The Ultimate Guide to James Bond’s Cars

Debuting in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale, James Bond has been known for many things, stapling into the zeitgeist his love for gadgets, guns, girls, and, notably, cars. In the books themselves, which preceded the still-ongoing film series by 9 years, Agent 007 mainly drove a Bentley 4.5L, later swapped for a Mark II Continental Bentley and, for a brief time in the seventh novel Goldfinger, an Aston Martin DB Mark III. In the movies, of course, he’s traversed in many different makes and models, both cool and strange, and most notably, Aston Martins.

The Fleming books ceased after the author’s death in ‘64, the twelfth and final canonical novel being published posthumously. Since then, the Eon film series has taken on a life of its own, with 25 installments and counting, among which six different actors have been lucky enough to portray the world’s greatest spy. With Daniel Craig wrapping up his iconic run of 007 and fans waiting with bated breath for a new recasting, we take a look at the automobiles driven by the MI6 agent on the silver screen. For purist’s sake, this ultimate guide to Bond’s cars will only feature the canonical Eon franchise.

1961 Sunbeam Alpine Series II

James Bond’s big screen debut came in 1962’s Dr. No, in which he drove a lake blue ‘61 Sunbeam Alpine — just as he did in the respective novel — into an ambush set by Miss Taro. He’s chased around cliffside switchbacks by a hearse until he manages to escape, thus showcasing the agent’s driving expertise firsthand. A widely recognized bit of trivia is that the Sunbeam used for filming was borrowed from a local resident in order to evade import costs.

1935 Bentley Mark IV Drophead 3.5L

An “updated” version of the Bentleys used in the books, although still predating the film by nearly 30 years, the ‘35 Bentley Mark IV Drophead first appeared in 1963’s From Russia with Love. Oddly enough, it’s also the only appearance from the British marque in the film franchise’s 60-year history. Here, Bond uses the car to go on a picnic date with Sylvia Trench until Miss Moneypenny informs him via the carphone that he must return to HQ, after which the roof is closed on the vehicle and he and Trench step inside.

1964 Aston Martin DB5

Becoming synonymous with James Bond, the Aston Martin DB5 is by far the most utilized model in 007 history, first appearing as the latest model in ‘64’s Goldfinger — where a factory prototype was modified and used for filming as opposed to the DB Mark III in the novel. It was outfitted by Q to feature an ejector seat, a revolving license plate, and an oil dispenser. It was so popular that a Corgi model version became the highest-selling toy of the year and the exact same vehicle was brought back for the follow-up, Thunderball. Years later, the DB5 returned in GoldenEye and has since reappeared in Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale (the origins story of how Bond acquired the car), Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die.

1967 Toyota 2000GT

Bond wouldn’t drive many non-British automobiles, but the first of which he did so was this 1967 Toyota 2000 GT in 1967’s Tokyo-set You Only Live Twice, where the car is owned by ninja agent Aki, although Bond does drive it himself too. It was Japan’s first supercar and Sean Connery couldn’t fit inside with his 6’2” frame, so Toyota made two convertible versions special for the film — one of which disappeared after wrapping. The regular 2000GT is a rarity in its own right, with only 351 examples ever produced, selling for upwards of $1 million at auction.

1969 Aston Martin DBS

In George Lazenby’s only outing as Bond in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, he drove the latest Aston Martin, which was outfitted with a single gadget — a rifle with a viewing scope — unlike the gadget-filled DB5. The vehicle forever became immortalized in Bond lore when used for one of the most iconic scenes in the franchise’s history, when James watches his new wife Tracy di Vicenzo get killed inside. The DBS wasn’t used by 007 again but does make a cameo in Diamonds Are Forever.

1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Thanks to a product placement deal with Ford, Bond’s first American car is the first-generation Mustang, driven by Sean Connery in his return as 007 for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. In the film, the automobile belongs to diamond smuggler Tiffany Case but is used in the iconic Las Vegas car chase to escape the cops, featuring a notable moment where it pops up onto its two side wheels to make its way through a narrow alleyway. It was a magnificent showcase for the Mustang, many of which were destroyed during filming.

