#10 Sunbeam Alpine Series II (Dr. No, 1962)
James Bond's first car was the modest, British made Sunbeam Alpine, in a light lake blue. Bond rented the convertible in Jamaica to drive to the mountain apartment of Miss Taro, the principal secretary of Jamaica, who doubled as a spy for villain Dr. No. Although starting out as a leisurely sunny drive, Bond is soon chased by The Three Blind Mice in a hearse. He avoids their tail with style, by driving under a crane that is blocking the road. The hearse is too tall to fit under, and ends up swerving off the mountain to it's fiery demise.
We've included the Sunbeam at number 10, because of its understated modesty, the iconic chase, and the fact that it was James Bond's first car. The Alpine was supposedly borrowed from a local on the Island, to avoid the cost of importing their own.
#9 Lotus Espirit Turbo (For Your Eyes Only, 1981)
Lotus isn't the first car manufacturer most people would associate with James Bond, as only three of their models have appeared in the series. But, whenever Bond has gotten behind one of their wheels, the Lotus has been the highlight of the film's selection of vehicles.
Appearing in For Your Eyes Only, Bond drives the burgundy Espirit Turbo to a ski resort in the North of Italy. A similar model with a white paint job had appeared earlier in the film, but had exploded when its anti-theft system had been set off. The joke being that Q had had to rebuild the Lotus entirely from scratch. The iconic image of the beautiful car with Bond's skis on the roof puts the Lotus at number 9.
#8 Aston Martin DBS (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969)
Introduced in 1967, the Aston Martin DBS series only lasted five years. However, the same design lived on with the Vantage, the V8, and the V8 Vantage until 1989. At 22 years, the iconic design was used for longer than the DB1-DB6 series designs.
George Lazenby, Sean Connery's temporary replacement, was introduced in On Her Majesty's Secret Service driving the DBS, in a scene very reminiscent of the opening minutes of The Italian Job, released earlier in the same year. Lazenby is driving along a winding Portugal road, his face hidden by shadows and cigarette smoke, in quite an artistic sequence. The Aston features prominently throughout the film, including in a chase through a car rally, a winter storm and the final moments where Bond's wife is shot through its windshield.
#7 Citroen 2CV (For Your Eyes Only, 1981)
We just had to include the bright yellow Citroen 2CV, pictured left flying over the enemy car that was trying to chase them. It was a beat up, unreliable old banger, but the producers still managed to churn out a fast paced, light humoured chase sequence through a Spanish olive plantation. The actual car was fit with a more powerful engine so that it could keep ahead of the Peugeot 504s that were chasing it.
The car itself isn't too interesting, and certainly not something Bond would go out of his way to drive. But the chase has proved to be very popular, with the Corgi model car being one of their best sellers. Citroen even made a special 007 edition of the real car, with a large 007 logo and fake bullet hole stickers on. But in that case, I think the joke was on the customers! The 2CV probably had the cheapeast car insurance of any Bond car.
#6 Toyota 2000 GT (You Only Live Twice, 1967)
The Toyota 2000 GT has been called the first Japanese supercar, and has been praised as being extremely enjoyable to drive. It was therefore wholly suitable for 1967's You Only Live Twice, which was set in Japan, and driven by daring Bond girl Aki.
Just over 300 of the GTs were made, and they weren't convertibles. The soft-top version shown in You Only Live Twice was one of two produced specifically for the film. Even then, they weren't true convertibles, as they had no roofs, just the upholstery at the back to make it look like they did. It is rumoured that the special editions were made because Sean Connery was too tall to fit in the original.
#5 Aston Martin V8 Vantage (The Living Daylights, 1987)
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage that Timothy Dalton drove inThe Living Daylights was an absolute beauty. It was the last of the generation of Astons that were based on the original DBS design, and it had been perfected. The smooth, shiny gun metal finish, the elegant curves, and the gadgets packed in by Q, make this car a modern classic.
The optional extras, as Q jested, included spiked tyres for added traction, retractable skis, steel cutting lasers and land to land missiles. The gadget dashboard even included gadgets that weren't used. This is one of the classic Bond cars, with an interesting array of gadgets that fit well into the action.
#4 Aston Martin DBS V12 (Casino Royale, 2006)
Casino Royale was a reboot of the Bond series, going back to its roots. The story was one of the major refactors, but the film also came with a fresh James Bond, acclaimed director Martin Campbell (who had previously directed Goldeneye), and a general removal of the more ridiculous elements of some of the prior films.
Another welcomed change was the latest Aston Martin, the DBS V12, that would also return for Quantum Of Solace. The car didn't have the usual array of gadgets, having only a modest few secret compartments for Bond's gun and a defibrillator. A big change over previous Aston Martins is that it's not only beautiful on the outside, it also has a great interior.
#3 Ford Mustang Mach 1 (Diamonds Are Forever, 1971)
The Ford Mustang is an iconic car outside of the Bond series. But it was actually James Bond that first introduced the car to film. Tilly Masterson drove one in Goldfinger in 1964, in the swiss alps. The car is probably most widely known from its appearance in Bullitt, the 1968 film staring Steve McQueen, featuring an almost 10 minute car chase around San Francisco's hilly streets.
The Mustang shot to the forefront in Diamonds Are Forever, as Bond evaded the police in a chase through the streets of Las Vegas. After some modest, but impressive manoeuvres, Bond takes a wrong turn down a dead-end street, with a police car right behind him. With only a thin alleyway ahead, Bond drives up a ramp and puts the car on two wheels, driving right through.
#2 Lotus Espirit (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977)
Now this is what Bond cars are all about, and it's about the best you can do without being an Aston Martin. Chased by a motorbike, cars, a helicopter, and underwater enemies as it turned into a submarine! It sounds cheesy, but it was done with class. The mechanical dashboard beautifully transformed, to reveal submarine instruments and dials, and the underwater scene was the most exciting sinceThunderball.
On top of that, Barbara Bach was in the passenger seat. What more could you ask for? They even managed to fit a joke in, as the car emerged from the sea on to a busy beach, Bond opens the window and throws a fish out.
#1 Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger, 1964)
Well, what could we say. Cars have long been beautiful additions to films, but the Aston Martin DB5 was more than a sideline. Introduced by Q in one of his most memorable scenes, the gadgets were revealed up front, so that the viewers knew exactly what was coming--but they didn't know when. The DB5 is truly iconic, it's the first car that comes to anyone's mind when thinking of James Bond.
Goldfinger made the Aston Martin name what it is today. Aston Martin is James Bond's car. The DB5 gadgets, the night chase through the backlots of pinewood studios, the ejector seat, the Corgi toy model. The DB5 returned for Thunderball, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies and Casino Royale.
