The 25 Best James Bond Cars From Every 007 Film

While the Fast & Furious franchise has given us an incredible array (and erratic) mix of cars, everyone knows the James Bond cars that have romanced fans for the last sixty years remain unbeaten. In his quest to save the world from one evil villain or another, Bond has been behind the wheel of some of the best vehicles in cinematic history, loaded with ingenious gadgets.

Within the pantheon of great James Bond cars, there’s one automaker that stands head and shoulders above the rest: Aston Martin. Despite Ian Fleming’s love affair with Bentley across his 14 novels, it was Aston Martin that triumphed on the big screen winning over audiences with the legendary 1964 Aston Martin DB5 that appeared in no less than eight different films. In Bond’s latest adventure, No Time To Die, four Astons feature, further cementing the synonymous partnership.

However, while Aston Martins will always loom large within 007 fans’ collective consciousness, Bond has also driven dozens of other brilliant cars over the years. From other British names like Bentley, Rolls Royce, and Lotus, to BMW, Toyota, Ford and Sunbeam, James Bond has also piloted a double-decker bus, semi-trailer and even a taxi through the streets of Paris.

RELATED: James Bond’s Stolen Aston Martin DB5 Has Finally Been Found After 25 Years

To dig a little deeper into the best cars 007 has driven throughout the James Bond franchise, let’s take a look at our favourite vehicles from each of the 25 Bond films since 1962. From humble beginnings to cutting-edge supercars, these are the coolest cars of the last six decades of Ian Fleming’s secret agent.

The Complete List Of The Best James Bond Cars From Every 007 Film

Dr. No (1962) — Sunbeam Alpine (1961)

The last decade or so has conditioned us to expect Daniel Craig behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB5, but the very first car driven by 007 was a long way from that kind of luxury. Featured in the debut Bond film Dr. No, Sean Connery hires an English-built Sunbeam Alpine to make the journey to Miss Taro’s home in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Not a bad-looking car by any stretch of the imagination, but things would only get better from here.

From Russia with Love (1963) — Bentley Mark IV Drophead 3.5 Litre (1935)

In Fleming’s novels preceding the Dr. No film, 007 had a serious penchant for Bentley. “Bond’s car was his only personal hobby. One of the last of the 4¹/₂-litre Bentleys with the supercharger by Amherst Villiers, he had bought it almost new in 1933 and had kept it in careful storage through the war.” – Casino Royale (1953). From Russia with Love stays true to Flemings’s original vision putting Sean Connery behind the wheel of this classic Bentley Mark IV Drophead 3.5 Litre. It’s understood this curvaceous four-speed manual was James Bond’s first Q Branch equipped vehicle, equipped with a car phone that was very advanced technology for the time. The specific model from Bentley was in production for just six years, with around 2400 vehicles produced in total and capable of 110hp and a top speed of 90mph.

Goldfinger (1964) — Aston Martin DB5 (1964)

If there’s one vehicle that is unambiguously the most iconic Bond car, it’s the Aston Martin DB5. Four examples were created for Goldfinger, two of which were used in filming and the other two were used to promote the film’s release.

The DB5 has appeared in no less than eight different Bond films — the most of any Bond car — and was the first car to be fully kitted out with gadgets by the Q branch. These included twin 303 Browning machine guns that appeared from behind the parking lights, M134 miniguns behind the headlights, a smoke machine, an oil slick dispenser, bulletproof windows, rotating number plates for evening detection and even a champagne refrigerator inside.

Of the four Aston Martin DB5 cars that were used in Goldfinger, one now resides in the Louwman Museum in The Hague, while another was bought by a car collector and was stolen in 1997, only for it to be found in the Middle East in 2021. The other two cars are in private collections, one owned by Harry Yeaggy after he purchased it in 2010 for US$4.6 million and the other was bought anonymously from an RM Sotheby’s auction in 2019 for US$6.4 million.

Thunderball (1965) — Aston Martin DB5 (1964)

The Aston Martin DB5 was also used the following year in Thunderball, appearing in the opening credits with Sean Connery behind the wheel, escaping his pursuers using a rear-facing water cannon. The same cars were used for both Goldfinger and Thunderball.