1970 Triumph Stag

Prior to its brand getting retired by its parent company in 1984, Triumph’s vehicles were well represented in both film and TV, and even in a handful of Bond movies. However, the only time Agent 007 ever drove one of these was in Diamonds Are Forever — Connery’s final Eon outing as the character — while stealing the identity of smuggler/assassin Peter Franks. Bond commandeers the car at the port customs in England and takes it onto a hovercraft to Holland, where the real Franks catches up with him. After killing him, Bond stashes his ID in the body to convince Tiffany Case that the dead Franks is really James Bond in one of the more unique plot points in the series.

Mini Moke

Not the most performative car, but decidedly one of the most memorable in Bond history, the Mini Moke was originally presented as a prototype for the British Army in real life as a parachute-deployable vehicle. Designed to be a miniature version of the Land Rover, the Moke popped up in 1973’s Live and Let Die when 007 drove one with a blue and white striped canvas around the fictional Caribbean island of San Monique. The beach-going car was briefly revived in 2021 when Moke America made a model inspired by the one from the film.

1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback

Roger Moore’s second outing as Bond in The Man with the Golden Gun came with some of the most iconic car stunts in the franchise. Most notably, he steals a red AMC Hornet from a showroom to chase down a kidnapped Mary Goodnight (with an elongated cameo by Live and Let Die’s Sheriff J.W. Pepper in the passenger seat), leading him through the streets of Bangkok until he executes a sideways corkscrew over a river. Seven rehearsal jumps were done in advance, but the uncredited stuntman nailed the landing for the one-and-only recorded attempt, earning a Guinness World Record for being the first Astro spiral jump on film.

1977 Lotus Esprit S1

Named after the autogyro from You Only Live Twice, “Wet Nellie” was the nickname for the custom-built ‘77 Lotus Esprit S1 — an impressive car in its own right — used in The Spy Who Loved Me, taking Moore’s Bond from the land and into the water as he and Anya Amasova try to escape the henchman Jaws. Wet Nellie was made for $100,000 back in 1976 and is now owned by Elon Musk. In real life, the “wet sub” requires its pilots to wear scuba gear. For filming, it was operated by ex-U.S. Navy SEAL Don Griffin.

1981 Lotus Esprit Turbo

1981’s For Your Eyes Only features two different Lotus Esprit Turbos: a white model taken through Spain where it was blown up and a burgundy model driven through a snow-covered ski resort in Italy (with skis strapped on top) — both specifically made for the film. Interestingly enough, the British-made cars served as a big inspiration for what would become the DMC DeLorean, in both its chassis engineering and wedge shape. The Esprit Turbo variants were only made in the 1980s, appearing here before being produced for 1982.

Citroën 2CV6

After Bond’s white Lotus was destroyed in For Your Eyes Only, he unconventionally opts for a yellow Citroën 2CV6 while he and Malina Havelock are being chased through the Spanish countryside by hitman Hector Gonzales. Four cars were used, one of which was equipped with a revolving plate on the roof so it could be upsidedown. French motocross champion Rémy Julienne was the stunt driver for the sequence, which took 12 days to shoot. The engine was swapped for one from a Citroën 2CV6 GS, which had around double the power. For the film’s release, the French marque came out with a special 007 edition, with bullet hole stickers on the doors and themed badging.

1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6

“Let me see your circus pass!” In 1983’s Octopussy, police chase Roger Moore’s Bond through Bavaria after he steals this ‘81 Alfa Romeo GTV6 from a woman occupied inside of a phone booth. He’s on his way to infiltrate Octopussy’s circus on the U.S. Air Force base. Sadly, this is the only time the Italian luxury car was seen driven by Agent 007, and its last appearance until Quantum of Solace 25 years later, when driven by the bad guys.

1968 Mercedes-Benz 280S

Soviet general Orlov’s 1968 Mercedes 280S is the real vehicular star of Octopussy when it’s stolen by James Bond as he pursues the villain’s circus train. Right after it hops on its side two wheels to shield oncoming bullets, the car’s tires get shredded, leaving Agent 007 with nothing left to do but to drive on his bare rims…on top of the railroad tracks. As sparks quite literally fly, he finally catches up with the train in one of the most famous moments in the franchise’s history.

