James Bond

James Bond movies often show a selection of four wheel drive and military vehicles particularly if army bases are involved.

Dr. No (1962)

Connery -->

There a well disguised Land Rover inside the flame throwing "dragon" on Dr. No's Carribean island. Sean Connery played Bond and Ursula Andress was very popular as the first Bond girl. (The bikini she wore in the film sold for 41,000 (au113,000) in an auction in 2001.)

L . A l l i s o n ©

From Russia With Love (1963)

Perhaps the best of the Bond Films - a good spy movie, not too many gadgets, and Connery at his threatening best. The main action takes place on the train and on the water. The fight scene in the confined space of the train compartment is particularly compelling.

Goldfinger (1964)

The chief automotive interest is the famous Aston Martin DB5 fitted with machine guns, rotating blades, rotating number plates, bullet-proof shield, smoke screen, instant oil slick, ... and passenger ejector seat. However, a Land Rover can be spotted parked in the Swiss factory where Bond is pursued, crashes the DB5 and is then captured. (btw. Honor Blackman who played Pussy Galore(!) was also the first Mrs. Peal in the Avengers.)

Thunderball (1965)

SPECTRE steals two nuclear bombs carried by a British Vulcan bomber (the spectacular delta-wing aircraft). There is a lot of under-water action in the Bahamas as Bond recovers them.

You Only Live Twice (1967)

The Hong Kong police drive around in various Land Rovers

George Lazenby -->

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

With George Lazenby as Bond and Diana Rigg (another ex- Mrs Peel) as his love interest and, briefly, his wife. No 4x4s are evident but there is another Aston Martin and we learn that the world is not enough is the Bond family motto (see 1999).

Diamonds are Forever (1971)

Sean Connery back for one more - with Jill St. John as Tiffany Case. We have an Aston Martin, and a Triumph Stag in Amsterdam, but the car chase is in a Ford Mustang coupe. There is another fight in a small space, this time a lift; see From Russia With Love (1963). Roger Moore -->

Live And Let Die (1973)

Moore -->

Roger Moore (star of The Saint) took over - as a much more light hearted James Bond.

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) Moore -->

Christopher Lee is the bad guy with the gun, Scaramanga.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Moore -->

Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) and Commander James Bond (Moore) alternately compete and cooperate to recover British and Russian nuclear-armed submarines. Bond's amphibious Lotus Esprit is top gadget.

Moonraker (1979)

Moore -->

The bad guys steal a space shuttle!

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Moore -->

Octopussy (1983)

Moore -->

Never Say Never Again (1983) Connery ! -->

Really the last one from Connery, who later said that it was one too many, but the movie also had Kim Basinger as Domino, Max von Sydow as Blofeld, and Rowan Atkinson as Small-Fawcett! SPECTRE steals two American Tomahawk cruise missiles to hold the world to ransom - remake of Thunderball (1965). A S3 or S2A Land-Rover is seen on an American air base.

View To a Kill (1985)

Moore -->

Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) attempts to destroy Silicon valley. There is a fun chase involving a fire ladder.

Timothy Dalton -->

The Living Daylights (1987)

Bond (Timothy Dalton) struggles with a baddy inside a SWB soft-top Land Rover 4x4 as it plunges over a cliff on Gibraltar. Bond defeats his opponent by parachuting to safety. The Russian army in Afghanistan also seems to have a Land Rover or two.

Licence to Kill (1989)

Timothy Dalton's second, and last, Bond movie.

Pierce Bosnan -->

Goldeneye (1995)

Bond (Pierce Brosnan), in a stolen Soviet tank, is chased by the police/ army in UAZ 4x4s, many of which are greatly "reduced in value" as a result. It is clearly demonstrated that tanks can drift when cornering at speed. An Aston Martin DB5 makes a cameo appearance, recalling Goldfinger.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Media mogul Elliot Carver plans to start a nuclear conflict to provide news for his global network and to further the spread of his empire; hell, it was a quiet week. A good selection of Russian UAZ 4x4s are shown at an (illegal) arms sale at the start of the movie. A BMW fitted with much gadgetry recalls the Aston Martin from Goldfinger. Bad guys drive black Range Rovers (is this a trend?) during the motorbike chase.

The World is Not Enough (1999)

Several Land Rovers are on the construction site for the oil pipe-line. Some UAZ and Land Rover Defenders (!) are also seen at the Russian base where nuclear weapons are stored and are being dismantled. Attractive nuclear physicist Ms. Christmas Jones is so named to provide punch-lines to two jokes.

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