Top 5 James Bond Cars

When it comes to cars in movies, nobody does it better than James Bond. Sure, there’s the beautiful women, novel gadgets, and fantastic villains to captivate audiences, but for car lovers, the four-wheeled rides that agent 007 uses in his films are always something to look forward to.

Bond never does anything average, and so his cars are always top notch. With a roller coaster of choices, from timeless British marques to heavy-hitting American muscle every car, that James Bond drives in his movies solidifies their status as pop culture icons. Take a look at his five best rides.

5. Moon Buggy

The vehicle that Sean Connery uses to escape Willard Whyte’s Space Labs in Diamonds are Forever (1971) isn’t a car per se. Additionally, the buggy was a pain to drive, as it had no suspension. Nevertheless, it remains a memorable Bond car, even if it’s a stretch to call it that.

4. Ford Mustang Mach 1 (1971)

Diamonds are Forever (1971) contained one of the most exciting car chases of its time. In the film, Bond navigates through Las Vegas strip to escape a slew of cop cars. With so much odds stacked against him, a muscle car makes the perfect sense to drive. After seeing sales increase for carmakers that got into the Bond franchise, Ford wanted a piece of the action and convinced the producers to use their car. How bad did Ford want the Mustang to be in the movie? They were only happy to replace every car destroyed on set with a brand new one.

3. Sunbeam Alpine Series II (1962)

Dr. No (1962) was the first James Bond film, and the car that he drove in it was a modest, British-made light lake blue Sunbeam Alpine. In the film, Sean Connery evades The Three Blind Mice in a hearse, avoiding their tail by driving under a crane blocking the road. The hearse can’t fit under the crane because of its height, and The Three Blind Mice end up falling off the mountain down to its fiery demise. Like many Bond cars to follow, the Sunbeam was a sleek roadster, setting the tone right off the bat for the British agent.

2. Lotus Esprit S1 (1976)

The story behind the Lotus Esprit S1’s appearance in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) is an interesting one. Apparently, Lotus dropped an Esprit prototype off at the door of the Bond franchise’s production company, Metro-Goldwin-Mayer. The prototype didn’t come with any badges, but the producers were so intrigued by the vehicle that they tracked down the British car manufacturer and asked for the Esprit S1 to be in the movie. Looking way ahead of its time, the car chase scene that the Esprit S1 appeared in was just as innovative as it was, with the car traveling in the air, on the ground, and underwater.

1. Aston Martin DB5 (1963)

The 1963 DB5 was the first Aston Martin make to appear in a James Bond flick, essentially making it synonymous with the MI6 superspy. Generally considered as the definitive James Bond car, the DB5 first appeared in the third and fourth Bond films, Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965), respectively. It eventually became one of the most famous movie cars on the face of the earth, with some arguing that the James Bond films were what really put Aston Martin in the public eye and on the map.  Proof of its timeless appeal, the classic car featured in many other Bond films as well, including Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006) and Skyfall (2012).