Forgotten Cars - Renault 3

The Renault 3 was a back to basics means of transport

I came across this blast from the past a couple of years ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
I'm sure like most people who first clapped eyes on it, I assumed it was the rather famous and successful Renault 4, a car that was made in 16 different countries and had a production run that stretched from 1961 to 1992. Millions were produced - I tend to think of it as Renault's answer to the Citroen 2CV, Fiat 500 and BMC's Mini.
Alas, I was wrong. It was instead the largely forgotten Renault 3; a car that at the time I didn't even know existed! The story behind it isn't a long one...
Citroen's 2CV was selling like hot cakes in France throughout the 1950's; a vehicle that was produced to appeal to the French farmer by being cheap, durable and able to transport produce such as eggs over fields without the worry of them cracking thanks to the car's long travel suspension. Meanwhile, Renault were set to launch their new R4, a 747cc five door family hatchback that was affordable, tough and practical.
Renault executives of the day were evidently concerned that the 4 was somehow a bit too well equipped and high end compared to the equivalent 2CV, (even though one could hardly call it luxurious). Worried that it was priced and positioned north of the Citroen, Renault launched the budget orientated R3 in order to compete directly with the 2CV.

The Renault 3 was a commercial failure. The production run lasted just two years

The car launched in 1961, the same year as the R4; however, the Renault 3 featured a smaller 603cc engine and was priced 4% lower than the entry level R4. Although both were pretty much identical to look at, the R3 came without the third side rear windows, hubcaps, interior door linings or screen washer. Chrome plating was scrapped on the vehicle's grille and bumpers; instead, these parts were coloured the same as the body.
In the end Renault needn't have bothered. As there was such little difference in price and performance between the two cars, everyone just bought the Renault 4 in the first place - and buy it they did. The R4 became one of the world's biggest motoring success stories.
As for the rather forgotten Renault 3, production ended in October 1962. The car is a very rare sight today but it showed that Renault were on to a good thing from the off with the R4. 

The British Royal Family and The Automobile - Picture Gallery

The Queen found the practical benefits of a large estate car very appealing. Her Majesty's Ford Zephyr was a popular choice, often used around the grounds of the Sandringham estate  

To mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, The Cartier lawn at the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed saw an extensive collection of vehicles used by members of the Royal Family. The collection were categorised into groups including Royal Working Vehicles, State Vehicles and Cars used Overseas amongst others. The cars themselves were owned either by Her Majesty, the wider Royal Family, museums or by governments. It was a great spectacle and interesting to read the stories of how each model played a role in the private and public lives of the Windsor's. Enjoy...

This Ford V8 Pilot was bought by King George VI shortly before his death in 1952. He didn't have much time to enjoy it but the car was bespoke; the chassis was 12 inches longer than normal

This Humber Super Snipe had come back from Australia - the car still had its New South Wales registration attached. The car was used on the Queen's first Commonwealth tour

This Daimler DS420 4.2 Automatic became a favourite of the Queen Mother. The limousine's extras included flashing lights set behind the radiator grille and a powered step to help her into the car. Her crest can be found on the rear doors

This 1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan 'Bubbletop' was owned by the US Secret Service and can normally be found today in Ford's museum in Detroit, Michigan. The Queen used it while on a visit to the White House in 1957

This Daimler Super Sport was for a time The Queen's personal set of wheels, often used around the Sandringham estate. Jaguar made some alterations as requested by Her Majesty including an enlarged centre storage compartment. Her handbag had to fit somewhere! 

Prince Philip ordered this 1961 Alvis TD21 SII Drophead Coupe which became one of his favourites. Alterations were carried out by Mulliner Park Ward - the Prince requested that the usual shiny wooden dashboard be replaced with a leather alternative

The Queen rode in this Citroen SM Decapotable during her official state visit to France in 1972. The car was officially signed off for release by former French president Nicolas Sarkozy

The Queen has always been a fan of the traditional Land Rover Defender - they are particularly welcome in Balmoral. One of her older models has seen extensive service over many years in the Sandringham estate covering over 40,000 miles. This model was presented to the Queen at the turn of the Millennium and featured an automatic transmission. It wasn't long before she missed a manual and it was sent back to have one fitted  

