Land Rover Series III

Appears In
The Living Daylights, No Time To Die

On Film
A Land Rover Series III enjoys a scene in The Living Daylights (1987) during the pre-title sequence set in Gibraltar where an assassin kills 004 and bids to escape in a military vehicle. Bond intercepts and clings to the vehicle as the killer bids to escape. The scene culminates in the Series III driving off the mountainside, with Bond parachuting to safety. In No Time To Die (2021), Bond uses a Series III as his private vehicle in Jamaica, driving it to Kingston after realising that an intruder has been in his home. He suspects that this was his old friend Felix Leiter, a fact that is confirmed when he spots the CIA agent tailing him on his journey. The old friends meet and head for a drink (with fellow agent Logan Ash) and when Bond exits the bar he discovers that the Land Rover won’t start. He accepts a lift from Nomi (who is later revealed as the current 007).

The Vehicle
The Land Rover Series III launched in October 1971 and around 440,000 were built between 1971-1985. Design updates included flatter door hinges, a plastic grille and a full-width dashboard with optional fresh-air heater. Most models were powered by a 2.25-litre diesel engine, with a 3528cc V8 option released in 1979 with permanent four-wheel drive offered via a central differential lock. In 1983 the four-cylinder engines was boosted by an all-synchromesh, five-speed gearbox. The military Series III used in The Living Daylights has a canvas roof, full military khaki paintwork and an 88 inch wheel base. In No Time To Die, Bond drives a two-door 1977 off-road vehicle with a 4-speed manual transmission, 2.5-litre petrol engine. The blue open-top Land Rover is right hand drive, with custom grey plastic wheel arches and a bonnet-mounted spare wheel.

The Production
On The Living Daylights, Timothy Dalton, making his double-0 debut, impressed the crew by tackling much of the stunt work in the Land Rover scene himself. The Gibraltar scenes were filmed in September 1986 with stuntman Simon Crane doubling for Dalton in certain shots. Dalton’s insistence on doing his own stunts, specifically for the close-up shots, alarmed the producers who were well aware of the narrow roads and 1,300-foot drop, but the actor had the strength and courage to pull it off. The final stunt shots were filmed in the Mojave desert, California and Beachy Head on England’s Sussex coast. On No Time To Die, the first scenes shot with the Land Rover saw Bond drive from West Street into Port Antonio’s town square, which was filmed on 28 April, 2019. Later in May the Land Rover was filmed leaving Bond’s home and travelling past a live cricket match at Folly Oval.

Numberplates
The Living Daylights – 35KA42

No Time To Die – 733PFR