‘You look pale, Mr. Bond. I hope I didn’t frighten you.’ 

‘Well you see, I’ve always been a nervous passenger. ‘

‘Some men just don’t like to be driven.’

‘No, some men just don’t like to be taken for a ride.’ 

Thunderball, 1965

Tracy’s Mercury Cougar XR7 from ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (Photo © Mark O’Connell)

London’s Bond in Motion is to honour the wheels, cars and style of 007’s women over the years. In a new exhibition wing at Covent Garden’s famed Bond pit stop, EON Productions and the London Film Museum are marking the cars and vehicular verve of Bond’s leading women. Adding to the already rich array of over one hundred motion-related exhibits – including a lush collection of girl power vehicles such asTracy’s Mercury Cougar from OHMSS – is a newly added collection of previously unseen cars, props and costumes from the 007 women’s 55 year history of taking things up a gear. The Land Rover Defender Double Cab driven by Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) in Skyfall, the Ford Ka driven by Camille (Olga Kurylenko) in Quantum of Solace and the beautiful Ford Thunderbird driven by Jinx (Halle Berry) in Die Another Day are all now on display.

‘Go backwards forwards quickly!’

For Your Eyes Only, 1981

Alongside other newly added Skyfall props, storyboards and clapper boards are various costumes ranging from Moneypenny’s Belstaff jacket, H&M silk vest, J Brand leather trousers from Skyfall , Jasper Conran’s costume for Quantum of Solace‘s Camille, Versace’s leather jacket and skirt for Die Another Day‘s Jinx (Halle Berry). Added to that is Melina Havelock’s crucial crossbow from 1981’s For Your Eyes Only and an original production memo from January 1964 requesting driving lessons for Goldfinger‘s Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) – the first female character to be seen driving a car in a Bond movie.

Jinx’s Ford Thunderbird from DIE ANOTHER DAY at Bond in Motion.

Bond in Motion is an ever-changing jewel in the 007 crown and an ever-popular destination for many visitors since its launch in March 2014. To celebrate the new exhibits, Bond in Motion is now offering 2-for-1 tickets until the end of 2017 (using the code GP001) so there is really no excuse not to thumb a lift to London’s Covent Garden.

For more details check out Bond in Motion.