The Original James Bond Never Drove An Aston Martin: What 007 Drove In The Books

If more than six decades worth of cinematic adventures has taught us nothing else, it's that the only thing British super spy James Bond appreciates as much as a shaken martini, a finely tailored suit, and the company of a strong, beautiful woman, is a high-end automobile tricked out with a few fancy gadgets and gizmos. Of course, those vehicles tend to bear the badge of Aston Martin, which 007 has driven more than any other automobile brand during his big screen run. That is more than fitting given that Aston Martin is an English brand, and 007 is a distinctly British sort of secret agent.

Despite the legitimately iconic big screen pairing of James Bond and Aston Martin, it's worth noting that 007's origins are literary in nature. Ian Fleming published the first Bond book "Casino Royale" in 1953, almost a full decade before the MI6 agent made his big screen debut in 1962's "Dr. No." Interestingly enough, there was no Aston Martin to be seen in "Dr. No," or in the 1963 follow-up, "From Russia With Love." In fact, Bond didn't drive one until 1964's "Goldfinger."

For the record, that was the first time Bond ever drove an Aston Martin, as he actually piloted a 1931 4.5 Litre Bentley Blower in Fleming's "Casino Royale." While Bentley is, fittingly, also a British brand, the beastly Blower builds are far less appealing than the Aston Martin, making the change understandable for the decidedly visual medium of cinema.

The 1931 Bentley Blower that James Bond drove in his literary debut was a beast in its own right. These days, of course, it would be considered an antique. In 1953, however, it was just over 20 years old, and in the 1930s, Bentley had a well-established reputation for producing powerful vehicles that were as distinguished on the road as they were fearsome on the race track. While the 4.5 liter, supercharged Blower that Bond owned in "Casino Royale" wasn't as successful in competition as some of its predecessors, it continues to rank as one of the true Bentley icons of the era.

That's in no small part because it was the vehicle frequently driven by legendary Bentley Boy Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin. Birkin himself kept the 4.5 liter supercharged Blower in production through the early 1930s, as the builds had fallen out of favor with Bentley founder W.O. Bentley. Even at a weight of 4,400 pounds, Birkin insisted on driving a Blower in races, with the builds eventually delivering 240 brake horsepower (or 236 hp) and a top speed of around 138 mph.

As Fleming penned the story in "Casino Royale," Bond acquired his '31 Blower in "almost new" condition in 1933, writing of the vehicle that it "was his only personal hobby." If you are versed in Bond lore, you know that "personal hobby" designation assigns an importance to the Bentley few objects have ever received in the greater 007-verse.  

Initial Bentley love aside, these days it's all but impossible to imagine James Bond driving anything other than an Aston Martin. Of course, several other cars have appeared in Bond films, with the secret agent piloting a Sunbeam Alpine in his 1962 big screen debut, and a Bentley Mark IV in its follow-up, "From Russia With Love." Likewise, Roger Moore's 007 never drove an Aston Martin at all, marking a seven-film absence of the iconic automotive pairing. As noted, that pairing indeed began in 1964's "Goldfinger," with Sean Connery's 007 cruising around in the Aston Martin DB5, which he also drove in "Thunderball." 

The DB5 became a clear favorite for the secret agent – not to mention franchise fans – as he drove the model in several other films, including the Pierce Brosnan-starring  "GoldenEye" and "Tomorrow Never Dies," as well as "Casino Royale,"  "Skyfall," "Spectre," and "No Time to Die," all of which featured Daniel Craig as Bond. Apart from the DB5, George Lazenby's Bond drove the Aston Martin DBS in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

It would be nearly two decades, however, until Bond drove another Aston Martin, with Timothy Dalton's 007 driving the celebrated V8 Volante in "The Living Daylights." The V12 Vanquish made a notable appearance in Brosnan's swan song "Die Another Day," while Craig's Bond traded the DBS for the DB10 in "Spectre." Most recently, "No Time To Die" featured four different Aston Martins, including the DBS, the V8, the Super GT, and the Valhalla.