Close to 50 years since the introduction of Ian Fleming's James Bond character into theaters, with 1962's Dr. No, and with a new film slated for an October 2012 release date, we decided to take a look back at Bond's impressive whips. Reading more like a list of 50 years' worth of classic automobile history, a list of every car ever driven by agent 007 details one of the British super spys most memorable traits: his impeccable sense of style and taste. Bond only rode in the finest of rides, with his man Q making necessary modifications, like pop-out machine guns, cloaking devices, laser cannons, and the ability to convert into a full-on submarine. Follow us as we revisit the cars that made James Bond automobile history.
Close to 50 years since the introduction of Ian Fleming's James Bond character into theaters, with 1962's Dr. No, and with a new film slated for an October 2012 release date, we decided to take a look back at Bond's impressive whips. Reading more like a list of 50 years' worth of classic automobile history, a list of every car ever driven by agent 007 details one of the British super spys most memorable traits: his impeccable sense of style and taste. Bond only rode in the finest of rides, with his man Q making necessary modifications, like pop-out machine guns, cloaking devices, laser cannons, and the ability to convert into a full-on submarine. Follow us as we revisit the cars that made James Bond automobile history.
29. The Duck
Citroën 2CV 6
Movie: For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: The Citroen 2CV nicknamed "the Duck," reportedly had the standard two-cylinder boxer engine swapped out for a four-cylinder boxer engine. This allowed it to outrun the two Peugeot 504s chasing it in this scene.
28. The Beater
1983 Ford LTD
Movie: A View to Kill (1985)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: One of Bond's lamest choices, the Ford LTD can be seen in this Paris chase scene following an airborne Grace Jones.
27. Bronco Buster
1989 Ford Bronco II XLT
Movie: Quantum of Solace (2008)
Bond: Daniel Craig
Complex Says: A stolen whip, the Bronco featured here was one seriously busted ride.
26. Trunk Space
Ford Galaxie 500 Sedan
Movie: Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: Bond actually takes a trip in the backseat of this ride after getting knocked out and dropped in the trunk by a set of goons.
25. The Locomotive
Bentley Mark II Continental
Movie: Thunderball (1965)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: Featuring rear, high-powered water hoses and a rear window shield, the Bentley is actually Bond's car of choice in the novel. Bond dubbed this car "the locomotive" in its first appearance in the books.
24. Baller, Shot Caller
Chevrolet Impala Convertible
Movie: Live and Let Die (1973)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: Bond arrives on Dr. Kanaga's island in this classic black coupe with a white hard top.
23. The Volvo
2008 Volvo S40T5
Movie: Quantum of Solace (2008)
Bond: Daniel Craig
Complex Says: A rental, the Avant gets a little screen time as 007 uses the ride to get around Austria.
22. The Audi
1987 Audi 200 Avant C3
Movie: The Living Daylights (1987)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
Complex Says: Agent 007 uses this Audi to follow General Pushkin through Tangier.
21. The Mark VII
1987 Lincoln Mark VII LSC
Movie: Licence to Kill (1989)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
Complex Says: Bond is seen driving a no-frills Luxury Sport Coupe in beige through the Florida Keys early in the movie.
20. The Chauffeur
1978 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
Movie: Licence to Kill (1989)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
Complex Says: Bond is driven around Isthmus City in this gadget-less, but still ultra-classy Rolls-Royce.
19. The Family Car
2007 Ford Mondeo
Movie: Casino Royale (2006)
Bond: Daniel Craig
Complex Says: 007 manages to give even this more family-oriented ride a mean look. The hand-built Mondeo used for the movie had to be delivered secretly to the set of the film, as it had not yet been commercially released.
18. The 7 Series
1997 BMW 750iL
Movie: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Complex Says: Remote control-operated, sunroof stinger missiles, self-inflating tires, built-in video cameras, fingerprint safe in glovebox, the car can talk. Bond actually controls the car from the backseat while dodging bullets using the featured remote control.
17. The Roadster
1996 BMW Z3 Roadster
Movie: Goldeneye (1995)
Bond: Pierce Brosnano
Complex Says: Bulletproof, stinger missiles, radar, self-destruct system, parachute brakes. Bond eventually trades this one in for an airplane.
16. The Scene Stealer
1965 Lincoln Continental convertible
Movie: Thunderball (1965)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: Surrounded by a backdrop of the beautiful city of Nassau in the Bahamas, this swagged-out, drop-top ride was used briefly but made its impression in Thunderball. Giving Bond the same air of seriousness and style every car he drives manages to give him as he pulls up to SPECTRE agent Largo's island pad, the Lincoln Continental is undoubtedly one of Bond's most stylish whips.
15. The Truck
2008 Range Rover Sport HSE
Movie: Quantum of Solace (2008)
Bond: Daniel Craig
Complex Says: Bond drives around Bolivia and is escorted in London in this truck.
14. The Imaginary Ride
1963 Bentley Mark IV
Movie: From Russia With Love (1963)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: Never actually produced by the Bentley company, the car was made up by Ian Fleming in the novel. And the movie ran with it, using instead a green-black Derby Bentley Mark 4.5 liter Sports Tourer drop-head coupé convertible featuring a radio carphone.
