is as synonymous with James Bond as a vodka Martini (shaken not stirred of course) but a winning partnership which spans several decades might never have happened due to the car-maker’s initial reluctance to get involved 50 years ago.
With a bespoke specially-created Aston Martin DB10 set to take a , Spectre, the role in the long-running Bond franchise dates back to the DB5 driven by Sean Connery in the third Bond film Goldfinger.
But at first Aston Martin were far from keen on the idea.
Acclaimed author Andrew Noakes, who has written several books on the Midland marque, said: “The Bond/Aston partnership must be the longest-running and best-known product placement in the film industry – but it nearly didn’t happen at all.
“Ian Fleming had Bond driving an Aston in the book of Goldfinger, and the producers went to Aston Martin to borrow a car for the film.
“The company was reluctant to get involved, but eventually agreed to lend them a well-used DB5 prototype and a shinier production car for close-ups.”
While the Bond/Aston partnership has not always been a constant, it remains the most successful Bond automotive tie-up by far.
Mr Noakes said: “Though the film Bond has driven other cars, he has always come back to Aston Martins. It’s helped to make a relatively small British sports car company into a global brand, and the regular reappearance of Aston Martin in the films keeps the company and its cars in the public eye.
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“Bond is the ideal character to be associated with Aston Martin, because he is the kind of person Aston owners want to be – suave, smart, a man of action but also a connoisseur of fine things.
“The publicity is worth millions to Aston, but Aston Martins are now such an integral part of the Bond legend that the films need the cars too.
“Every time the film producers want to ‘reboot’ the franchise – as they did when Timothy Dalton took over in 1987, and then again with Daniel Craig in 2006 – they put Bond back in an Aston Martin.
“Both sides need the other, and that’s why the relationship works so well.”
And Aston Martin itself is not averse to making the most of the partnership, as Mr Noakes explained.
He added: “Aston Martin take every opportunity to exploit the James Bond connection. Their bespoke vehicles operation, based at the old Newport Pagnell site, is called ‘Q by Aston Martin’. And the one robot they have on their production line, which glues in the bonded windscreen, is known as the ‘James Bonder’.”
Aston Martin won’t be the only Midland car-maker involved in Spectre, which is set for release in November 2015 – the Solihull-built Range Rover Sport will also play a part.
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But before filming got underway recently the film’s producers suffered a serious spanner in the works following the theft of five Range Rover Sport vehicles in northern Germany.
Thought to be worth around £630,000, the vehicles were stolen from a garage in Dusseldorf, where they were being stored ahead of transportation to the Alps for filming.
It is likely the SUVs would have been specially adapted for their role in the film.
A Land Rover spokesman confirmed the vehicles had been stolen and that German police were investigating.
Aston Martin’s DB10 was unveiled on the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios by EON Productions, the producers of the James Bond film franchise. Just ten of the cars will be built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters by its design and engineering teams.
Led by Aston Martin chief creative officer, Marek Reichman, the car-maker’s team worked closely with Spectre director Sam Mendes, to design the latest car for the world’s most famous spy.
Celebrating Aston Martin’s half century with Bond, the DB10 also offers an insight into the future design direction for the next generation of Aston Martins.
Dr Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin, said: “In the same year that we celebrate our 50-year relationship with 007, it seems doubly fitting that we unveiled this wonderful new sports car created especially for James Bond.
“To be partnering once again with EON Productions is great news for this company and for everyone around the world that loves to see Bond at the wheel of an Aston Martin.”
The latest Bond tie-up with Midland car-makers is nothing new and is an example of effective product placement that reaps dividends, according to automotive expert Professor David Bailey from Aston Business School.
He said: “This is really fantastic marketing for Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover. They get their products in front of millions of people so it’s great news for the local car industry.
“Both have been involved in Bond films for a long time and particularly at the premium end of the market it’s about the branding their vehicles.
“This is particularly the case for Aston Martin which is very much an iconic brand in an iconic film and part of the reason it is viewed as one of the most desirable brands in the world. It gives them great cachet being in films like that.
“It is also interesting that Jaguar played on the link in some of their advertising recently, including at the US Superbowl, focusing on British baddies and how they drive Jaguars.”
There’s also an element of Aston Martin mystery in its long-running Bond partnership, in particular the fate of that famous Goldfinger DB5.
“The story of that Goldfinger DB5 prototype is worthy of a Bond tale,” said Mr Noakes.
“After the filming, all the gadgets were taken off and it was sold as a normal used car, then its identity was discovered and replica gadgets were fitted.
“It was sold to a US collector of 1960s memorabilia, Anthony Pugliese, in 1986 and was stolen from a storage unit in 1997. It hasn’t been seen since.”