This 1969 Austin Princess 4.0 Vanden Plas limousine was a Royal state working vehicle for many years. It was in this car that a kidnap attempt was made whilst Princess Anne was being driven along The Mall after a public engagement in 1974. Ian Ball, a 24 year old man with mental health problems ambushed the motorcade and shot two royal protection officers and ordered Princess Anne to give him £2m. The Princess Royal apparently responded with "Not bloody likely, and I haven't got £2m"

This Vauxhall Cresta Friary estate served a very similar role to the Ford Zephyr mentioned earlier. Vauxhall never officially launched an estate version of the Cresta saloon - the models were sent to Friary Motors of Basingstoke to be converted

Like all Royal state vehicles, this Rolls Royce Phantom V doesn't require to be registered, hence no plates. This model was normally kept aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia to be used around the world on official state visits. The bonnet of this Rolls Royce has been shortened in order for it to fit on the decks of the royal yacht

The Royal toy car collection! Some are pedal powered whilst others use either battery or petrol propulsion. The collection included a 1924 Citroen C4, a 1950 Austin J40, a 1966 Aston Martin DB5 007 replica presented to a young Prince Andrew and a 1988 Aston Martin Volante given to Prince Charles when he visited Aston's Newport Pagnell works. The American Imperial Midget racer was given to Prince Charles when he was a boy and could reach well over 30mph. The caravan was presented to a young Prince Charles and Princess Anne by the Caravan Club in 1955 - Prince Philip reportedly used his Hillman Husky to tow them around Sandringham    

This 1991 Daimler Double Six Series 3 was used by The Queen for private functions. It was painted a unique colour as requested by Her Majesty whilst the standard rear seatbelts were replaced with more dignified lap belts. The car ended up in private hands, the owner only later finding out who the previous keeper was! 

Mercedes have always owned this 600 Pullman and it was regularly used by the German government for state occasions. The Queen used it during an official visit to West Germany. The rear section of the roof can be removed so onlookers can have a clearer view of the VIPs

Nuffield Place

Nuffield Place is located near to Henley-on-Thames and was the home to William Morris; later Lord Nuffield

2012 saw the doors open to the home of one of the world's most influential automotive pioneers; William Morris, the founder of Morris Motors.
Being such a car enthusiast as well as someone who finds the history of the British motor industry a constant interest, a visit to Nuffield Place was a must. Opened up by the National Trust, I can report that the house is well worth a visit. I just hope the weather will be kinder to you than it was to me!
William Morris was born in 1877 and was a keen cyclist in his youth winning various trophies. After leaving school, Morris had ideas of becoming a doctor, although due to the expense of entering the profession, Morris instead started work in a bicycle repair shop. He soon branched out by setting up his own business at the family home repairing push bikes and soon after set up his own purpose built shop in Oxford that repaired bicycles and began manufacturing them.
It wasn't long until Morris moved to petrol power and designed the Morris Motor Cycle in 1901 at the age of 24. By 1912, (the same year the Titanic sank) Morris designed his first car, the 'Bullnose Morris' and production kicked off in Cowley.
The outbreak of the First World War halted progress and Morris turned to making munitions in the car factory as part of the war effort. Car production started again in 1919 and it is from then that things really started to take off. A production run of 400 cars were built in that year but by 1925 the figure had risen to 56,000. Morris was well aware of the effective production line and mass production processes pioneered by Henry Ford.

One of the lounges in Nuffield Place. Nothing in the house has been altered since the days when it was the home of Lord and Lady Nuffield 

Morris Motors had tough competition from Herbert Austin and both were producing cars that could be bought by an ever growing number of middle class customers. The Austin Seven in particular was a runaway success.
In a bid to keep Austin in check, Morris bought the bankrupt Wolseley Motors. Thanks to a nearly finished advanced engine design, he slotted this into the new Morris Minor of 1928. Morris also produced sportier versions of their standard cars under the MG name, (Morris Garages); a brand that was started up by an employee at Morris, Cecil Kimber. Morris also bought Riley Motors from the Riley family. Morris Motors were at this time in a very strong position although the outbreak of the Second World War again halted progress. Morris turned his focus again on manufacturing munitions.
Following the war, Morris merged with Austin in 1952 to form BMC, (British Motor Corporation) and William Morris become director.
Morris oversaw a number of key designs in his time from the early Bullnose Morris and Morris Minor to the Issigonis designed Morris 1000 Minor of 1948. The BMC developed Morris 'Mini' Minor/Austin Seven of 1959 and the Morris/Austin 1100 were other huge successes that Lord Nuffield was involved with.
Although Lord Nuffield died in 1963, the Morris brand continued for many years after his death. The BMC became British Motor Holdings in 1966 when it bought out Jaguar and shortly after this, the majority of the British motor industry became 'one' as British Leyland. I expect Lord Nuffield would have been rather upset to see the demise of the once powerful British motor industry, mainly thanks to unions, strikes and mismanagement during the 1970's British Leyland saga. The last Morris badged car was the Marina based Ital, the final model of which rolled off the Longbridge production line in 1984.

