Bond icons

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Monday 20th February 2012: They are, perhaps, the 'real' stars of 50 years of James Bond films but not one of them has ever uttered a line in half a century of the famous movies.

For these are the top 50 icons, the guns, gadgets, cars and other objects that have made the history of ‘007’ on screen such a worldwide favourite.

And it includes everything from Martinis to metal teeth, exploding toothpaste to underwater cars and a deadly bowler hat to a white bikini.

A survey of 1,000 Bond fans(1) by esure home insurance unveiled the top icons to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bond's first film, Dr No. Like the theme song and Bond's witty one liners, they are among the most memorable parts of any of 007's big screen spy adventures.

The top icon of all is also one of the oldest: the beautiful silver Aston Martin DB5 that Sean Connery drove in both Goldfinger and Thunderball. It topped the list of 50 icons ahead of the steel rimmed bowler hat used by Goldfinger's henchman Odd Job and Bond's drink, a Martini shaken, not stirred.

Others in the top ten include Sean Connery's jetpack from Thunderball and Roger Moore's speedboat which took off in a chase in Live and Let Die. Fans also picked the golden gun used by Christopher Lee, as Scaramanga and the generic opening titles to the movies, filmed as if inside a gun barrel.

Further down the list are some of the various watches Bond has worn, often containing hidden extras like a laser beam or garotte wire or magnet. There is also a nod to Bond's favourite gun, the Walther PPK, his familiar dinner suit and even Daniel Craig's infamous blue trunks.

From the bad guys comes recognition of the inventiveness of such icons as the metal teeth on villain Jaws and even Blofeld's white cat.

Among the vehicles are Bond's own cars from an underwater Lotus to more unusual ones like a double decker bus, sliced in half during a chase.

Nikki Sellers, Head of home insurance at esure, comments: "Bond is famous for the actors who play him, the villains and, of course, the girls. We wanted to celebrate the half century of films by honouring the non-human stars of the films like the amazing cars, the wonderful inventions and the style icons.

“Iconic items - not just from the Bond films – are popular amongst fans so any serious collectors should make sure that have adequate insurance in place to make sure they are covered should anything unfortunate happen.

"But if Bond ever wants to insure some of his more unusual possessions, like the watch which fires a laser beam, he may need to have a word with his insurer to make sure it’s fully covered too!"

The full list of top 50 Bond icons:

  1. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger and Thunderball)
  2. Oddjob's bowler hat (Goldfinger)
  3. Martini shaken, not stirred
  4. Jetpack (Thunderball)
  5. Flying speedboat (Live and Let Die)
  6. Scaramanga's Golden Gun
  7. Opening film titles (through gun barrel)
  8. Aston Martin DBS (Casino Royale)
  9. Jaws' metal teeth
  10. Little Nellie one-man copter (You Only Live Twice)
  11. Underwater Lotus Esprit (The Spy Who Loved Me)
  12. Walther PPK pistol
  13. Bond's dinner suit
  14. Cigarette lighter homing device (Live and Let Die)
  15. Rolex with laser beam (Never Say Never Again)
  16. Blofeld's white cat
  17. Acid carrying fountain pen (Octopussy)
  18. Lock-opening credit card (View to a Kill)
  19. Dagger in a shoe (From Russia With Love)
  20. Invisible Aston Martin Vanquish (Die Another Day)
  21. Flying snowmobile (The World is Not Enough)
  22. Honey Ryder's white bikini (Dr No)
  23. Gold painted victim Jill Masterton (Goldfinger)
  24. Goldfinger's Rolls Royce Phantom
  25. Gondola hovercraft (Moonraker)
  26. Fountain pen gun (Never Say Never Again)
  27. Double decker bus in chase (Live and Let Die)
  28. One man submarine/bathosub (Diamonds are Forever)
  29. Goldfinger's industrial laser
  30. Fake fingerprint invention (Diamonds are Forever)
  31. Revolving sofa (The Living Daylights)
  32. Omega Seamaster watch with laser cutter (GoldenEye)
  33. Rolex Submariner watch (Dr No)
  34. Parker pen grenade (GoldenEye)
  35. Garotte wire watch (From Russia With Love)
  36. Auto rickshaw (Octopussy)
  37. Exploding toothpaste (Licence to Kill)
  38. Hot air balloon (Octopussy)
  39. Rolex Submariner with magnet (Live and Let Die)
  40. Tee Hee's mechanical arm (Live and Let Die)
  41. Homing device pill (Thunderball)
  42. Trick elevator (Diamonds are Forever)
  43. Mini rocket cigarette (You Only Live Twice)
  44. BMW Z3 (GoldenEye)
  45. Daniel Craig's blue swimming trunks
  46. AMC Matador Flying Car (The Man with the Golden Gun)
  47. Seiko detonator watch (Moonraker)
  48. Wrist dart gun (Moonraker)
  49. Trick backgammon dice (Octopussy)
  50. Ski pole gun (The Spy Who Loved Me)

 

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esure’s press contacts:
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Niki Bolton, Corporate Communications Manager: 01737 235070
Adrian Webb, Head of Corporate Communications: 01737 641000

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Notes to Editors:
(1) esure used the independent online research company Online Opinions who surveyed 1,000 Bond fans, from across the country aged 18 plus between 18th January to 25th January 2012.