Range Rover Convertible ‘Rapport Huntsman’

The classic Range Rover convertible with Rapport Huntsman coachwork was only seen briefly in the opening sequence of Octopussy when Bond tows a horse box containing nary a horse, but a Bede BD-5J Acrostar jet disguised under a horse facade. After having help from a friend, who takes over at the wheel, 007 unhitches the box from the Range Rover and flies outta town, evading (and misdirecting) enemy missiles along the way.

Renault 11 Taxi

In one of the most peculiar chase scenes in 007 history, Bond Grand-Theft-Autos a taxi driver’s Renault 11 and rallies through Paris trying to track down Grace Jones’ May Day, who’s just parachuted off the Eiffel Tower. In 1985’s A View to a Kill, Roger Moore, in his final outing as the spy, serves as Vin Diesel’s spiritual progenitor as he slides downstairs, ramp-jumps onto the top of a bus, and puts many civilians in danger driving on sidewalks. When the roof gets chopped off, he keeps driving; when the back half of the car breaks off, he keeps driving. This obviously-modified version of the vehicle may not be the most durable, but it’s surely the most resilient.

1962 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

Series producer and Eon co-founder Albert “Cubby” Brocolli purchased a Rolls-Royce in 1962 around the time of Dr. No’s release. The Silver Cloud II made a brief cameo as a parked car in Thunderball in ‘65 but wasn’t used by Bond (nor had any other Rolls) until A View to a Kill 20 years later. While technically Bond never drove the car himself, he was chauffeured in it by MI6 agent Sir Godfrey Tibbett, who later dies at the hands of May Day. Bond and the Rolls-Royce then get pushed into a lake, where the agent manages to breathe by borrowing air from the vehicle’s tires.

1985 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

Aston Martin makes its triumphant return to the franchise after nearly 20 years (with the DBS in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service). 1987’s The Living Daylights — Timothy Dalton’s first of two appearances as 007 — features the V8 Vantage Volante, owned by Aston Martin chairman Victor Gauntlett. The Volante, of which 192 were made, was the convertible version of the regular Vantage. In the film, the car is given a hard top, but really the production team used a non-Volante version instead. Just like previous Aston Martins, this ‘85 model(s) was given an array of gadgets, such as a head-up display, missiles, spiked tires, and tire-slashers, this time using lasers. The non-Volante V8 made a return in 2021’s No Time to Die as Bond’s main vehicle for much of the film.

Audi 200 Quattro

The Living Daylights features Bond driving two different Audi 200 Quattros. One sports the Exclusiv trim with flared wheel arches and is used by 007 to help General Georgi Koskov escape from Bratislava to Austria. Shortly after, Bond drives a liftback Avant model through Tangier, Morocco as he follows General Leonid Pushkin, the new head of the KGB. This would be the only time an Audi ever appeared in a James Bond movie until the Daniel Craig days, but was never driven by Bond himself. The saloon version of the car from The Living Daylights is currently held in the Audi Museum in Germany.

1995 BMW Z3

During the Pierce Brosnan era, James Bond went through a BMW phase, to say the least. First appearing in 1995’s GoldenEye, the brand-new BMW Z3 captured the hearts of an entire generation and has since become a staple of the ‘90s zeitgeist, until the German marque ceased production by 2002. In the movie, the vehicle is only on screen for around 2 minutes, but came equipped with missiles, a deployable parachute, and an automatic heads-up display.

1997 BMW 750iL

The second in BMW’s three-picture deal with James Bond features its 740 model (rebadged as a 750) with a long wheelbase. ‘97’s Tomorrow Never Dies uses it extensively as Q-branch outfits the bulletproof vehicle with missiles, self-inflating tires, and remote control (performed by a rear-seat steering wheel), which is utilized during a scene when 007 exits the car, drives it up to the top of a parking garage using his cellphone, and then off the roof.

