007 X 60 = ‘Bond in Motion’ exhibit at the Petersen museum

Dr. No, the sixth title in Ian Fleming’s super spy series of books but the first of the official James Bond movies, hit the silver screen in 1962. In it, 007 drove a ’57 Chevy in the getaway scene. He also drove a lake blue, ’80-horsepower 61 Sunbeam Alpine Series II, a ’47 Lexland Comet, a ’49 Humber Super Snipe MkII 206E, among others. 

The movie was filmed on the island of Jamaica and driving the open Alpine in Sean Connery’s first appearance as Bond served to display the character’s — and the actor’s — suave appearance. As the story goes, the Alpine was borrowed from a Jamaican artist who purchased the car after receiving a large inheritance on her 21^st birthday.

From that first chase scene in Dr. No, the cars of James Bond have become as famous as the stars of the movie series. Bond has driven almost every conceivable supercar you could imagine, as well as a Mercury Cougar and an AMC Hornet,  and also motorcycles, boats, submarines, and aircraft. 

To celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise and the debut of the latest in the series, No Time To Die, the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles presents an exhibit of more than 30 Bond vehicles that were used in the 007 series. 

“The Petersen is excited to showcase so many of the series’ most well-known vehicles,” said Terry L. Karges, the museum’s executive director. “We are sure that there will be something to satisfy every generation of Bond fan.”

The exhibition, “Bond in Motion,” was previously hosted by the London Film Museum and is a collaboration between the Petersen, EON Productions and the Ian Fleming Foundation. The 007-related vehicles are displayed in the Petersen’s Mullin Family Grand Salon with one exception — a helicopter parked in the entrance to the museum’s parking structure.

“The exhibition is more than just cars,” noted Bruce Meyer, the museum’s founding chairman. “It’s a historic gathering of Bond vehicles and a very comprehensive Bond display put together by the Bond Foundation, who chose the Petersen for the exhibition. It’s also opening week of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (located just across Wilshire Boulevard from the Petersen), so we thought the Bond show would play right into the movie theme.”

Of course, the infamous silver birch 1964 Aston Martin DB5 is the star of the exhibition and is beautifully displayed at the entrance to the salon with a photograph of Sean Connery leaning on the original DB5. The DB5’s first appearance was in Goldfinger (1964), and then in Thunderball, Golden Eye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, Casino Royale, and yet again in No Time to Die.

Among the other vehicles on display are:

Hiller UH Helicopter – From Russia with Love and Spectre

Lockheed Jet Star – Goldfinger

Underwater Tow Sled – Thunderball

Mercury Cougar XR7 – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Bath-O Sub – Diamonds Are Forever

Honda ATC-90 – Diamonds Are Forever

Glastron GT 150 speedboat – Live and Let Die

Lotus Esprit – The Spy Who Loved Me

AMC Hornet – The Man With the Golden Gun

Wet Bike – The Spy Who Loved Me

Neptune submarine – For Your Eyes Only

Tuk-Tuk Taxi – Octopussy

Cessna 172 Skyhawk – License to Kill

Cagiva W16 600 motorcycle – Golden Eye

Jaguar XKR – Die Another Day

Aston Martin DBS- Quantum of Solace

Aston Martin DB10 – Spectre

Aston Martin V8 – The Living Daylights

1999 BMW 8 – The World is Not Enough