July’s Top 5 most Iconic and unusual movie vehicles

How can any iconic car series possibly not dedicate an entire section, as a minimum, to one of, if not the, greatest film spies of all time? I’m of course talking about Bond, James Bond, the action man with style, swagger and a whole lotta panache.

For over 50 years in film, and even more in novels, this legendary spook graced the silver screen with his suave demeanour, euphemistically named love interests and, most importantly, those sweet, sweet rides.

We’re counting down five of our favourite Bond cars in July’s iconic and unusual cars in film and television.

AMC Hornet – The Man With The Golden Gun

Kicking off this list is a car that barrel rolled it’s way into our hearts. The AMC Hornet, Roger Moore, Loren ‘Bumps’ Williard; remember these three, because they achieved something historic in this movie that made the crowd “ooo” and “ahhh”. 

This was the very first time computer simulations had been used in planning a film stunt. They needed to jump 15.86 meters over a bridge at a speed of 64.36 km/h in just one shot. If that isn’t impressive, then I don’t know what is.

The Hornet weighed in at 1406kg, which was the minimum needed to pull off the barrel roll, and with a 5.9L V8 and 175 bhp, it was able to achieve 0-97kph in 8.4 seconds.

Did I mention that Loren Willard’s stunt was in the Guinness World Record 2010, as the world’s first astro spiral used in a movie? Now that’s what 007 is all about.

Ford Mustang Mach 1 – Diamonds Are Forever

Next up on our list is the wonderful lady in red: the 1971 Ford Mustang. Unlike many of the other Bond cars, this one didn’t sport any cool Q gadgets. Just as well, the classy Sean Connery in all American muscle more than made up for it. Not like any self respecting Bond would be caught dead in the 1971 equivalent of a Ford Mondeo, right Daniel Craig…#shade

The most iconic moment of the movie, and somehow topping the barrel roll, involves Bond and Tiffany Case escaping from the police down the streets of Las Vegas, seemingly heading towards a dead end, with naught but a very narrow alley offering any kind of reasonable aperture for escape. 

Somehow, Bond manages to manoeuver the car onto two wheels and perfectly navigates the narrow passage to safety. Although, amusingly, the camera that shows Bond and Tiffany in the car has them flipped wrongly before swiftly correcting itself a scene later.

This was Sean Connery’s very last film as the shaggalicious spy in a three-piece, and what better way to close the curtain on your 007 career than with another Bondtastic stunt?

Lotus Esprit S1 – The Spy Who Loved Me

The Lotus Esprit S1, aka ‘Wet Nellie’, is known for being the only submersible ride in the series’ history, and is probably the second most iconic Bond car of all time.

Just to be clear, submersible cars aren’t new to films. Heck, Jackie Chan drove one in Cannonball Run 2 for crying out loud. The difference, however, is that Wet Nellie is what’s known as a ‘wet sub’. Basically this means that when underwater, the interior doesn’t stay dry. In other words, bring your scuba gear when you’re taking this bad girl out for a spin.

The car cost $100,000 at the time to make, and weighed just 900 kgs. The Lotus 907 2.0L engine delivered 160 ponies, and peaked at 214 km/h. For the film itself, they placed fins by the wheels and used four electric motors to propel Wet Nellie forwards (problems with reverse, I’m afraid). 

Like any Q-made vehicle, it wasn’t lacking in gadgets either. Wet Nellie possessed a much needed periscope, cement canon (would be perfect for fixing roads), a missile launcher, mines, torpedoes and black dye for a quick getaway. Q really doesn’t let Bond down does he. 

Guess who now owns Wet Nellie? Hint: he can hit a blunt and his last name rhymes with Dusk.

Citroen 2CV6 – For Your Eyes Only

If there’s one thing you’ve probably noticed by now, it’s that we have a fondness for little cars with lots of character. And the Citroen 2CV6 packs both in abundance. 

This car was originally introduced in the 1940s to help farmers who were still using horses and carts to make the transition to motorised transport. Low cost, simple to service, low maintenance and low fuel consumption, it was perfect for its intended purpose.

This lithe ride weighed a mere 600 kgs, offered just 60 ponies through a 602 cm3 engine, and would get you from 0 to 60 km/h in…wait, the speedo’s still climbing to 60.

So, with these underwhelming specs, how did this slow poke ever transpire into a Bond car?

Well, for one thing, they replaced the 602 cm3 with a flat-4 air cooled engine taken from the GS version of the car, doubling its power. Not to mention, Hector Gonzalez’s thugs destroyed Bond’s Lotus Esprit, and the Citroen was his only option for a getaway.

For what it’s worth, this isn’t even the smallest and most unusual car Bond has ever had a chase scene in. Believe it or not, he once raced away aboard a Tuk Tuk, but that’s a story for another time.

Aston Martin DB5 – GoldFinger

As usual, we like to save the best for last. The single most iconic car with Bond’s tush imprint, is the one that started it all. The progenitor, the wonderful, the magnificent, the phenomenal…what’s that? Too much? Fine, it’s the Bonderific Aston Martin DB5. 

If you see any another Bond car at the top of anyone’s list, call the police immediately. That’s criminal. The Aston Martin is pure artwork, and yet another one steered into and out of turmoil by Sean Connery.

A 4.0L straight-six engine mated with 5-speed ZF box produced the power of 282 horses, and could hit 233 km/h at 5500 rpm.

Naturally, it wouldn’t be an original if it didn’t come with some of those fun toys; a smokescreen, a revolving license plate (seriously Rockstar needs to put this in GTA6), an ejector seat, a caltrop-dropping gadget and finally an oil dispenser. Nothing too destructive just yet for Bond. 

The DB5 truly epitomised class and was a brilliant choice to start off a series of beautiful cars in the Bond-verse. Except the Mondeo, of course…seriously who thought that was a good idea?

Another iconic list

There you have it. Our list of top five iconic Bond cars comes to a close. I’ll admit, we had a tough time limiting it to just five, but hey ho, these are our favourite Bond cars ever. 

Each one came forth with her own wonderful addition to this lineup (except one) and long may it continue with even classier cars, full of character, gadgets and sex appeal to make people scream double “OHHHHH” seven.

Which ones are your favourite Bond cars? Let us know in the comments!

Enjoyed this? Check out our other iconic and unusual cars from film and television here!

And for your viewing pleasure, you can check out the above-mentioned barrel roll here.