Naturally Lord Nuffield was a keen inventor. This is his take on an exercise bike that he made using car parts. It's located in his games room that also includes a large billiards table 

It was fascinating walking through his home that he shared with his wife until the end of their days. When Lord Nuffield died in 1963, the estate was left to the Nuffield College in Oxford who only recently passed it onto the National Trust. Although the house has been tended to for all of these years, nobody has lived in it since Lord Nuffield's death and so it's like stepping into a time warp - nothing has been removed or altered since.
Although Nuffield Place is a nice enough home with some pretty gardens, it's clear that Lord Nuffield was never extravagant with his money and never worried about material possessions. Although he was one of the richest men in the world, he always appeared to live thriftily and made it clear that his drive was not to increase his own personal wealth, but to see how far he could get. The only relatively expensive antiques in Nuffield Place are four grandfather clocks, all located in the downstairs hallway.
In later years, Lord Nuffield tired of the English winters and so often spent his time in Australia. These were his only notable expenditures. Even as far as his own personal transport was concerned, he had an identical Wolseley saloon to his wife's - her car can be seen in the garage at Nuffield Place. His can be seen at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon.

An example of a Morris built Iron Lung, a rather intimidating looking device but a very important instrument for the treatment of polio

Lord and Lady Nuffield never had any children and so much of Lord Nuffield's fortune was given to worthy causes - he was known as a great philanthropist. He gave £50,000 to expand the Sea Cadets Corp of the UK and founded the Nuffield Foundation with a endowment of £10 million in order to increase education and social welfare for others less fortunate. He also founded the Nuffield College in Oxford as well as giving money to medical institutions. He even set aside space in his car factories for the manufacture of the Iron Lung to help with the fight against polio. His previous interest in the medical profession was evident in his later life - he even kept his appendix after removal which can be seen in a jar in his bedroom!
I came away from Nuffield Place with a much bigger understanding of what William Morris aka Lord Nuffield was like as a person. Although shy, he was very much an enterprising, kind and generous man who gave much to this country. Well worth a visit...

Dreaming of a new Triumph?

This was the last Triumph 2000 series off the line; a 1977 2500S estate

As far as British car marques of yesteryear are concerned, Triumph has to be one of my favourites. Many were sporty, plenty were good looking, (having been styled by Michelotti) and most were pretty cool.
Favourites of mine? They'd have to include the six-cylinder Herald Vitesse, the Stag, TR6 and Dolomite Sprint. I even have fond memories of Triumph's last car; the Acclaim. Although effectively a Honda and not in any way sporty, I remember being taken out in one owned by my grandparents.
It's well known that Triumph suffered from reliability issues and inner-house rivalry as part of the British Leyland empire. Like many BL brands, Triumph suffered as a result. Funnily enough, the Acclaim was actually very reliable, even though it lacked the passion and character that a lot of the brand's earlier models had in spades. The last Triumph rolled off the Cowley production lines in 1984.
BMW currently own the rights to the Triumph marque. The Bavarian manufacturer acquired the name at the same time it bought the Rover Group from British Aerospace in 1994.
It came to light in 2012 that BMW had rather quietly applied for a European trademark in order to use Triumph's laurel wreath badge. It's still unclear as to what BMW's plans were for taking this action. There were rumours that BMW were thinking of introducing a slightly cheaper and lower powered range of sports cars based on BMW underpinnings.

Triumph TR6

Of course, BMW applying for a trademark doesn't necessarily mean producing a new Triumph was a serious consideration. They could have merely been protecting their ownership of the brand or maybe were just considering selling some branded Triumph accessories. It's an interesting thought though...
Certainly Triumph has a lot of brand kudos. Triumph sports cars, (in particular the TR series) were very well received and sold healthily in the US as well as Britain. The allure of owning a modern day Triumph roadster which offers simple and rewarding driving thrills maybe hard for many to resist, myself included...
Would anyone out there like to see a modern day Triumph? If so, what model would you most like to see reinterpreted?...

