It only featured a hidden pistol, steel bumpers, a homing device and switches to change the colour of the lights - but it was 1959. And even this was tame by Bond's standards. There was no Hollywood flair and the only 'spy-car' was the Aston Martin DB3 in 'Goldfinger'. In short, Ian Fleming created a traditional James Bond who did his job quietly and efficiently. This included a Mark VI and a Mark II Continental. It took an intervention from Q before he changed the wreck of his 4 1/2 litre in 'Moonraker'!Įven though he was loathe to part with it, Bond eventually drove four Bentleys across Fleming's 12 novels and 2 short story collections.
Even though he was still a man of hot passion and cold fury, he loved his Bentley more than anything. While many of us are familiar with the gritty modern James Bond, Fleming created a sophisticated character who drove for pleasure rather than business. A 1930's Bentley 4 1/2 litre Turbocharged to be precise. Yes, that's right - Bond originally drove a Bentley. With memories of WW2 fresh and the swinging Sixties still to come, 007 was originally a very civilised gentleman spy.Īnd that meant that a Bentley was the only suitable vehicle. Ian Fleming wrote most of his James Bond novels during the 1950s.
