007: Review: James Bond Cars

By Frederic Brun

Aurum, out now

An incredibly comprehensive guide to all the vehicles used in the 007 franchise…

The list of cars inside the front flap of the sleeve gives you a good idea that this isn’t simply going to be a catalogue of the Aston Martin/BMWs that Bond drives in the film series – it’s much, much more. The cars are divided into “heroes”, “villains”, “seducers” amongst others, not referring to the people driving them, but the cars themselves.

Brun clearly loves his automobiles and communicates that effectively in the book. He also clearly knows and loves his Bond: the references come from both Fleming’s original novels and the films, and – highly unusually for an unofficial book – there are plenty of pictures from the movies themselves. Other modes of transport aren’t ignored – there are sections on motorbikes, helicopters, speed boats… even Little Nellie. The vehicles’ history is laid out efficiently, placing their appearance in the Bond world in context.

The design is clean, even if some pictures are pushed way beyond a sensible margin in enlargement; what seems to be a screen grab of the Citroen going over the bad guys’ car in For Your Eyes Only fills a page and a half of this coffee table size book, and looks terrible. However that’s a minor quibble: the text is key here, and it’s well worth your time.

Verdict: Not just for Bond fans, or car nuts, this is a great guide to the vehicular 007. 9/10

Paul Simpson

 

For a fascinating graphic looking at Bond cars past to present, click here