In our last blog in the ‘Land Rovers in Movies’ series, we looked at quite a few films that feature the classic vehicle, including the latest 007 film, Skyfall. Land Rover and 007 have had a pretty strong connection to each other since Goldfinger in 1964. In fact, Bond drove only British-produced cars way up until the BMW Z3, seen in 1995’s Goldeneye. But in this blog we’ll be focussing on the franchise’s Connery days, and the Land Rovers featured in them.
Goldfinger
Alongside the iconic Aston Martin DB5, the first appearance of a Land Rover in a Bond film came in 1964, two years after the first film was released. The film is a classic – it’s spawned hundreds, if not thousands of spoofs and references – and everyone, even the heretics who haven’t seen it, know who Pussy Galore and Odd Job are. It’s the film that defined Bond not as just another espionage movie (and there were plenty back in the Cold War 60’s) but an event. During a chase through Goldfinger’s Swiss factory complex at the film’s mid-point, keep your eyes on the left and you’ll spot it. A gorgeous 1958 Land Rover 109 Series II.
Thunderball
Directly following Goldfinger came the Bahamas-based Bond film Thunderball. So you’d expect to see plenty of devastatingly stunning yachts and jet-skis at top speed, of course, not to mention Bond’s real-life working jet-pack from the pre-credits sequence. But if you’ve got a keen eye you’ll spy a 1962 Land Rover 88 Series IIa towing the parade float used by Bond to avoid the clutches of the evil SPECTRE agents.
You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice might feature a fab Toyota and the Little Nellie helicopter, but they’re not a patch on the Land Rovers here. This time Bond finds himself faking his own death while hunting down arch-nemesis Blofeld. He finds the SPECTRE boss inside his lair – a hollowed out volcano used for launching rockets into space. Which would start WWIII, apparently. Being a man of taste, Blofeld employs a red Land Rover 109 Series II with a short wheelbase to transport goods around the base. Before then though, during a chase sequence through the city, eagle-eyed viewers will note that the Hong Kong police drive a 1956 Land Rover 107 Series I station wagon, painted in military colours.
We think the best stars of any Bond film are the vehicles. If you want Land Rover spares to keep your Landy ready for action, browse our website or contact us on 01458 834930 and see what we can do for you.