1999 BMW Z8

BMW’s swan song in the Bond series came in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough, when working models had to be used for filming since the car hadn’t been officially released yet. Unlike the gadget-infested models in the two predecessors, this Z8 is outfitted with a summoning button built into the key, a heads-up display, and six…cup holders? Nonetheless, the car looked great on camera. That is, until it got chopped in half by tree saws hanging down from the villain’s helicopter.

1957 Ford Fairlane

Several Fords were used for Pierce Brosnan’s final outing as Bond in 2002’s Die Another Day. Notably, Halle Berry’s Jinx drove an 11th-generation Thunderbird, later released by Ford as a limited-edition 007 version as a tie-in. However, the car that Bond drives is a little older. Upon visiting a fellow MI6 sleeper agent in Cuba, he’s gifted, tongue firmly planted in cheek, with a convertible ‘57 Fairlane, similar to the one used by the villainous Count Lippe in Thunderball. The vehicle only appears during the scenes in Havana.

2002 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

Arguably the real star of Die Another Day is the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, which has come to be one of the most famous Bond cars ever. After Q gives 007 the most futuristic automobile of the franchise, outfitted with adaptive camouflage (i.e., an invisibility cloak), along with all the usual bells and whistles. Bond takes the ride to the icy Iceland where he rescues Jinx from the villainous Gustav Graves. After four appearances as the spy, Brosnan finally gets his chance to ride in a gadget-filled version of the British car (he briefly raced in a standard DB5 in GoldenEye).

2006 Aston Martin DBS

Aston Martin used the DBS nameplate again in the late ‘00s, debuting in 2006’s Casino Royale, which also happened to be Daniel Craig’s first go-round as the secret agent. Since the vehicles weren’t ready yet, the British marque sent over two hero versions of the car, as well as a trio of DB9s, which were made to look like the beefier DBS. The most famous scene featuring the automobile in the movie takes place when Bond is chasing down the baddies who have kidnapped Vesper Lynd. He suddenly approaches a tied-up Vesper in the middle of the road, and as he swerves around her, the DBS takes quite a tumble. The stunt team couldn’t get the car to flip off the 18” ramp due to it being too heavy, so they installed an air cannon that caused it to flip seven times before stopping, setting a Guinness World Record in the process.

2007 Ford Mondeo

From 1987 to 2007, Ford owned Aston Martin. As a result, the American automaker wanted to feature one of its cars in Casino Royale, as per its product placement deal with Sony at the time. And so, upon arriving in the Bahamas to meet up with known underworld criminal Alex Dimitrios, he snags a 2007 Ford Mondeo. Showcasing a bit of wry humor from the filmmakers, Bond eventually wins the DB5 off of Dimitrios, thus “upgrading” his ride in the process.

Aston Martin DB10

Showing a particular bravado, Aston Martin unveiled the DB10 as the official vehicle for Spectre (the follow-up to the much-acclaimed Skyfall), of which only 10 were made in total in celebration of the automaker’s 50th anniversary of involvement with the film series. Eight of the vehicles were used for filming, while the other two were reserved for promos. In an interesting twist, the car was said to belong to an unseen Agent 009. However, the next morning, Bond steals the car for himself to investigate SPECTRE in Rome. Before it’s ultimately destroyed, the automobile is known to be equipped with machine guns, a flamethrower, an ejector seat, and a playlist specifically made for 009.

Land Rover Series III

Although the new Land Rover V8 Defenders were some of the biggest standouts of the latest Bond film, No Time to Die — with special-edition examples rolling out afterward — none of them were driven by 007 himself. Instead, he opts for a Series III Land Rover from 1977 as he lives the retired life in Jamaica. While technically driven by Bond in The Living Daylights as he attempts to reach over from the passenger seat to steer it off a cliff, the Series III wasn’t driven in earnest by the agent until the 2021 movie.

1998 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado LC90

Bond’s second and most successful attempt at driving a Toyota comes in No Time to Die when he uses an old-school Land Cruiser Prado LC90 from 1998 to fend off and defeat a team of mercenaries in brand-new Defenders. Belonging to Dr. Madeleine Swann, the vehicle is intentionally spotlighted more than many of the others on this list. Likewise, this off-road car melee in the forests of Norway is one of the more memorable moments of Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond.

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