From the opening shot of the opening Bond movie Dr. No (1962) where three “blind” assassins trundle on a mission of murder across traffic before cowering in a private members club car park, James Bond’s onscreen romance with automobiles was in sixth gear.
Instantly part of the machismo, panache and kinetic pace of 007, these various high-end automobiles, motorcycles, fold-up planes and moon buggies are now Bond’s necessary co-stars, sidekicks and possibly even love interest. The fiery death of the Aston Martin DB5 in Skyfall (2012) was certainly lent nearly as much impact as the onscreen death of Bond’s wife Tracy forty or so years before.
“No, some men just don’t like to be taken for a ride”
Thunderball / 1965
Until 1964’s landmark third Bond bullet Goldfinger, the 007 films featured cars. From Goldfinger onwards, the 007 films starred cars. From that moment, movie espionage and the world’s best, most glamourous and best designed cars were forever aligned – instant cultural bedfellows raising each other’s bar in an onscreen marriage like no other franchise. Add a bit of 1960s and 1970s toy merch magic and more than one generation of Bond fans went from back seat drivers to pole position.
The DB5 was of course an extension of Bond himself. Yet, as the brand new beautifully produced Spy Octane: The Vehicles of James Bond – Volume One is about to test drive, the Aston was merely one of more than one hundred vehicles to star in EON Productions’ James Bond series.
For the first time, acclaimed Bond historians Matthew Field (The Self Preservation Society – Fifty Years of The Italian Job, 2019) and Ajay Chowdhury (Some Kind of Hero – The Remarkable History of the James Bond Films) have researched, curated, re-discovered and re-pointed the captivating story of each of 007’s vehicles. Over an epic three volume publishing project from famed car imprint Porter Press, Spy Octane is a wholly authoritative companion for all Bond, cinema and car enthusiasts. With the sleek design of a DB5, the Corgi-addled nostalgia of Little Nellie and the hidden story quirks of a Lotus Esprit, this landmark tome dives, reverses and motors deep into the beating engines of Bond’s most iconic rides.
Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury collaborated on Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films (The History Press, 2015). They curated and wrote Remembering Roger Moore and Sean Connery: A James Bond Journey for MI6 Confidential and their work appears in James Bond articles and publications around the world.
‘We have been so fortunate to have been granted access to a great number of private archives from around the world as well as those of Ford and Toyota who have shared a wealth of incredible, never-before-published photographs and documents.’
– Matthew Field, co-author, Spy Octane
Field and Chowdhury have filled their tank with hundreds of exclusive interviews with filmmakers, actors, stunt-drivers, motor industry executives, museum curators and private vehicle owners – as well as a whole motor show’s worth of motoring and entertainment periodicals, books, magazines and unpublished ephemera. No story is the same, and race track alumni, rare finds and abandoned garages are key to the ever curious timeline of these movie cars.
‘It has been an absolute honour to share my story in Spy Octane, and the book is a wonderful 60th anniversary celebration of Aston Martin’s collaboration with James Bond. Flicking through this incredible volume and seeing all the other 007 vehicles beyond just Aston Martin – it is a great reminder of what an extraordinary cultural phenomenon the world of James Bond has become and the role it has played in automotive history and beyond.’
– Mike Ashley, former Aston Martin executive at the time of Goldfinger
Through detective work, pluck and a bit of historical guile, Chowdhury and Field have unearthed undiscovered and ground-breaking secrets behind the vehicles – such as the autogyro Little Nellie (You Only Live Twice, 1967), the Toyota 2000GT convertible (You Only Live Twice, 1967), the Moon Buggy (Diamonds are Forever, 1971) and of course ‘the most famous car in the world’, the Aston Martin DB5.
‘We have been blessed with the cooperation of so many who have entrusted us with their stories for the first time. We have also unearthed 007 vehicles which were thought to have been lost forever.’
– Ajay Chowdhury, co-author, Spy Octane
Spy Octane: – The Vehicles of James Bond – Volume One covers the first golden era of James Bond – when Sean Connery’s portrayal on Ian Fleming’s super spy became a global phenomenon and defined the 1960s onscreen, fed into international car design, style and branding, and saw popular culture align itself with four wheels and a bonnet like never before.
With over one thousand photographs – some of which are rare, never-seen-before imagery – the 432-page first volume hardback is published in November 2024.
“I hope my back end will stand up to this!”
Mercury Cougar XR7, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service / 1969
Spy Octane: The Vehicles of James Bond – Volume 1
by Matthew Field and Ajay ChowdhuryNovember 2024
Jacketed hardback432 pages | Over 1000 images
£99.00
ISBN 978-1-913089-85-6To pre-order direct from Porter Press (the first 400 copies are author signed).
