With the global pandemic shutting down cinemas and so much more, fans of the silver screen have been left hanging as James Bond, one of the biggest blockbuster franchises of all time, has been postponed for release until October, proving even Agent 007 can’t evade the impact of COVID.
The extended wait means Bond fans are missing their fill of new villains, Bond’s infamous one-liners, the latest inventions from Q and, of course, spectacular car chases.
So Hagerty took matters into its own hands. We may not be on the edge of our seat as spectacular stunts explode out of the big screen, but Hagerty can at least give petrolheads their fix of Bond cars, and look back at the models that have had a starring role alongside the world’s most famous secret agent.
007 vehicles have escaped henchmen with machine guns, survived helicopters shooting missiles and featured some of the coolest gadgets imaginable. Yet even these evasive moves aren’t always enough to ensure their survival in the real world. Many Bond cars are so rare they’re not even registered to drive on UK roads. Some cars were made specifically for the films and aren’t available for the public to purchase, meaning that Bond fans can only dream of getting their hands on certain models.
We investigated how many of these iconic vehicles are registered to drive on Britain’s roads** and how much they’re currently worth*.
Toyota 2000GT revealed as the rarest Bond car registered on the road
With 26 films spanning 60-years of production, over 25 of the world’s most famous cars have played starring roles in the James Bond films. But off the big screen and on Britain’s roads, which are now the rarest?
Featuring in the 1967 film, You Only Live Twice, the Toyota 2000GT** is believed to be the rarest Bond car in Britain. This sports car is unique as it was converted by the Japanese company to remove the roof to accommodate the late Sean Connery, whose 6 ft 2” frame struggled to fit in the car. Producers worked with Toyota to restyle the car to look like a convertible version, and managed to turnaround the conversion of two cars in just two weeks. Today, an original Toyota 2000GT could be worth as much as £700,000.
Almost as rare but far more affordable is the Renault 11 TXE from A View To A Kill (1985). Nearly as elusive as Bond himself, just three are registered in Britain**, making them some of the very rarest Bond cars on the road. During filming for one of the key action scenes, prop cars not only had their roof cut off, but were also chopped in half. Today they typically fetch about £2000.
Taking the third step on the podium of the rarest Bond cars is the Ford LTD. Featured in the 1985 film, A View to a Kill, the Ford LTD – which would have been imported to the UK as it was never sold by Ford of Britain – is the third rarest Bondmobile, with 16 vehicles registered on the road. Despite its rarity**, the luxury-spec Ford is valued at just £8800*.
Just missing out on a medal-winning position, Bond fans may recall the appearance of the BMW 750iL, in the 1997 release Tomorrow Never Dies. It heralded the introduction of self-driving cars, albeit one which was controlled by 007 from the back seat using a smartphone.
The most memorable Bond cars on Britain’s roads and their current value
The most common Bond car registered on the road is the Triumph Stag
The good news is you don’t need millions of pounds to afford a 007 star. With approximately 5,700 cars currently licensed on the government’s vehicle database, the most common Bond car is the Triumph Stag**. The vehicle was used by Peter Franks in the 1971 film, Diamonds Are Forever, where Bond commandeered it at the Port of Dover, following Franks’ arrest. For anyone that owns the British convertible that was designed by Giovanni Michelotti, it’s worth a respectable £20,500*.
The sporty Sunbeam Alpine (1,292) is the second most common car on the road**. The Rootes Group drophead coupé featured in Dr No, and is valued at a modest £15,500*. In third, is the sporty BMW Z3 Roadster which hit the spotlight in GoldenEye (1995). There are 988 vehicles registered on the road**, each worth £6,900*.
“For many James Bond enthusiasts, our investigation has revealed an impressive range of 007 cars available to drive on Britain’s roads, valued for fans either looking to buy or keep hold of the most accessibly-priced and valuable models ever manufactured,” said John Mayhead, Head of Valuations for Hagerty. “From our research, classic car fans also have the ability to assess which car they should add to their collection based on its rarity or the potential to earn a decent return, should they ever wish to sell it in the future.”
Toyota GT2000 is also revealed as the most valuable James Bond car registered on the road
Also revealed as the most valuable Bond car registered on the road, the value of the Toyota 2000GT is particularly high, pricing up at an impressive £700,000*. Coming close in second is the British luxury car which appeared in both GoldenEye and Goldfinger, the Aston Martin DB5, now worth £690,000*. In third, ready for James Bond’s latest debut, No Time to Die, the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is worth £279,000* with 525 registered on Britain’s roads.
The most valuable Bond cars overall*
Two of 007’s newest Aston Martins are worth the highest overall. But sadly, fans won’t find one of these registered on the road to drive. The DB10 was custom made for 2015’s Spectre, making it rare and meaning the it is valued at a hefty £2,900,000*. If the DB10 is a little over your budget, the sporty Aston Martin Valhalla will make its first-ever appearance in the latest Bond film, No Time to Die, and set you back just over £1.2 million.
If you’re lucky enough to own one of these incredible cars or you’re thinking of purchasing one, take a look at our classic car insurance to protect the car you love.
Methodology
Hagerty used seed lists of James Bond cars to compile a selection of notable vehicles from Bond films, including if they were either owned by James Bond, driven by James Bond or were an important part of the storyline. These makes and models were then checked against the UK government’s licenced vehicles data to discover how many of these cars are registered to drive on Britain’s roads. Hagerty used their industry-leading valuation tool to attribute a value for the vehicles included.
*Valuation data correct as of February 15th 2021
**Some models are not exact due to the availability of government data
Data
Government Registration Vehicle Data collected December 2020
Hagerty Valuation data collected and correct as of February 15th 2021
You can view a full list of the data here
Registered cars data sourced from the Department for Transport records. Numbers should be taken as indicative for the purposes of this feature and were correct at the time of writing.
