father figure”. Spectre’s story saw the orphaned Bond – referring back to events in Skyfall – sent to Austria to live with Oberhauser and his son Franz. Bond becomes the golden boy that fosters a deep-rooted hatred in Franz. Franz kills his father, fakes his own death and reinvents himself as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, hellbent on destroying 007 for all the anguish he inflicted on him as a child.

“I thought that was a really cool idea that both unlocked a section of Bond’s past but also linked him to all the various sources of his pain, as Blofeld puts it,” said director Sam Mendes, the events of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall now revealed to be part of Blofeld’s masterplan.

To play Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Mendes cast Christoph Waltz, best known for playing intelligent villainous roles for Quentin Tarantino in Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained, both of which won him Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor.

“We were trying to find somebody who was the right age, the right look”, says Mendes. “I like very much that moment in Rome when Bond first sees him from behind and feels like he recognised him and Blofeld senses someone looking at him and kind of twitches. That sense of I know who this person is. That was something I was trying to construct, a figure who has known Bond for years and observed him from afar and been behind everything which, for me, is the nature of the supervillain, someone who is really pulling the strings.”

As the leader of SPECTRE, Blofeld is creating and manipulating global surveillance alliance the Nine Eyes programme as a means of accessing high level intelligence. As Bond’s foster brother, Blofeld is determined to inflict maximum agony, torturing Bond at his Saharan Crater Facility by drilling into his brain – 007 escapes via his explosive wristwatch – and then by attempting to blow him up in the ruins of the SIS building.

In No Time To Die, Blofeld is incarcerated in Belmarsh prison but still manages to control SPECTRE via a hi-tech ocular implant. Following the assassination of every SPECTRE operative by Safin (Rami Malek), Blofeld became the sole remaining member of the organisation and Bond is sent to interrogate him in his cell.

“We struggled with that scene,” recalled Daniel Craig. “I wanted it to get very personal very quickly and I wanted them to talk to each other like brothers. I had a rush of inspiration one night and – pretty badly – wrote an outline and gave it to Phoebe [Waller-Bridge]. I think I’ve got pretty good ideas. My writing is not good, it’s okay but on No Time To Die I could write things down, then sit with Phoebe and she improved it no end.”

The finished scene culminates with Blofeld revealing he was behind the assassination attempt at Vesper Lynd (Eva Green)’s grave, framing it as a betrayal by Bond’s partner Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux). An enraged Bond strangles Blofeld only to pull back but unwittingly infecting the criminal mastermind with deadly nanobots that spread a killer virus with the slightest touch. 

The death of Blofeld in No Time To Die is the culmination of a seven film series that charts a thrilling game of cat and mouse between two well matched opponents. As Spectre screenwriter John Logan once said: “Like Holmes needs his Moriarty, Bond needs his Blofeld.” In becoming Bond’s arch-enemy, the enigmatic, Machiavellian nemesis has cemented his place as one of the great villains in movie history.

Day Of The Dead At Burlington Arcade

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Join us to celebrate Day of the Dead at The 007, Burlington Arcade on Thursday 31 October through Saturday 2 November. 

Brought to life in Spectre’s epic opening sequence, the Day of the Dead festival makes its way from the heart of Mexico City to London’s Mayfair with special activities and surprises over all three floors of The 007. 

Feast on spicy Day of the Dead cocktails and delicious Mexican snacks at the bar, served by staff wearing authentic costumes and accessories from the EON archive. See original handmade props from the parade scene, and head upstairs to the 007 Boutique to find an exclusive Dia de Muertos 2024 collectors poster, available from Thursday to Saturday.  

The 007 Bar & Boutique, 12-13 Burlington Arcade, 51 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London, W1J 0QJ.

Rolls-Royce’s Phantom Goldfinger Is Revealed

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Rolls-Royce have unveiled their one-of-one Phantom Goldfinger, inspired by Auric Goldfinger’s Phantom III Sedanca de Ville from the 1964 film.

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of the third James Bond adventure, Goldfinger’s iconography and plot are explored within the motor car through a range of bespoke features.

The striking two-tone design has been colour-matched to the original Phantom used in the film, while The Spirit of Ecstasy at the prow of Phantom Goldfinger has a unique finish which  is a subtle reference to the film’s gold-smuggling story.

Considered elements within the interior include a hidden vault containing a solid 18-carat ‘Speedform’ gold bar and a gold-plated putter encased in the boot, in homage to Bond’s first encounter with Goldfinger during a round of golf at Stoke Park. The inside of the glovebox is debossed with Goldfinger’s iconic quote: “This is Gold, Mr Bond. All my life, I have been in love with its colour, its brilliance, its divine heaviness.”

