James Bond Cars, Bond in Motion Exhibition in London,
September 2014
With some 50 original vehicles spanning all 23 James
Bond films, from Dr No. (the first) in 1962 right up to the present
day, the Bond in Motion exhibition is an amazing showcase for the 007
movies. Cars, boats, aircraft and motorbikes from the Bond films
are displayed plus an insight into the Bond series production with
storyboards, concept art and models on display. The Bond in
Motion exhibition is at the London Film Museum in Wellington Street,
right by Covent Garden. Initially scheduled to run until March
2015 it's now been extended, and new exhibits and vehicles from the new
Bond film Spectre are being added during 2015.
|
|
Well, there's no mistaking we're at Bond in Motion. This giant
screen just inside the entrance was looping clips from the Bond films,
including the Bond girls - which Mike checked out closely! After
paying the entrance £14.50 (2 for 1 deal with train ticket) we...
|
...headed up to the mezzanine floor to view the fascinating displays of
production art from the 007 film series, including some original
concept sketches done to illustrate the features of Bond's Aston Martin
DB6 - which Belinda checked avidly. Also here...
|
|
...at the Bond in Motion exhibition were some original scripts, clapper
boards and storyboards; this one showing part of the opening chase from
'Goldeneye'.
|
Here's a model of MI6's HQ, built for 'The World is Not Enough' in
1999. Those production guys working on the Bond films sure go to
a lot of trouble.
|
|
After descending the steps to the main part of Bond in Motion the first
vehicle we saw was this stunning Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II from 'A
View to a Kill', which finished up at the bottom of a lake in the
film.
|
Next up was Goldfinger's imposing Rolls-Royce Phantom III, originally
custom-built for the Rt Hon Lord Fairhaven of Anglesey Abbey in
1937. This vehicle survived filming - many Bond cars didn't, such
as...
|
|
...two Aston Martin V12 Vanquishes from 'Die Another Day' (2002) which
were destroyed during filming. We learnt the car was fitted with
four-wheel drive for the ice-driving in Iceland. This one
survived and features a full complement of weapons; now wouldn't those
missiles be handy to blast your way through traffic!
|
In 'The Living Daylights' from 1987 this Aston Martin V8 coupé sprouted
extendable skis and a rocket-booster to blast through a border-control
checkpoint (as you do). You'll notice the screens by the cars,
used to show action sequences of the various vehicles' staring roll in
the associated Bond movies.
|
|
Collectables and props from many of the Bond films were on display at
the Bond in Motion exhibition at the London Film Museum, such as this...
|
...prop tyre with extendable studs, created for a close-up shot in 'Die
Another Day'. Never fitted to a car, it was kind of a
reverse-engineered stop-stick!
|
|
At the far end is Little Nellie, the yellow gyrocopter which appeared
in 1967's 'You Only Live Twice'. It was fitted with what were
once real-life operational weapons such as machine guns, flamethrowers
and rockets - nice. On the left is the...
|
...Parahawk, the versatile snowmobile hybrid with parachute and
propeller system from 1999's 'The World Is Not Enough'. In the
movie Bond had to contend with four of these bad boys as he visited
Elektra King's proposed new oil pipeline area.
|
|
The Bond in Motion exhibition also displayed motorbikes from the 007
films, including the Honda CRF250R from 'Skyfall'. Behind the
visitors here is the Citroën 2CV from 'For Your Eyes Only' (1981) and
the TUK-TUK taxi from 1983's 'Octopussy'.
|
Here's Bond's Q Boat from 'The World is Not Enough' in 1999.
Launched from the MI6 offices, it chased a speedboat, dipped below
water and leapt into the air before Bond grabbed a rope dropped from a
hot-air balloon. Just another random day in the office then!
|
|
In 1977's 'The Spy Who Loved Me', Wet Nellie, a submersible Lotus
Esprit S1, had its moment of glory when Bond drove it out of the sea
and up a beach in Sardinia past stunded sunbathers.
|
Now the gold coloured Aston Martin DB5 just has to be the iconic Bond
car. The DB5 displayed here at Bond in Motion came from
'Goldeneye' in 1995. This classic 60s Bond vehicle featured again
in 'Skyfall'.
|
|
This Aston Martin DBS took part in the spectacular opening chase in
2008's 'Quantum of Solace'. At the Bond in Motion exhibition we
learnt some 14 brand-new Aston Martins were ruined during filming -
Belinda hasn't stopped crying into her wine ever since! The DBS
was also in 'Casino Royale'.
|
More models displayed in the Bond in Motion café. While we've
concentrated on the Aston Martins, others at Bond in Motion included
the BMW 750IL from 'Tomorrow Never Dies', the Jaguar XKR from 'Die
Another Day', and the BMW Z8 from 'The World Is Not Enough' (you know
the one, it got sliced in half).
|
|
The exit from Bond in Motion in London was, of course, through the 007
gift shop and from there...
|
...out into Covent Garden, still buzzing with visitors. See our tourist resources for Bond
in Motion links.
|
