From January 17th 2012, The National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire proudly hosts an exhibition of a mind boggling array of James Bond vehicles. In all, 50 vehicles, marking 50 years since the first Bond film was actually screened, will be on show at the famous automotive museum.
While other superhero modes of transport are forever being tweaked to keep our interest (see my review of the bewildering array of Batmobiles here), Bond vehicles are far more varied. Although we all maybe think of the Aston Martin DB5 as Bond's car, in fact he has never been restricted to just the one make and type of automobile. It is after all, his company car – so why not get a different model for each job?
Here's just some of the vehicles you can see at Beaulieu:
Lotus Esprit S1 (The Spy Who Loved Me), BMW 750iL (Tomorrow Never Dies), Aston Martin DBS (Quantum of Solace), Jaguar XKR (Die Another Day), Ford Mustang Mach 1 (Diamonds Are Forever), 1962 Rolls Royce (A View To A Kill). Plus much much more..
Not just cars either – you can see the surfboard with hidden weapons from Die Another Day or maybe you prefer to see the Bede Acrostar jet from Octopussy.
Tickets are under £20 and include admission to The National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House (formerly the 13th century Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey) and World of Top Gear, which includes such oddities as the Reliant Robin Rocket, which was an attempt to blast the diminutive vehicle into space, and the Olympic Mini, which similarly failed in a rocket powered attempt to out-jump an Olympic skier.
Billed as 'Bond in Motion – 50 Vehicles, 50 Years', the exhibition is the largest collection of Bond vehicles ever put together and will run until December 2012.
Following the celebrity launch of the exhibition, with the likes of Britt Ekland, Jenny Hanley, and Madeline Smith in attendance, Bond in Motion opens it's doors to the public from January 17th until December 2012, so there is plenty of time to make sure you have a licence to drive, and some classic car insurance so that you can arrive in a style befitting the occasion and surroundings. And if this whets your appetite, the 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall, is rumoured to be released later this year..