'Dats off' - A Brief History of Datsun

The Datsun 240Z was widely regarded as Japan's answer to the E-Type Jaguar

It's a shame really that when I think of Datsun I think of models such as the Cherry and Sunny, cars that were known for being reliable but unashamedly dull. It doesn't take long to remember the exception, the Datsun 240Z. This great looking and spirited coupe transformed the image of the Japanese marque, even though the magic was somewhat shortlived.
I decided to do a little bit of research on the company as like many people of my age, I was really only aware of Datsun giving way to Nissan in the 80's and its more recent rise from the ashes.
The name stems from the Japanese DAT Motorcar Company which started out as an independent car manufacturer in its own right. DAT decided to launch a smaller model and came to the conclusion that 'Datson' would be an ideal name for their new entry level car - the reason being that 'son' would indicate the smaller size. In 1933, fellow Japanese car maker Nissan bought the DAT Motorcar Company and renamed the marque Datsun. The reasoning behind altering 'son' to 'sun' was due to the Japanese language - 'son' means 'loss' in Japanese, not a good omen for success and prosperity. The sun is also depicted on the Japanese national flag so Datsun was believed to be the most sensible name for the new marque.
Later Datsun began importing cars into Britain and Europe. It's not hard to understand why the Japanese car industry was growing in the 1970's, especially in Britain. Although brands like Datsun often had a bit of an image problem, owners could be assured of total reliability and decent value, something that couldn't be said for cars made by British Leyland. (It's interesting to point out that in the UK, it wasn't Toyota, Datsun or Honda that introduced the first Japanese car to British consumers, it was Daihatsu. Now due to slow sales and the Yen/Sterling/Euro exchange rates, Daihatsu has completely withdrawn from the UK and European markets).
By the late 1970's, Nissan was concerned that its name wasn't well enough established compared to rivals Honda and Toyota and so decided on a plan to phase out the Datsun brand entirely. By 1986, the marque was consigned to the history books with all products sporting the Nissan badge. The strength of Nissan at this time was evident, particularly in the UK. Production of the Bluebird saloon commenced at the company's new plant in Sunderland. Nowadays this factory is thriving, producing popular models such as the Juke and Qashqai. It's often credited as being one of the most efficient car factories in the business.
Fast forward to 2013 and the Renault-Nissan Alliance decided to revive the Datsun brand. CEO Carlos Ghosn announced to the world that Datsun would become a budget brand for emerging economies and would focus on the Indian, Russian and Indonesian markets. The models would be built in Asia in order to keep production costs down and would focus on Datsun's key strengths of value and reliability. Ghosn pointed out that Datsun consumers could move up through the ranks to buy Nissan models allowing them to remain loyal to the brand as personal incomes grew. 
There's plenty of similarities to how Renault revived Dacia. Dacia has been a huge success for the French firm and the wider Renault-Nissan Alliance. In fact at times, Dacia has sold more models in selected European markets than its owner. Datsun will look to follow in Dacia's footsteps by offering affordable vehicles for certain markets using tried and tested components from its owner's parts bin.
Datsun models, like those from Dacia, will hold a strong appeal to those who want to buy into a brand that sells affordable cars that are reliable, clean, safe and just do exactly what they say on the tin.
So far there's been controversy...
Datsun's Indian built Go supermini scored zero stars in Global NCAP crash tests. The model was said to have collapsed during the test. The world safety organisation called Nissan to withdraw the model from sale. (It's only fair to point out that Nissan hasn't been the only carmaker to have been accused of skimping on safety to increase profit margins. GM have also been in a similar boat with the Mexican market Chevrolet Aveo).
Either way Datsun is back on the road. It's just unfortunate that cars like the 240Z aren't on the horizon anytime soon. After all, market priorities change.
So what do you think?... Does anyone out there have fond memories of Datsun? If so, which ones?...

