With the latest bond film No Time to Die, there’s no time better time to look back at some of the most exciting Bond movie cars ever. Bond in Motion is the very first formal exhibition in the United States to display actual vehicles that featured in the James Bond film franchise.

The films were produced in conjunction with EON Productions and the Ian Fleming Foundation. The exhibition currently underway at the Petersen Automotive Museum commemorates the 60th anniversary of the 007 films, which began with the release of Dr.No, six decades ago back in 1962.

Overview

With the publication of Ian Fleming’s debut spy novel, Casino Royale in 1953, the world was introduced to James Bond, a fictional character, who was a British officer in the Secret Intelligence Service, commonly known as MI6. Fleming who was an author and former naval intelligence officer himself, wrote twelve novels and two short stories in total, setting the framework for what was to become, a worldwide cultural and theatrical lineage.

It all began with the film version of Fleming's sixth title, Dr.No, in 1962. The fascinating and deadly realm of James Bond was brought to the big screen and it set the stage for a generation of Bond films to follow. The Bond movies, just like the novels that they are based upon, marry the thrill of exotic locations and cunning villains, along with the exhilaration of death-defying stunts and heart-pounding pursuits, that used practically every conceivable type of vehicle that you can possibly imagine.

These vehicles, like Bond himself, were and are frequently modified by quartermaster or “Q", to conceal their exact essence, that is until their weaponry and fancy gadgets become essential characters of the films as well.

Bond in Motion

The Bond in Motion exhibition showcases and gives bond fans and visitors alike, a rare and up-close glimpse of some of the most iconic vehicles linked with the world's most famous secret agent, 007, better known to you and me as James Bond. We’ll go over some of the most recognizable cars from the Bond movies below.

1964 ASTON MARTIN DB5

We begin with the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, which I’m sure most of you will agree is the car that comes to mind when someone utters the name, James Bond. If you can recall, the car chase sequence from the 1995 film, GoldenEye involving in which Pierce Brosnan, played Bond, it was the very first time in 30 years that audiences got to see the classic DB5 make a comeback in a Bond film.

Since then, the Silver Birch-painted DB5 has made an appearance in countless Bond films. It has in fact appeared in more Bond movies than any other vehicle and reprises its role as Bond's "Hero Car" in the latest film, No Time To Die. Other Bond films in which the DB5 appears include Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997, Skyfall in 2012, and Spectre in 2015.

1977 LOTUS ESPRIT S1 “WET NELLIE”

This Lotus Esprit first appeared in the 1977 Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. When Q, played by Desmond Llewelyn, hands Bond, played by Roger Moore a Lotus Esprit S1 for his operation in Sardinia. On first appearance, the Lotus looks like just a regular road car. However, Bond shows the Esprit's unusual capabilities after driving the Lotus down a dock to avoid shipping mogul Karl Stromberg's agents.

Once submerged, the car, dubbed "Wet Nellie," transforms into a submarine outfitted with surface-to-air missiles, torpedoes, a smokescreen, and a mine launcher. It is one of seven wet submersibles designed for shooting, each representing a different stage of the Lotus' evolution. Bond eventually resurfaces with the Esprit driving past a bunch of awe-struck tourists.

2002 ASTON MARTIN V-12 VANQUISH

The Aston Martin Vanquish seen here was used in the 2002 Bond movie, Die Another Day. Bond played by Pierce Brosnan, is presented with the V-12 Vanquish at a London Underground Q Branch research facility. This Aston Martin, dubbed "The Vanish," has "adaptive camouflage," wherein hidden cameras from all sides project an image upon a light-emitting polymer skin on the opposite end, which practically makes the car undetectable.

Bond uses the car's many devices, like the heat-seeking missiles, machine guns, spiked tires, and target-seeking shotguns, to outwit his adversary, Zao, during an exciting chase scene. One of the most famous sequences with this car involves a snowmobile and a fully kitted-out green Jaguar XKR.

Other Exhibits

Other bond cars at the exhibition include a Red Mercury Cougar that appeared in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969, a red Ford Mustang that featured in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, the AMC Hornet from 1974 that was used in The Man with the Golden Gun, a Citroën 2CV that featured in For Your Eyes Only in 1981, a Bajaj RE Tuk Tuk used in Octopussy from 1983, a BMW 750 Li from 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies and yet another exotic Beemer, the Z8 from 1999 Bond film The World is Not Enough and an Aston Martin DBS that appeared in Casino Royale in 2006.

To Sum it Up

Apart from these vehicles, you can also find snowmobiles, motorcycles, beach buggies, boats, airplanes, submarines, and countless other odd memorabilia at the exhibition. So if you are in the Los Angeles area, we urge you to go check out the Bond In Action exhibition at the Petersen Automotive Museum, to experience a slice of the action, of what made, generations of 007 James Bond films so exciting.