Cars figured little into the brief two-film Timothy Dalton era, other than an Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante in 1987’s “The Living Daylights.” Both Dalton and the film were vastly underrated and the later Aston tried gamely to capture some of the gadgetry and magic of the DB5, but a more jaded 1980s audience was having none of it.
Dalton handed the Bond franchise off to Pierce Brosnan (whom the producers had wanted anyway when they cast Dalton), and the series went into full blatant product placement mode with Bond driving predominantly current-model BMWs. In 1995, “GoldenEye” featured a then-new BMW Z3 in light metallic blue with a tan top. The accompanying mar- keting campaign caused a significant Z3 sales spike, particularly those in the “James Bond colors.” Not bad for a whopping two minutes of screen time. Near the end of his tenure, Brosnan was back in an Aston, this time a V12 Vanquish.
It’s hard to say why none of the subsequent Bond cars have taken off in value the way Aston Martin DB5s have. One could argue that Connery was the first and the best James Bond and that the Silver Birch DB5 was the first and the best of the gadgeted Bond cars and made the most lasting impression on a gen- eration of then wide-eyed and now moneyed Baby Boomers. But for the rest of us, it’s just as well to be able to lean on the fender of our red ’71 Mach 1 and tell the neighbor, “You know, James Bond drove one of these. Maybe even this one.”
To see more from our Las Vegas photoshoot, go to
hagerty.com/bondcars.
BOND VALUES NUMBER 3, OR STRONG-DRIVER CONDITION
1961- 63 SUNBEAM ALPINE SERIES II MSRP: $2,595 | CURRENT: $18,000
An Alpine is a fun, stylish, well-built alternative to an MG or Triumph.
1971 FORD MUSTANG MACH 1 MSRP: $3,640 | CURRENT: $42,000
With the 370 horsepower, 429-cid V-8 and 370, the Mach1 is fast. The fastback “Sports Roof”style works better than the convertible or Grande coupe bodies.
1974 AMC HORNET MSRP: $2,774 | CURRENT: $5,700
AMCs are quirky, but they’re a fun way to buck the herd mentality.
1977 LOTUS ESPRIT S1 MSRP: $15,548 | CURRENT: $13,000
An Esprit represents tremendous value for an exotic car. A white S1 gives you the second most recognized and glamorous Bond car for used Focus money.
1981 ALFA ROMEO GTV6 MSRP: $16,983 | CURRENT: $12,000
The GTV6 is another currently undervalued work of the great Giorgetto Giugiaro, and like the Esprit, it represents a great deal of car for the money.
1986 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE VOLANTE MSRP: $167,500 | CURRENT: $99,000
Handsome and a little brutish, Aston Martin V8s used to trade for as little as $50,000. Those days are gone.
1996 BMW Z3 MSRP: $28,750 | CURRENT: $11,000
The appealing Z3 is still just a used car that hasn’t yet hit the bottom of its depreciation curve. Buy based on condition and mileage.
HAGERTY.COM 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68