The internal centrepiece is a hand-drawn, stainless steel artwork in the Phantom’s gallery depicting an isoline map of the contours of Switzerland’s Furka Pass, the legendary road pivotal to the plot.

 

 

007 x Fabergé Designs Announced

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Two new Fabergé creations have been revealed, celebrating the worlds of Goldfinger and Octopussy. 

The Goldfinger Egg Safe Locket takes inspiration from the Fort Knox gold depository in the 1964 film. Handcrafted in 18k yellow gold, the egg-shaped pendant opens to reveal a responsibly mined heart-shaped ruby dripping with gold. The locket’s opening mechanism is a world first for the luxury jeweller.

The Octopussy Ring is a statement design crafted from 18k gold, detailed with white diamond suckers and tentacles wrapping the finger, while inside the band is a hidden ruby, known only to the wearer. This is the third item in the Octopussy capsule collection, joining the Octopussy Egg Surprise Locket, and Octopussy Egg Objet – read more about these pieces here.

Discover the full 007 x Fabergé range at The 007 Boutique, Burlington Arcade, Mayfair, London, W1J 0QJ and at 007Store.com.

Aston Martin’s DB12 Goldfinger Edition

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Aston Martin have revealed their new DB12 Goldfinger Edition.

Commemorating the third film’s 60th anniversary, the first to feature an Aston Martin, the DB12 Goldfinger Edition is limited to just 60 cars and celebrates the long-standing partnership between the luxury car manufacturer and 007. 

Designed by Q by Aston Martin, the marque’s bespoke personalisation service, the DB12 Goldfinger Edition, incorporates subtle touches from Goldfinger, including its iconic Silver Birch paint colour presentation, striking 21” multi-spoke wheels with a diamond treatment finish, bespoke gold side strakes, and 18k Gold Plated interior accents.

The cars also feature a Prince of Wales check perforation pattern, a nod to a classic Bond suit, with this pattern mirrored on the door inserts, headliner and a unique etched treadplate. The car is crowned with a bright chrome ‘Q’ fender badge, emblazoned with a unique Aston Martin logo in silver with a black enamel, and adorned with a Goldfinger 60th logo plaque.

Goldfinger celebrated its 60th anniversary on 17 September, with commemorations extending until the end of 2024. Aston Martin previously hosted The House of Q pop-up at Mayfair’s Burlington Arcade to mark the 60th earlier this summer, a space that has now been transformed into The 007 bar and boutique which also takes inspiration from Sean Connery’s third adventure as James Bond (open until 31 December).

James Bond Style Book By Assouline

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After the success of the James Bond Destinations book, Assouline has launched James Bond Style, a large format coffee table book with never-before-seen sketches and detailed fashion analysis.

Throughout the 328 pages, James Bond Style takes readers through 25 films and over 60 years worth of costume design, for not just 007 himself, but also his nemeses, love interests, and colleagues. James Bond Style includes direction and insight from Academy-Award winner and five-time 007 costume designer Lindy Hemming.

The book includes an introduction from the editor-in-chief of the London Standard newspaper, Dylan Jones, and features stories and insights from the designers behind many of the outfits, from Donatella Versace, Tom Ford, and Jenny Packham.

James Bond Style is available now in hardback at 007Store.com priced at £100.

007’s Car Gadgets

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Over the course of twenty-five films, James Bond has been behind the wheel of some of the fastest and stylish cars in the history of big screen driving. From small accouterments — the ability to drop tacks to slow a pursuer down — or huge transformations — turning a road vehicle into a submarine — the Q’s car gadgets of 007 have saved Bond in a crisis on numerous occasions, becoming a constant source of delight for audiences since 1964’s Goldfinger.  

Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger (1964)

Expected to be reunited with his trusted Bentley, Bond (Sean Connery) is surprised to be gifted an Aston Martin DB5 by Q (Desmond Llewelyn) boasting a plethora of hidden extras. The idea of an Aston Martin full of gizmos appeared in Ian Fleming’s novel but was souped up by production designer Ken Adam. “I had a Jaguar which was continuously being damaged by people parking badly,” he recalled. “Having guns at the back of the Aston Martin and the overriders becoming like boxing gloves and so on became part of me releasing my frustrations.”

Q Fact: Front mounted machine guns hidden behind the indicator lights; revolving licence plates valid for England, France and Switzerland (this idea came from director Guy Hamilton who fantasised about escaping parking tickets); a high-powered oil jet; rear smoke screen; revolving tyre slasher; onboard radar display; a weapons panel in the centre armrest; and, most famously of all, an ejector seat operated by a button hidden in the knob of the gear stick – in Skyfall, Bond threatens to use it on M (Judi Dench).

Aston Martin DB5 in Thunderball (1965)

A star after Goldfinger, the Aston Martin DB5 returned for Bond’s fourth outing. The car plays a pivotal role in an escape from Jacques Boitier’s chateau and a high velocity chase with Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi).

