While the work of Ian Fleming was fiction, the Hollywood story kept true to Fleming’s portrayal of James Bond, especially his love of expensive cars. Fitted with fantastic gadgets like smoke from the exhausts, machine guns in the headlights or off-set sunroof for ejecting passengers: it can only be James Bond’s cars.
In April 2020 the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die was supposed to open. Although postponed until November 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, like every other James Bond film it’s bound to feature evil baddies, nail-biting stunts, thrilling car chases and hopefully a gadget ladened car.
For many fans, the Bond cars themselves are a vital ingredient to the movie’s success. In the latest film, 007 will again be back behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. Thinking back throughout Bond’s previous 24 adventures, how well do you know your James Bond cars? Take our quiz and find out.
#1. In ‘GoldenEye’, Bond gets involved in a road race in the hills above Monte Carlo. Bond is driving his Aston Martin DB5, but what kind of car is he racing?
The Ferrari is being driven by Xenia Onatopp played by Famke Jannsen. It’s a bit unrealistic to expect a 40 year old Aston Martin to be any match for a modern Ferrari, but then, this is James Bond, who needs realism.
#2. In ‘Die Another Day’, James Bond is back behind the wheel of an Aston Martin. In which country do we see him driving his super-sleek Vanquish?
James Bond and one of the baddies engage in an almost balletic chase across a frozen lake.
#3. Out of all the cars given to Bond by MI6, only one wasn’t equipped with rockets. Which one was it?
It seems like the DB5 should, but it doesn’t! Maybe it was because it was the earliest car with functions.
#4. In the film “The Living Daylights”, Bond gets an Aston Martin V8, one of the nicest Bond cars. What did the license plate read?
M-1024-A was the plate of Melina Havelock’s car in “For Your Eyes Only.” V354 FMP is the plate of the BMW Z8 in “The World Is Not Enough.”
#5. The Aston Martin V8 in ‘The Living Daylights’ only had two weapons.
A laser that could shoot out of the port or starboard side and two heat-seeking missles that came out from behind the headlights.
#6. Apart from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, which other film sees 007 driving a Lotus?
Bond has a white Esprit Turbo at the beginning of the movie but this blows up when a baddie tries to break in. Later in the film he has copper Esprit Turbo with a ski-rack mounted on the back.
#7. In ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, what was stored in the glove box of the BMW 750iL?
The glove compartment could only be opened by Bond because of a fingerprint I.D. system.
#8. In which film is 007 seen driving a double-decker bus?
James Bond needs to get quickly across the fictional island of San Monique and the local bus does the job. He’s chased by cops in cars and on motorcycles but, as he’s James Bond, they can’t catch him. By the end of the journey 007 has turned the double-decker into a single-decker as a result of an incident with a low bridge.
#9. In ‘Octopussy’, James Bond’s tyres are shot out and he uses the wheel rims to drive along a railway track. What kind of car is he driving?
Bond is seen driving along the track then climbing through the sunroof and jumping to the adjacent moving train. Martin Grace was the stuntman doubling for Roger Moore in this scene.
#10. BMW used ‘GoldenEye’ as an important part of the launch campaign for which model?
The scenes featuring the Z3 were filmed in utmost secrecy as the car was not released until the day of the film’s release in New York.
#11. In ‘The Living Daylights’, 007 is seen in an Aston Martin once again, but what car does he drive whilst in Morocco?
It’s an Audi 200 Estate and its appearance is only fleeting. The Aston Martin has the starring role.
#12. BMW made a return for ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ where Bond is equipped with a 750iL in silver. The last time we see this car it has crashed through the front of which car rental office?
Earlier in the film we saw Bond collect his car from a car rental desk at Hamburg airport. Q is there dressed up in a red uniform to blend in with the other staff members.
#13. In ‘For Your Eyes Only’, Bond drives one of the most unlikely cars in the series. What is it?
The Citroen belongs to Melina Havelock and she and Bond use it to escape from the baddies in their Peugeots.
#14. What is the first car that we see James Bond driving in ‘Dr. No’?
In ‘Dr. No’ (1962) 007 is chased across Jamaica by baddies driving a hearse. Bond evades them in his blue Sunbeam Alpine convertible.
#15. What vehicle does 007 drive in the climax of ‘Licence to Kill’?
The baddie, Franz Sanchez, is trying to smuggle cocaine by dissolving it in petrol. He has three tankers full of the mixture. Well, he does until Bond gets involved!
#16. In ‘Die Another Day’, Q branch have equipped 007’s Aston Martin Vanquish with all sorts of gadgets but he’s matched gadget for gadget by the villain, Zao’s, car. What car does Zao drive?
Zao’s Jag ends up submerged in the lake beneath the baddie’s Icelandic headquarters.
#17. James Bond steals an Alfa Romeo in ‘Octopussy’, what is the owner doing when 007 take the car?
James Bond is chased by the West German police driving 5 series BMWs and riding BMW motorcycles. This is the first time BMWs feature in the series but they will later take a starring role.
#18. What makes the Lotus Esprit used in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ so special?
Lotus had designed a stunning car in the Esprit S1 and they knew that publicity from James Bond films helped sales so, they parked a pre-production Esprit outside Pinewood Studios. Cubby Broccoli, the producer, saw and liked the car and it got a starring role alongside Roger Moore and Barbara Bach.
#19. As seen in ‘From Russia With Love’ we often see 007 in the car that Ian Fleming often gave him in the novels. What was the make of car?
Bond is seen farm in a Drophead 3.5 litre Bentley. We don’t actually see him driving it but he does sit in it to take a phone call when on a picnic.
#20. In ‘Goldfinger’, Bond gets behind the wheel of an Aston Martin for the very first time. What model was it?
It was a silver DB5 with the registration BMT 216A. Bond went on to drive DB5s in ‘Thunderball’, ‘GoldenEye’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ although in the latter two the registration has changed to BMT 214A.
Results
If you liked the website, found it useful and would like to help with its continued ad-free development, you can make a donation via PayPal. Small or large, it doesn’t matter, every little helps! We thank you for your continued support.