13. The Classic Range
Range Rover Convertible
Movie: Octopussy (1983)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: Bond keeps a microjet stashed in a horsebox attached to this truck. Do we really need to say anything else?
12. The First Bond Car
1961 Sunbeam Alpine Series II
Movie: Dr. No (1962)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: The first car we ever see Bond drive has no gadgets or fancy features. The car and the driver are left alone to impress the audience, as Connery does a hell of a job convincing us he's really got the driving chops to pull off the sort of stunts we will become familiar with in the Bond series.
11. The American Classic
1957 Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner
Movie: Thunderball (1965), Die Another Day (2002)
Bond: Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan
Complex Says: The classic American ride was featured in a Thunderball chase scene. It appeared briefly in Die Another Day, as Bond drove it around Cuba, avoiding any spectacular stunts.
10. The Other Aston
1968 Aston Martin DBS
Movie: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Quantum of Solace (2008), Casino Royale (2006)
Bond: George Lazenby, Daniel Craig
Complex Says: Though provided by Q, the DBS in On Her Majesty's Secret Service didn't feature any modifications at all. The movie introduces George Lazenby as Bond. One explanation for the lack of gadgetry is that the filmmakers wanted to play it low-key, allowing Lazenby to shine in the new role.
9. The Other Other Aston
1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage/Volante
Movie: The Living Daylights (1987)
Bond: Timothy Dalton
Complex Says: James Bond loves Aston Martin. This V8 Vantage/Volante got the "winterized" treatment from Q with a hardtop roof, whereas traditional Volante models were drop-top. Spiked tires, laser cannons, and homing missiles rounded out Q's modifications, making this one deadly ride.
8. Popping Wheelies
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
Movie: Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: Another stunt pulled off with such style that you don't care how unrealistic the physics are. Bond rode this gorgeous whip through Vegas. At one point, while evading some goons, he gets up on two wheels to get through an alleyway.
7. The "Modern" Car
1967 Toyota 2000GT
Movie: You Only Live Twice (1967)
Bond: Sean Connery
Complex Says: Toyota custom built this GT topless so that Sean Connery could fit in the tiny coupe. Driven by Bond's assistant, Aki, the 200GT had a television, a cordless phone, and a voice-activated stereo. Of course, the average cell phone has cooler capabilities today, but these features blew audiences away back in 1974.
6. The Great Chase
1974 AMC Hornet
Movie: The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: When Bond needs a car, he's never averse to stealing one. Although it wasn't supplied by Q and didn't feature any awesome gadgets, the AMC Hornet goes down in Bond history as being a part of one of the best stunt performances ever. After stealing it from a dealership showroom, Bond takes the Hornet spiraling over a canal during a high-speed chase.
5. The Invisible Car
2002 Aston Martin Vanquish
Movie: Die Another Day (2002)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Complex Says: 50 cal. cannon, mounted shotgun, infra-red tracking, and the "invisibility" factor. Yes, Bond's Aston Martin Vanquish came equipped with a cloaking device. That is to say, this car dissappears from the screen at the flick of a switch. Sort of a shark-jumping moment, but you can't be too mad, as Brosnan was almost in on the joke.
4. The Getaway Car
1981 Alfa Romeo GTV 6
Movie: Octopussy (1983)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: Bond steals this car just before leading a chase by two BMW police cars, successfully dusting both vehicles. As it is a stolen car, there were no gadgets featured on this one. Unrelenting speed and skilled driving got this one on the list, though, not to mention the thrill of watching the hero get away with not only stealing an incredible car, but also outrunning the police.
3. The Prototype
1999 BMW Z8
Movie: The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Complex Says: When BMW decided to launch the Z8, the company stumbled onto a bit of marketing genius by featuring it in the latest James Bond flick, before anyone got a chance to see its V8 engine in action. Though the film actually features a Cobra kit car housed in a BMW skin (as the Z8 was still only a prototype at the time of the film's production), having James Bond push it around definitely helped this fly ride's popularity.
2. The Submarine
1980 Lotus Esprit S1/Turbo
Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Bond: Roger Moore
Complex Says: Originally featured in The Spy Who Loved Me (and blown apart as a part of the car's own security system), featuring surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes, depth charges, and the ability to turn into a submarine at the flick of a switch, the Lotus Esprit was one badass ride. The Esprit Turbo (which Lotus claimed could reach a top speed of 152 mph, making it their first supercar) made a second appearance in For Your Eyes Only, this time in a copper color and featuring a ski rack.
1. The Bond Car
1965 Aston Martin DB5
Movie: Goldfinger (1964), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006)
Bond: Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig
Complex Says: The most famous of all Bond cars, Aston Martin's DB5 has had agent 007 behind its wheel more than any other car in Bond movie history. The car has seen modifications like pop-out machine guns, bulletproof glass, switchable license plates, radar, tire-slashing hubcaps, and--most famously--an ejector seat for unwanted passengers. As much a staple of James Bond lore as his "shaken, not stirred" martini, the DB5 is Bond's most iconic ride.
