‘007’ Land Rovers auctioned in UK

A special, two-part auction conducted by Christie’s in the UK this past September and October to mark six decades of the James Bond film franchise featured 4x4s both commemorating Bond and used during the filming of the 25th and newest Bond film, No Time to Die.

The ‘Sixty Years of James Bond’ auction combined an online element in October that featured props, costumes, posters and memorabilia from a variety of 007 films, with a live auction on 28 September that featured several vehicles, including a classic Aston Martin DB5 replica and a modern Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, as well as Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles.

Of the two stunt 4x4s offered – a Land Rover Defender 110 SE and Range Rover Sport SVR – the Defender is the most interesting, as it was still a pre-production vehicle when shooting of No Time to Die took place in 2019.

One of ten provided to EON Productions for use in No Time to Die, the Defender 110 SE shown here was used in a chase sequence involving Bond, his love interest Madeleine and the villain Safin, that was depicted as Norway but actually shot in Scotland and England.

All ten Defenders were used at various points in the sequence, which was led by the film’s stunt coordinator Lee Morrison, alongside special effects and action vehicles supervisor Chris Corbould.

Although they looked mostly stock from the outside, each Defender was customised with safety adaptations, including roll cages, under-body protection and motorsport fuel cells.

Undertaken by Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team, each vehicle’s modifications were overseen by Morrison and Corbould.

As a genuine, movie-used vehicle in one of the most popular franchises of all time, the Defender 110 SE offered at the Christie’s auction already had appeal, but what made it additionally attractive to collectors is that it was number seven of the ten pre-production vehicles provided, thus it carried a VIN finishing in ‘007’!

Even though the final sale price for this vehicle was below estimate at £189,000 (AU$315,600 approx.), it was still the top selling 4x4 at the auction, with all proceeds going to the British Red Cross.

Like the Defender 110 SE, the Range Rover Sport SVR was used in a stunt sequence for No Time to Die, this time featuring Bond, Madeleine and the character Logan Ash, shot along Norway’s scenic Atlantic Road.

Land Rover provided six 2018-model SVRs to EON Productions for use in this scene, all powered by supercharged V8 engines and finished identically in Eiger Grey with the Carbon Pack and Narvik Black wheels.

While closer to stock than the Defenders, the Range Rovers were nonetheless taken off-road during filming, making off-road tyres necessary.

This vehicle sold for £75,600 (AU$126,250 approx.), with proceeds going to the Film and London Screen Academy.

The final 4x4 on offer at this auction was not a movie-used car, but rather one of the Defender V8 110 ‘Bond Edition’ vehicles that were released by Land Rover last year as a limited-edition.

Powered by a 386kW/625Nm supercharged V8 matched to an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, the Defender V8 Bond Edition also featured unique suspension tuning to ensure it was not only the fastest production Defender, but also the most dynamically rewarding.

Production was limited to 300 units, across 90 and 110 body styles, with identifying features including the 007 logo on the back end, tread plates, puddle lamps and infotainment screen. What made this example unique is that it also featured ’60 Years of Bond’ identification etched into the dash’s end caps.

Offered by EON Productions, this unique Defender sold for £163,800 (AU$273,550 approx.), with proceeds going to Tusk Trust Ltd., a British-run African wildlife conservation charity.

Of the other vehicles in September’s live auction, a C1964 Aston Martin DB5 replica stunt vehicle sold for £2.92 million (AU$4.97 million approx.), a 1981 Aston Martin V8 sold within estimate for £630,000 (AU$1.05 million approx.), a late-model Jaguar XF stunt car sold for £37,800 (AU$63,000 approx.) and a Triumph Scrambler 1200 stunt motorcycle sold for a remarkable £138,600 (AU$231,400 approx.) against a pre-auction high estimate of just £30,000 (AU$50,000 approx.).

For more details from this auction, go to: christies.com

Photos: Christie’s