James Bond's cars are almost as iconic as the actors who play him, and while he's best known for driving Aston Martins, he's driven many other models throughout the franchise's nearly sixty-year history. Usually these cars are sleek, sophisticated, and expensive. Oftentimes, when issued as part of his official business, they come equipped with gadgets tailor-made to the character's unusual line of work, like complex missile systems or self-detonation contingency plans. Sometimes they're unremarkable daily drivers he steals in the heat of the moment.
Regardless, cars are an integral aspect of the James Bond universe. They offer a glimpse into what was already on the road - and what was being pushed onto the market - at the time of a given film's release. Product placement deals and a necessary allegiance to Britain's extensive array of auto manufacturers dictate some of these choices, but many seem to have been chosen for their looks and status alone.
The most celebrated Bond cars have been and/or destroyed throughout his career.
1961 Sunbeam Alpine
The first film in the series, 1962's Dr. No, has Bond-originator Sean Connery in an open-top 1961 Sunbeam Alpine. This appearance marks the first time we see Bond driving a car himself, as opposed to riding in a chauffeur-driven vehicle. The Alpine series used for the film was the part of the first generation of mass-produced cars the coach-builder made, so Bond's being behind the wheel referenced this car's significance for the Sunbeam line.
1935 Bentley Mark IV
One year later, in 1963's From Russia With Love, Connery's Bond can be seen using the car phone in a 1935 Bentley Mark IV. The car doesn't appear again but gets mentioned in Goldfinger, when Q tells him the car has seen better days before issuing him an Aston Martin DB5.
1965 Lincoln Continental
In 1965's Thunderball, Bond rents a 1965 Lincoln Continental in the Bahamas. While the previous model year Continental makes an appearance in Goldfinger, we don't see Bond himself driving one until this movie. A far cry from the slick, small sports cars we're accustomed to seeing him drive, the Continental nonetheless did its job, and its famous suicide doors certainly popped on-screen.
1967 Toyota 2000GT
You Only Live Twice, released in 1967, saw Connery's Bond behind the wheel of history in the making. The Toyota 2000GT was a milestone in automotive design and completely changed the international market's view of Japanese automakers. The car's appearance in the film was a bit of a logistical feat, as only a few pre-production concept vehicles had been made at the time of the film's production, and Toyota had only planned to produce hardtops. According to Supercar Nostalgia, franchise producer Albert Broccoli engineered the car's appearance after he glimpsed a GT at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1965. Toyota was enthusiastic about the collaboration but Sean Connery's size prohibited him from fitting in the car comfortably. To accommodate the actor, Toyota manufactured a single roadster - the only factory-produced open-top edition of the GT ever made.
1971 Ford Galaxie 500
Even spies need practical cars sometimes. In 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery once again returned to his classic role and can be briefly seen driving a rented Ford Galaxie 500. Unflattering yet inconspicuous, the large family sedan's appearance in the film was the result of a product placement deal with Ford, which likely also contributed to the appearance of a Mustang Mach 1 in the same film.
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
The Mustang Mach 1 was a high-performance variant of the standard Mustang, first introduced in 1969 and given a facelift for 1971. As if the muscly fastback needed to impress anymore than it already does, the Mach 1 was used in a hair-raising stunt for the film in which Bond, fleeing some cops, drove the car on two wheels down a narrow age between two buildings.
1970 Triumph Stag
As a counterpoint to the two Fords in Diamonds Are Forever, Bond drives a 1970 Triumph Stag from England to Amsterdam. The car really belongs to a diamond smuggler named Peter Franks, but Bond briefly pretends to be Franks following his arrest and uses the car to complete the image.
1963 Chevrolet Impala
1973's Live and Let Die was the first Bond film to star Roger Moore. Early in the film he pairs up with CIA Agent Rosie Carver, and the two rent a 1963 Impala convertible to drive to dictator Dr. Kanaga's compound.
1974 AMC Hornet
Detroit automaker AMC constitutes an important chapter in the history of American car manufacturing, producing a number of stylistically significant vehicles in its heyday between the 1950s and 1970s before the company was essentially scrapped for parts to Renault and Chrysler over the course of the 1980s. At the height of AMC's success they struck a product placement deal with the Bond franchise, which resulted in Moore's Bond stumbling on an AMC dealership in Bangkok. Bond steals an AMC Hornet and a fully-sponsored chase ensues when Bond takes off after Francisco Scaramanga, the film's villain, in an AMC Matador Coupe. Bond demonstrated the alleged performance capabilities of the Hornet by spiral-rolling across a river using a damaged bridge as a ramp before abandoning the car later in the film.
1976 Lotus Esprit S1
It may not be an Aston, but Bond reaffirmed his preference for British carmakers in 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me when he turned a 1976 Lotus Esprit into a submarine. The car already looked like something from the future, and while its amphibious capabilities were pure fiction, it certainly left a mark on audience's imaginations.
