Last weekend, James Bond icon Sean Connery passed away at the age of 90. The Scottish award winning actor shone in seven films as the 007 hero he will be remembered as a true legend. MASTERS lists Connery's seven finest cars from his James Bond career.Text: Larissa Schaule Jullens
Image: Simon Clay | GN Sin | National Archives
The absolute number one in this list is the Aston Martin DB5. Since Connery made his debut in Goldfinger in 1964, the Aston Martin has become indispensable in the film series. The photo of Sean Connery with the DB5 on a Swiss mountain pass is iconic. In 2018, the brand even announced together with the production company of the James Bond films to build 25 copies of the model seen in Goldfinger, identical to what it was then. A LEGO version of the DB5 also appeared.
The Toyota 2000GT was made famous by the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice , set mostly in Japan. Because of Sean's height, Toyota built an open version of the sports car especially for the film, which was only available for sale as a coupe. Since then, the Toyota 2000GT has become one of the most famous and iconic Japanese sports cars of all time. Just recently, one example was auctioned for €500,000 euros. In 2013, a GT item even fetched €750,000 euros.
In Diamonds Are Forever (1971), a bright red Ford Mustang Mach 1 was given a prominent role. The Mach 1 was a jacked-up version of the standard Mustang. The model series from the film was built between 1971 and 1973 and can be identified by the two distinctive air intakes on the hood. èe most famous scene is the scene where Connery balances the Mustang on two wheels.
The Sunbeam Alpine was the first car in Connery's Bond film. The baby blue white-banded Alpine was the vehicle 007 rented while in Jamaica. This vehicle was to bail him out when he was lured into defeat by an enemy spy. He managed to shake off his pursuers, but he did not owe that to the Sunbeam's speed. The convertible featured an 80hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder inline engine.
From the 1963 film From Russia with Love, the Drophead 3.5 Litre Bentley Mark IV is the closest car to the Bentley from the book Casino Royale. That was a 1931 Bentley 4.5 Litre. Perfect for a drive in the open air. Sean Connery scored points with the ladies with this Bentley Mark IV.
The yellow Triumph is familiar from the 1971 film Diamonds Are Forever. Connery gets behind the wheel and drives to our own capital city of Amsterdam. In the film, the yellow vehicle is owned by diamond smuggler Peter Franks. He is caught and Connery assumes his identity, crosses the English Channel and is then seen in the Netherlands.
After saying "never again" to playing 007 in a movie, Connery was still persuaded by production in 1983 for the film Never Say Never Again. He was allowed to choose his own car and chose the elegant 1937 Bentley 4 1/4 Litre Drophead Coupe.
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