Opinion|Bond & Bentley - The union that always should have been?
Bentley ‘Blower’. Pinterest
Recently at Driven, we published an article about the Bentley Blower Continuation Series - better known as Car Zero - returning to racing and invoking the history of its ancestor. It got me thinking about the original Bentley Blower and where I’d seen it mentioned before. A quick Google search and it suddenly came back to me: James Bond.
In three of the 007 novels by Ian Fleming: Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker, Bond drives one of the last Bentley Blowers ever built, a grey convertible with French Marchal headlamps. Fleming writes in Casino Royale that Bond bought the car “almost new” in 1933 and had it carefully stored during the war. It ends up being destroyed in Moonraker.
We have also seen other Bentleys in Bond. At the end of Moonraker, Bond drives a Mark VI, and in Thunderball, a Mark II Continental is the vehicle of choice. On-screen, Never Say Never Again, the 1983 non-eon film featuring Sean Connery, features a black 1937 Bentley 4 ½ Litre Gurney Nutting Drophead Coupé.
While watching the first scene of the latest Bond film No Time to Die, where Bond is chased through the streets of Matera in Italy, some thoughts suddenly entered my head that I never wanted…
I am tired of the Aston Martin DB5.
Aston Martin DB5 replica stunt car featured in No Time To Die (2021)
How can this be possible? The scene was probably the best part of the film, with Daniel Craig as Bond utilising all of his gadgets, evading sheep and doing donuts in the town square, while simultaneously shooting his enemies. Also, I love classic cars. The Ferrari 250 and Mercedes 190sl are up there amongst my all-time favourites, but the DB5 holds a special place in my heart. Ever since it was introduced by Q in Goldfinger, the DB5 has had a strong tie to Bond with further appearances in Thunderball, Goldeneye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die.
“I never joke about my work 007” Q utters when showing Bond the ejector seat. It is one of the most iconic moments in the whole franchise and one that has spawned many model cars along with dreams of real ownership among fans.
I fear, however, that the DB5 has been overused at this point. Its impact is waning film by film and whilst I recognise the significance of its presence in Bond, perhaps the next James Bond film could be an opportunity to go back to some of Fleming’s original content. I appreciate that the original books were written many decades ago, so the Blower may not be the best fit for Bond in 2023 and beyond. Yes, the automotive world, and the world in general, has moved on significantly, but maybe now is the chance to see Bond return to his roots.
Bond can cover an extraordinary amount of mileage during work hours, going from continent to continent in his quest to save the world. I remember the particularly long drive he made in Skyfall from London to Scotland to escape the reaches of Raoul Silva. In the film, whilst driving away, M complains that the DB5 is “not very comfortable”, with Bond nearly being forced to eject her. Perhaps, if he’d taken her in a Continental GT she wouldn’t have had those complaints, because as we all know, the Bentley Continental GT is one of the smoothest driving experiences out there.
I ponder whether this is an opportunity for collaboration with a new car. A 1930 Bentley Blower but for the modern age. Perhaps the Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid or maybe it could even be fully electric. Though, I’d want the charging network to have improved significantly by the time the next film has come out. Nothing would be worse than Bond having to stop and charge at a service station for half an hour, patiently waiting while his enemy gets further and further away. However, this is the world of James Bond. If Q branch can create an invisible car, then I’m sure it is within their capabilities to create an unlimited charge in a Bentley EV.
We are no closer to knowing the next James Bond actor, let alone the next Bond car. The Daniel Craig era was an opportunity to go back to basics, taking away the complicated gadgets and invoking the spirit of the original Fleming character in Casino Royale. I am not saying that this time they should do entirely the same. I’m up for a more light-hearted Bond, especially after the last film’s heavy and upsetting conclusion. Of course, they may have secretly decided it all already. However, on the off chance that these decisions haven’t been made, I am hereby making a personal appeal to Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson - producers of the James Bond series. Please may we see the return of Bond in a Bentley?
Words: Mike Booth