Q Fact: The hero gadget on display is a water cannon concealed in the rear of the car that keeps the pursuing henchmen at bay.

Aston Martin DBS in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

A new Bond (George Lazenby) gets a new car that plays a prominent part in the beginning of the film (Bond rescuing Tracy) and its tragic finale. The car is seen being repaired in Q’s workshop in Diamonds Are Forever.

Q Fact: A telescopic rifle built into the glove department.

Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Known as ‘Wet Nellie’, an underwater counterpart to Q’s gyrocopter ‘Little Nellie’, the Lotus Esprit spirits Bond (Roger Moore) and Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) away from Stromberg’s henchman, turning into a speedy submarine at the flick of a switch. “The Lotus Esprit lent itself beautifully with that very streamlined body to work as a submarine,” says production designer Ken Adam. Although the car jumped off a jetty in Sardinia, the underwater Lotus was shot in the clearer waters of the Bahamas. “It was quite amusing because a couple of times we were filming underwater, we nearly got run over by the motorised Lotus,” recalled special effects designer Derek Meddings.

Q Fact: On the road, the car unleashes cannons from behind the number plate that spray cement on the windscreens of chasing vehicles. Beneath the sea, the wheel arches transform into fins and propellers extend from the back. Bond navigates via a small periscope and uses front mounted rockets, limpet mines and radar guided surface to air missiles to see off assailants. None of this surprises Russian spy Anya — she had previously stolen blueprints for the car.

Lotus Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only (1981)

After a break in Moonraker, the Lotus Esprit returned in Roger Moore’s third outing. A film that dialed back on the hardware, the Lotus still had an explosive gizmo in its arsenal.

Q Fact: As Cuban hitman Gonzales’ goons attempt to break into the stationary Lotus, smashing the window activates an explosive device that blows the thugs into oblivion. Perhaps they should have paid attention to the ‘Burglar Protected’ sticker. 

Aston Martin V8 in The Living Daylights (1987)

“We had changed Bond’s car over the years but we thought that as we were introducing a new Bond, we’d bring back the classic Aston Martin, a real bonus for many Bond fans,” said co-writer and producer Michael. G. Wilson. Picking up with musician Kara Milovy (Maryam d’Abo), 007 (Timothy Dalton) employs the car’s breadth of gadgetry to evade the KGB and Czech police, before sliding into Austria on a cello case.

Q Fact: Laser beam tyre slashers (an upgrade on Goldfinger) that remove a police car from its axle; retractable skis and spiked tyres; a police band radio; bullet proof windows; rockets behind the fog lights (the missile display is on the front windscreen); and a rocket booster that allows Bond to jump over a blockade. Like the For Your Eyes Only’s Lotus, the V8 also has the capacity to self-destruct to avoid falling into enemy hands.  

Aston Martin DB5 in GoldenEye (1995)

The DB5 made a triumphant return, with Bond playing a thrilling cat and mouse chase with Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), then pulling up in true 007 style outside a Monte Carlo casino.

Q Fact: Q’s gadgetry here is perhaps best described as practical. A fax machine in the dashboard and a cellular voice communication system. There is also a refrigerated compartment for a chilled bottle of Bollinger.

BMW 750IL in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

The BMW 750IL might be the most gadget laden car in the series’ history, coming into its own when Bond has to escape from a German car park in the Atlantic hotel.

Q Fact: Rockets that come out of the sun roof; tyres that re-inflate themselves; a chain cutter that emerges from the bonnet; bullet-proof glass and bodywork; an electronic defence system that emits a 20,000 volt shock; magnetic flash grenades; a tear gas mechanism; a metal spike dispenser; and a safe concealed in the glove compartment.

But the most impressive state of art technology is the ability to drive the BMW with a remote control from an Ericsson cell phone, allowing Bond to steer it from the comfort and safety of the back seat. “We had 17 BMW 750ILs in aspic silver”, said special effects technician Chris Corbould. “Four were adapted to what is called ‘Hidden Driver Car’ to give the effect that Bond is using the remote control.”

BMW Z8 in The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Given an introduction to the car by Q’s assistant (John Cleese), the Z8 transports Bond from the oil pipeline in Azerbaijan to a caviar factory on the Caspian Sea where it meets a sticky demise.

Q Fact: A remote control keychain allowing 007 the ability to start the engine from a distance and two masked ground-to-air missiles. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the arsenal to stop it being cut in half by a rotating blade dangling from a helicopter.

 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish in Die Another Day (2002)

Playfully nicknamed the Vanish by Q because of its adaptive camouflage mode that made it practically invisible.