DeLorean Rises from the Ashes

The DeLorean is making a comeback, this time as an EV

Thanks to its futuristic looks, stainless steel body and appearances in the Back to the Future film franchise, the DeLorean DMC-12 is one of the most recognisable cars ever made, despite the fact the product itself was a commercial flop.
The company was set up by businessman John DeLorean and thanks to a British government grant, production was set for Dunmurry in Northern Ireland. Production kicked off in 1981 at which time things started to go south...
At the DMC-12's launch, the US was facing one of its biggest slumps since the 1930's. Not only were sales slow in the DeLorean's key market but John DeLorean himself was accused of embezzling company funds. The FBI even accused him of plotting to smuggle cocaine into the US in return for cash to keep the company afloat. DeLorean was later acquitted of any wrongdoing. Even so, the writing was on the wall and production came to an end in 1982. A total of 9,000 units were built.
The car itself sported many design led features such as gull-wing doors. Unfortunately the driving experience was nothing to write home about. The engine was a rather humble Renault sourced 150bhp V6.
Fast forward to 2012 and rumours began circulating that production would kick start again, this time in Texas. Reports suggested that from 2013 customers would be able to buy a brand new DeLorean. This time though there was one big difference - the old petrol engine was due to be replaced with an electric motor. It seems even retro projects were getting in on the eco theme.
The planned DMC-EV was the work of Stephen Wynne, a long standing DeLorean fan who set up a specialist workshop to preserve the cars after moving to the United States many moons ago. He acquired the rights to the DeLorean name in 1995 and has had plans ever since to make new ones. He is a fan of electric vehicles, believing they will have a big part in the future of motoring, hence his decision to power the new model by electricity.
The DMC-EV was mooted to cost about £57,000 and was said to hit 60mph in about five seconds with a top speed of 120mph. Range was expected to be in the region of 100 miles with a charge time expected to take 15 hours. New DeLorean production will likely take place at DeLorean's new HQ in Houston, Texas.
I've never been a huge fan of the DeLorean although I can understand its cult appeal. I expect the new EV model would have appealed to a select number of customers who are not only fans of the original, but who also want an EV with sure-fire 80's appeal. It would certainly offer a chance to stand out against the expected popularity of Tesla's new Model-X, another gullwing sporting EV.
News of the DMC-12's revival has been rather quiet recently and their company website isn't clear on when new models will actually start production and indeed if it will sport an electric powertrain or if it will feature a petrol engine instead. A relaxation of US law concerning niche vehicle manufacturing is said to be in DeLorean's favour. The company is said to be in talks with a number of engine suppliers. At the time of writing, small scale production is due to commence in 2017.
We'll have to wait and see what happens with new DeLorean manufacturing. In the meantime share your memories and thoughts on DeLorean. Are you a fan? If so, are you pleased that it's due to come back from the dead?...

Bond in Motion - Vehicles used in the 007 Franchise

Aston Martin DB10 from Spectre

I like a good Bond flick...When it comes to cars, no film franchise has featured such a diverse range of vehicles over what is now a six decade timeframe. Below is a comprehensive selection with pictures taken at various exhibitions both in the UK and abroad. If you love Bond films and adore cars, then take a butchers at the weird, wonderful, sexy and occasionally scarred selection below. These are the most notable cars that have featured over the last 50+ years in the world of 007...

Aston Martin DB5 - This has to be the most notable car of the franchise, helped by the fact that it has appeared in a number of Bond films and is his favourite. The car first appeared in Goldfinger with Sean Connery in 1964...

...Naturally Q branch made a number of alterations including adding pop out gun barrels behind the front indicator lamps, a rear mounted bullet shield, an ejector seat, a rotating number plate and a front bumper featuring a pop out ram

Mercury Cougar - This rather pretty American affair featured in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It wasn't owned by George Lazenby's Bond but by his love interest and short term wife Contessa Teresa de Vicenzo. The most notable scene was during a car chase where it ended up taking part in a stock-car race

BMW Z8 - This was Pierce Brosnan's set of wheels in The World is Not Enough. The car featured the usual armoury including a well concealed gun that popped out of the side grille. A remote control feature allowed 007 to drive the car by remote control. Things didn't end well though - the Z8 ended up being cut in half by huge circular saws attached to a helicopter. Naturally, more than one car was used in the film - the dissected model still exists...in two 

Citroen 2CV - This was the rather unlikely getaway car driven my Roger Moore in For Your Eyes Only. This particular example was used to shoot the interior shots whilst being towed

Due to the high speed chase and the more powerful persuing Peugeot 504s, the Citroen used the larger 4-cylinder engine from the Citroen GS. Despite the 'deckchair on wheels' silhouette, the Citroen survived the leaps, rolls and general hammering that occurred on the island of Corfu

Aston Martin DBS - The DBS is one pretty car although it didn't feature any 'optional extras' apart from a handy glovebox that featured a Walther P99 and a life saving med kit...

