James Bond! The simple act of saying these two little words can bring a whole world of excitement and intrigue effortlessly to mind.
The dramatic theme tune, the alluring “Bond Girls”; the mortal foes; Martinis (shaken, not stirred); Q’s exciting gadgets; and of course, the cars. So for those who are looking for a little 007 escapism this summer they will be delighted to hear that the “Bond in Motion” exhibition has come to the British Film Museum in London’s Covent Garden.
The exhibition is the largest official collection of Bond vehicles, props and memorabilia in a European capital. It is a multi-sensory experience, displaying over 50 full sized vehicles and a wide variety of models and props. The showcase includes many items that have never been shown publicly before, including Bond’s evaluation report from Skyfall and the tanker chase storyboard from Licence to Kill.
Yet it is the cars which will take your breath away. Beautifully and artfully displayed, with stunning back drops and huge video screens showing the vehicles in action, the range is vast, including this stunning Aston Martin V12 Vanquish driven by Pierce Brosnan in ‘Die Another Day’ – complete with its bright orange rockets protruding from its front grill. There is a replica of the iconic BMT 214A – Bond’s iconic Aston Martin DB5, with rotating number plate and ejector button.
The unforgettable submersible Lotus Esprit from the ‘Spy Who Loved Me’; a stunning Jaguar XKR, complete with a full range of weaponry from ‘Die Another Day’; the fabulous skiing Aston Martin V8 Volante from ‘The Living Daylights’ and Daniel Craig’s post-crash Aston Martin; and Roger Moore’s 1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud from ‘View to a Kill’ also feature.
Not to be completely out-done, there is a collection of beautiful cars driven the Bond villains; which includes the regal 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III, which was driven by Bond’s nemesis, Goldfinger.
Who could forget how Brosnan’s James Bond returned his rented BMW 750i to Avis in ‘Tomorrow Never Dies?’ However, if the wealth of automotive elegance of Aston Martins and Rolls-Royces is not enough of a draw to entice you to visit this breath taking display, the show also features 007’s Ski-Doo; the Acrostar Microjet used in ‘Octopussy’ and of course, Little Nellie – Sean Connery’s Autogyro-copter flown in ‘You Only Live Twice.’ Along-side these you will also find Tuk-Tuks, the yellow 2CV and Moon Buggies and an amphibious Venetian Gondola.
Display cases are brimming with replica guns, remote control helicopters; Q’s gadgets and original scripts and storyboards from the films.
All in all, it is an excellent day out and well worth a trip. Tickets cost just £14.50 for adults and £9.50 for children, but for an extra £5 there is an audio tour headset which is well worth the extra money as it gives so much more extra information and helps engulf you in the full Bond Experience.
If like 007 you have a hankering for a finely tuned Aston Martin please take a look at our complete range of new Aston Martin or our used Aston Martin. Alternatively if your style is more line with M here are some links to our new Rolls-Royce or used Rolls-Royce.