“When we suggested it originally, we weren’t sure anyone would go for it,” said screenwriter Robert Wade. “The idea is that in Iceland or in the desert, when there’s not much contrast in the background, it’s invisible but in an urban environment, you’d be able to see it.” Co-writer Neal Purvis added, “Q says, ‘It’s as good as invisible’. It’s a camouflage, not a cloaking device.”

Q Fact: Beyond invisibility, the car also featured thermal imaging (dispensed from the CD player); target seeking shotguns; machine guns; and torpedoes that come in handy when Bond is chased across a frozen lake in Iceland by General Zao (Rick Yune). Bond also niftily deploys the ejector seat to flip the car the right way up when it is skidding along on its roof. Spiked wheels also allow 007 to stick to a cavern wall to avoid Zao’s charging Jaguar.

Aston Martin DB5 in Casino Royale (2006)

M sends alias passports, a weapon and Q’s newest Aston Martin DB5 to Bond in Montenegro. The car comes to a spectacular demise in pursuit of Le Chiffre, flipping seven times after swerving. The stunt achieved a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls in a car, performed by stuntman Adam Kirley at Millbrook Proving Ground, Milton Keynes.

Q Fact: A secret compartment housing Bond’s Walther PPK plus a small defibrillator and medical kit that, in a tense few moments, saves 007’s life after being drugged in Casino Royale.

Aston Martin DB10 in Spectre (2015)

Specifically developed by Aston Martin who created ten cars for the film, the DB10 was reassigned from 007 to 009 due to Bond’s unsanctioned mission in Mexico. Bond steals the car and heads to Rome on the trail of The Pale King and is pursued in a high-speed chase by Hinx (Dave Bautista) in a Jaguar C-X75. But, new to the car, Bond has to escape Hinx while negotiating an unknown set of gadgets.

Q Fact: Rear machine guns operated by the BACKFIRE button and a rear windscreen targeting device — only to discover the car has no ammunition. The EXHAUST button unleashes rear flamethrowers that slow down Hinx’s progress while an AIR button initiates a combined ejector seat and parachute that lifts Bond to safety as the car soars into the river. But perhaps most surprising is the ATMOSPHERE switch which plays a pre-loaded playlist for 009 so in the heat of the chase, Bond is faced with the opening strains of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York.

Aston Martin DB5 (2021) in No Time To Die

For Daniel Craig’s final outing, Bond was reunited with the classic Aston Martin DB5, speeding with Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) through the hilltop town of Matera, before being cornered in an ancient town square.

Q Fact: The DB5’s gadgetry has come a long way since Bond’s first Aston Martin in 1964. Among the updates are LED screen revolving number plates; mini mines that scatter from the boot; and thousand-round-a-minute guns behind the headlights. “I was very keen to have a big end moment,” says production special effects supervisor Chris Corbould. “So we came up with the idea of donutting around, spraying bullets 360 degrees, shredding walls and buildings. Bond hits the smokescreen and it completely fills the square in seconds, which gives him the opportunity to get away.”

007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond at Chicago’s Griffin Museum of Science and Industry is open until 27 October 2024.

Bond In Motion at the International Spy Museum is open until April 2025.

007 Action launches in Vienna on September 7th 2024 at METAstadt Convention Centre.

James Bond Day 2024

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Happy James Bond Day! 5 October marks the annual celebration of cinema’s most beloved MI6 agent.

When our original James Bond, Sean Connery, made his legendary entrance at the casino table, introducing himself to Sylvia Trench (Eunice Gayson) as Bond, James Bond,” a new screen icon was introduced. His gritty portrayal of the charismatic secret agent is, without a doubt, a key factor of the success of the film series, along with an intoxicating mix of cast, great story arc, exotic locations, and magical music. The success of Dr. No began a new genre of filmmaking for cinema audiences worldwide.

                                                                                         – Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli

Beginning in 2012, during the franchise’s 50th anniversary, 5 October was selected as the celebration day marking the UK premiere of Dr. No in 1962. The golden commemorations included the release of Skyfall, and the creation of the insider documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007, now available to watch on Prime Video.

For the month of October, all 25 movies will also be available to stream on the platform alongside 2022’s 60th anniversary documentary The Sound of 007, which chronicles the films’ legendary soundtracks and iconic James Bond themes.

New for 2024 on Prime Video will be four mini-documentaries: 007 Destinations, 007 Action: With Chris Corbould, 007 Design and 007 DB5: Celebrating 60 Years. 

There is also a unique 007 experience this year for fans to enjoy at Burlington Arcade, Mayfair. The 007, is a brand new bar and boutique featuring signature cocktails, curated Goldfinger archive props and exclusive collectibles to purchase. Special activations will be happening across the weekend to celebrate James Bond Day. The 007 will be open until 31 December 2024.