...It did end up in the Guinness Book of Records whilst being filmed for Casino Royale. The 7 barrel role stunt sequence was caused by Bond swerving to avoid the girl bound and gagged in the middle of the road. The stunt was created by firing the car from a cannon - three cars were destroyed in all. No car has completed more rolls whilst being assisted by cannon fire

Rolls-Royce Phantom III - This was Auric Goldfinger's set of wheels in the 1964 film of the same name. Always driven by Oddjob, the car was used as a way of smuggling gold by melting it down to form the basis of the car

Jaguar XKR - Villain Zao drove this in Die Another Day in persuit of Bond in his Aston Martin Vanquish. It features front grille machine guns, door panel missiles, a rear mounted gattling gun and boot mounted mortars

Auto rickshaw (Tuk-Tuk taxi) - Octopussy featured this Honda engined auto rickshaw when a chase broke out in the streets of Udaipur in India. Hard to believe it could perform wheelies!

Ford Mondeo - This was Daniel Craig's company car in Casino Royale. Filming took place a year before production of the MkIII Mondeo began so the car was hand built at Ford's plant in Cologne, Germany. The Mondeo was transported in top secret as the motoring press were keen to catch a glimpse

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II - This car was owned by James Bond producer Cubby Broccoli and starred in the 1985 film A View to a Kill. In the story, the car is pushed into a lake by May Day (Grace Jones) and Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) - the car was thankfully swapped for an identical model

Ford Mustang Mach 1 - This car is still wearing the bruises after its 2 wheeled antics in Diamonds are Forever. Ford supplied all of the vehicles for the film and many were destroyed - the proviso was that Bond would drive the Mustang. Las Vegas certainly saw some action during this film's chase sequence

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish - This starred in Die Another Day and its party piece was its ability to become invisible at the touch of a button. Other weapons included front firing rockets, bonnet-mounted target-seeking missiles, spiked tyres and a passenger ejector seat

Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow - This car starred in The World is not Enough and was the proud possession of Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane) before it ended up in the Caspian Sea

Aston Martin V8 Volante - This featured in a great chase sequence in The Living Daylights starring Timothy Dalton. Extra refinements included extending side outriggers (skis), spike producing tyres, missiles, lasers, a head-up display and rocket propulsion. A self-destruct system also featured. Two versions of the V8 were used in the film; a V8 Vantage (coupe) and a Volante (convertible)

Ford Thunderbird - The Thunderbird had a small role in Die Another Day as the property of Agent Jinx (Halle Berry)

Renault 11 TXE - Roger Moore's Bond commandeered this Parisian taxi in 1985's A View to a Kill as he was in hot persuit of May Day after her leap off the Eiffel Tower. Three cars were used in the sequence and in reality were driven by French stuntman Remy Julienne...
 

...The roof was chopped off by a barrier and later the back end was ripped off by a passing car. Bond was able to continue driving the car due to the front wheel drive. Renault used the publicity to help shift the newer 11 Turbo in Europe whilst American viewers could purchase the AMC Encore; a re-badged version that was sold Stateside after Renault's buy-out of the ailing US brand

Ford Ka - Bond girl Camille picks up 007 in this supposedly hydrogen powered model in Quantum of Solace

Lotus Esprit - This was used in Sardinia in the film The Spy who Loved Me. Naturally its biggest feature was to turn into a submarine. It also featured anti-aircraft missiles...

...It has to be one of the most well known models in the Bond franchise

Aston Martin DBS - Not to be confused with the earlier model, this one featured in Quantum of Solace during the opening chase sequence with a number of Alfa Romeo 159s in hot pursuit...

...Like its predecessor, this one didn't fare much better once filming was wrapped up

AMC Hornet - AMC had a big product placement deal on its hands in Live and Let Die. The Hornet was stolen by 007 from an AMC dealership to give chase after Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) in his modified AMC Matador. The Hornet completed a twisting corkscrew jump which was filmed in one shot in slow motion

BMW 750iL - This was used by Pierce Brosnan's 007 to escape henchmen in a German multi-storey car park in Tomorrow Never Dies. A great chase followed. The car features an array of extras: missile launchers, self inflating tyres, a Sony Ericsson remote control feature and a body that inflicted Bond's enemies with multiple electric shocks

Land Rover Defender - Used in Skyfall, this British stalwart is still sporting the scars from the Turkish chase sequence