You Only Live Twice (1967) — Toyota 2000GT (1967)

In Sean Connery’s final appearance as James Bond in You Only Live Twice, he visits Tokyo and we see the sporty Japanese convertible driven by the Japanese Secret Intelligence Service agent Aki. It’s the first time a Toyota was featured and due to Connery’s height, the automaker had to modify the vehicle so he could comfortably fit inside it. Of the two Toyota 2000GTs that were created for the film (just 351 were made in total during its three-year production run), the location of one is unknown today, while the other forms a part of the collection at the Toyota Automobile Museum.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) — Aston Martin DBS (1968)

On the occasion of George Lazenby’s first (and only) time playing James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, a new Aston Martin made its debut in the form of the DBS. A markedly different silhouette when compared to the classic DB5, the DBS arrived with a compartment that housed a sniper rifle, but tragically wasn’t fitted with the same bulletproof glass as its predecessor. Of the two cars that were used in the filming of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, one is now owned by Melbourne-based collector Sigi Zidziunas.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971) — Ford Mustang Mach 1 (1971)

It’s hard to celebrate the vehicles in an action film franchise without plenty of car chases and by this stage, James Bond films were becoming well known for their pursuits. One of the most recognisable scenes in Diamonds Are Forever is the chase through the Las Vegas strip, where Sean Connery made his return to pilot a Ford Mustang Mach 1 at high speeds and on two wheels, as one of the rare muscle cars to feature in the franchise.

Live and Let Die (1973) — AEC Regent RT-Type Double-Decker Bus

While not technically a car, the AEC Regent RT-Type Double-Decker bus in Live and Let Die formed a pivotal part of the film as Bond sought to escape the San Monique Police cars. With another new actor playing 007, Sir Roger Moore was behind the wheel of the bus that was formerly used on London’s number 19 route, before it was shipped to Jamaica for the film.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) — AMC Hornet X Hatchback (1974)

Roger Moore made his return for The Man with the Golden Gun, where he was a part of the now legendary car chase scene that included the twisting aerial jump of a stolen AMC Hornet X Hatchback. One of the most complex stunts ever filmed at that point in cinema history, engineers used computers from the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory to model the jump before it was tested seven times by stunt doubles ahead of the take with cameras rolling. Today, the AMC Hornet X Hatchback is a part of the collection at the National Motor Museum in Hampshire.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) — Lotus Esprit S1 “Wet Nellie” (1977)

While the Aston Martin DB5 is the most iconic car in the James Bond franchise, the Lotus Esprit S1 “Wet Nellie” from The Spy Who Loved Me has to be a close second place, and if not for the car, the story about how it made it into the film alone makes it worthy of that place. Designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign Giugiaro, the angular Lotus was capable of transforming into an underwater submarine and was fitted with anti-aircraft missiles that took down a helicopter. Enamoured by many of Giugiaro’s designs, it’s understood Elon Musk now owns the vehicle, with inspiration from the designer taken to develop the soon-to-be-released Tesla Cybertruck.

Moonraker (1979) — Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I LWB (1973)

Another quintessential British-made car worthy of James Bond is the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I Long Wheel Base (LWB) that he was picked up in after touching down in Rio de Janeiro. Unusually, it’s understood this car was produced for the North American market and somehow ended up in Brazil for the Bond film.

For Your Eyes Only (1981) — Lotus Esprit Turbo (1981)

Following the popular success of the Lotus Esprit S1 “Wet Nellie” a few years earlier, For Your Eyes Only featured an eye-catching bronze-tone Lotus Esprit Turbo that Bond drove to a ski resort in Northern Italy. One of two Esprits that were used in the film, both were specially ordered from the automaker and one is on display today at the Orlando Auto Museum in Florida.

Octopussy (1983) — Alfa Romeo GTV6 (1980)

Bond’s car choice branched again for Octopussy in 1983 when he stole an Alfa Romeo GTV6 to assist in his escape from two Bavarian BMW police cars. With its instantly recognisable bonnet bulge to accommodate an air intake, the predecessor of this GTV6 was the Giugiaro-designed Alfetta, making this the third Bond car in a row with the Italian designer’s fingerprints.

A View to a Kill (1985) — Renault 11 Taxi

Certainly less attractive than a DB5, but equally exciting in the way it was driven by Roger Moore in his final adventure as 007, this Renault 11 Taxi that Bond steals was literally torn to pieces as it sped through the streets of Paris. Despite losing both the roof and the entire rear of the vehicle, Bond was able to keep driving the 105bhp car on just two wheels.

The Living Daylights (1987) — Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante (1985)

Just as we saw with the introduction of the DBS alongside George Lazenby’s debut, the first appearance of Timothy Dalton warranted a new Aston Martin in the form of the V8 Vantage Volante. Arriving with a similar silhouette to the DBS from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the V8 Vantage Volante stepped things up when it came to Q Branch gadgets and featured missiles, lasers, bulletproof glass and deployable steel spikes. Powered by a 5.3L V8, this is one of Bond’s more underrated cars.

