The Rarest and Most Popular 007 Bond Cars on Britain’s Roads

With the global pandemic having its toll on all aspects of life, not even James Bond, 007, is immune to the cinema shutdowns that have postponed releasing one of the biggest blockbusters until October this year.

The long wait means that Bond fans are missing the latest gadgets from Q, new villains, the infamous one-liners from Bond, and for us, we are being deprived of those classic car chases.

https://youtu.be/usnDnEq7q5A

Even though it may not be a true substitute for those craving spectacular stunts coming from the screen, we have provided car enthusiasts their Bond cars fix with a nostalgic trip down memory lane looking at the various cars that the most famous secret agent employed.  

007 vehicles are remarkable for escaping the machine guns of henchmen, and they have even been known to survive missiles launched from helicopters in their direction. However, unfortunately in the real world, neither gadgets nor any evasive moves can help them survive in the real world of wear and tear. Quite a few Bond cars are so rare that they are not even registered to drive in the UK. At the same time, other vehicles were made especially for the movies and aren’t available for the public to acquire, meaning that 007 enthusiasts can only dream of obtaining certain models. 

How many iconic cars are registered to be driven on Britain’s roads, and what is their current worth now? What is the most common Bond vehicle out there? Doing the hard lifting to these questions for us was Hagerty’s, who has provided valuable research into the UK’s 007 cars.

What is the Rarest 007 Vehicle Registered on the Road Today in the UK?

With 60 years of production and the creation of 26 films, more than 25 of the most famous cars have been featured in James Bond films. Outside of the cinema and on the roads of Britain, which cars are now the rarest? 

The Toyota 2000GT, featured in the 1967 film You Only Live Twice is thought to be the rarest 007 vehicles in Britain. What makes the sports car stand out is that Sean Connery, who being 6’2″, was too tall for the vehicle, so Toyota accommodated the frame of the actor by converting it into the convertible. Toyota amazingly was able to provide the conversion of two 2000GT Coupes into convertibles within two weeks. Currently, an original Toyota 2000GT can go for as much as £700,000.

An almost equally rare car but more obtainable is the Renault 11 TXE featured in A View To A Kill (1985). Only three of these Bond vehicles are registered in Britain today, making them nearly elusive as Bond himself. While filming a key action scene for the movie, the prop cars not only had their roof cut off, but they were also even cut in half. The cars are currently selling for around £2,000 in the UK. 

Coming in third is the Ford LTD, a car that was featured in the same film. It was an import to the UK as Ford of Britain never sold the model. Currently, there are only 16 of the vehicles registered in Britain. Although rare, the luxury-spec car is currently estimated to be worth only £8,800. 

Another iconic car taking out the fourth position is the BMW 750iL which was seen in Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and it introduced us to self-driving cars, although this one was controlled by James Bond from the back seat using his smartphone. 

What is the Most Valuable Bond Cars Available to Drive in the UK?

Wondering which 007 cars are the most expensive to own in the UK currently? Here’s a list of the 20 most valuable James Bond cars based on valuations researched in February 2021.

1. Aston Martin DB10

2. Aston Martin Valhalla

5. Aston Martin DBS Superleggera

6. Aston Martin V8 Vantage Volante

7. BMW Z8

8. 1935 Bentley 3.5 Liter Drophead Coupe Park Ward

9. Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

10. Aston Martin DBS V12

11. 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

12. Mercury Cougar XR7

13. Lincoln Continental

14. 1957 Ford Fairlane

15. Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II

16. 1963 Chevrolet Impala

17. 1965 Mercedes 250SE

18. Ford Mustang Convertible

19. Lotus Esprit S1 “Wet Nellie”

20. 1961 Chevorolet Impala Sedan

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What is the Most Common Bond Car on the UK Road?

The good news is that you do not need to be swimming in money to afford a 007 car. The most common Bond car currently licensed in the vehicle database in Britain is the Triumph Stag which has around 5,700 cars registered.

The car was seen used by Peter Franks in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), where 007 commandeered it at the Port of Dover, following Franks’ arrest. The British convertible, which Giovanni Michelotti designed, is worth a respectable £20,500. 

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[Source: Hagerty/ Feature Image: Aston Martin]