License to Kill (1989) — Kenworth W-900 18-Wheeler

Another classic Bond vehicle that isn’t technically a car, Timothy Dalton managed to wrestle an enormous Kenworth W-900 18-Wheeler during one of the franchise’s more exciting car chase scenes. Crushing Jeeps and surviving hits from FIM-92 Stinger missiles, the massive Kenworth also spent plenty of time speeding down the road on less than an ideal number of wheels.

GoldenEye (1995) — BMW Z3/Ferrari 355 GTS (1995)

Just as the folks at Omega were clever enough to secure the wrist of James Bond as his timepiece provider, BMW was locked in as the official provider of 007 cars during the Pierce Brosnan era that began with GoldenEye. While the iconic Aston Martin DB5 was still featured early on for an unforgettable race against a Ferrari F355 GTS, the BMW Z3 was the main vehicle Bond drives for the film, equipped with an ejector seat and missiles. I couldn’t separate the two here, the Ferrari trumped for awesomeness, the Z3 for significance.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) — BMW 750iL (1997)

Another Brosnan Bond film, another BMW. For Tomorrow Never Dies, 007 was behind the wheel of a Q Branch-modified BMW 750iL that was fitted with missiles and self-inflating tires. Perhaps its coolest feature was its ability to be piloted via Bond’s special Ericsson cell phone, which he uses to send it flying off a rooftop into a fuel station across the road.

The World Is Not Enough (1999) — BMW Z8 (1999)

The World Is Not Enough wasn’t Brosnan’s last James Bond film, but it was the last time we saw a BMW – and fleetingly I might add. Featured was the now highly collectible 5-litre V8-powered BMW Z8, fitted with titanium armour, missiles and more remote control functionality.

Die Another Day (2002) — Aston Martin V12 Vanquish (2002)

Following the turn of the millennium, Aston Martin made a triumphant return with the V12 Vanquish piloted by Pierce Brosnan in his final time as Bond. Starring alongside Halle Berry who played Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson, Brosnan used the Vanquish to great effect in the film with its modified missiles, machine guns and an ejector seat. With all the usual refinements and more, it was also able to go invisible with “adaptive camouflage” deployed at the push of a button and became the first car to be featured in a James Bond video game.

Casino Royale (2006) — Aston Martin DBS V12 (2006)

At the start of the modern James Bond era, Casino Royale and Daniel Craig arrived in 2006 with the Aston Martin DBS V12. While not overly equipped for secret agent work, it did contain a compartment for Bond’s handgun and a medical kit (including a defibrillator), which saved Bond’s life during the central poker game. The Aston Martin DB5 also made a brief return, but the DBS V12 was the star of the film, setting a record for the most number of rotations (seven, confirmed by the Guinness Book of Records) during a crash scene.

Quantum of Solace (2008) — Aston Martin DBS V12 (2006)

Two years later for the critically received Quantum of Solace, the Aston Martin DBS V12 made a return in a darker shade. It didn’t appear to feature any Q Branch modifications and was only used in a car chase through Italy at the beginning of the film.

Skyfall (2012) — Jaguar XJ X351 (2001)

There is no doubt that the Aston Martin DB5 was the most significant car Bond drove during Skyfall –  causing audiences to explode in applause upon its reveal – complete with headlight machine guns and ejector seat. However, for variety, we’ve included the only other car Daniel Craig spent much time behind the wheel of, a British Intelligence-issued Jaguar XJ X351, which didn’t feature any modifications of note.

Spectre (2015) — Aston Martin DB10 (2015)

In a return to the full force of Aston Martin in Spectre, Bond drives a modified DB10 that came complete with a double-barrelled machine gun, flamethrower and ejection seat with a parachute that Bond ejects with. Unfortunately for 007, Q forgot to load the car with any ammunition.

No Time to Die (2021) — Aston Martin DBS Superleggera (2020)

Last, and arguably one of the exciting James Bond cars to ever grace the franchise’s set, is the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera that was featured in No Time to Die. Four different Aston Martins were featured in No Time to Die, including the original DB5, a Vantage, this DBS Superleggera and even the Valhalla supercar spotted in the wind testing tunnel of Q Branch. The DBS Superleggera doesn’t appear to have been modified, however, as one of the British automaker’s most attractive designs, was more than a worthy addition to the film.