Bond cars you can afford

While these super-expensive Aston Martins are out of the reach of 99.99% of collectors, there are other cars used in the movies and driven by 007 that will appeal to those on a more modest budget.

How about a 1996 BMW Z3? He appeared in Golden Eye, and although he was only on screen for a minute or two, he was cheap. A quick look at Carsguide shows that for $11,000 you'll get one, and I'm sure with a little arm-twisting you could reduce that even further. Barbers paid over $70,000 when they were new.

If a sports car isn't your style, there's always the 1997iL 750 BMW that Bond drove with his phone in Tomorrow Never Dies. When New BMW Dealers Asked Players To Part With $265,000 $7000. Cushioning is your best friend right now and you can get a high mileage example for less than $XNUMX. However, be careful, it can be well shaken and strongly mixed.

To add some Italian flair, the 1983 Alfa GTV6 used by 007 in the movie Octopussy is a sneaky alternative. Some sell for as little as $3000, but the good ones are suitable for teenagers. If something British is your thing, how about the Triumph Stag? Bond drove yellow in "Diamonds Are Forever" when he posed as a diamond smuggler named Peter Franks. Around $15,000 seems like a likely starting point for negotiations to turn you into a true classic.

Another British choice is the Sunbeam Alpine, which Bond rode in the first Dr. No film. These are amazing looking little convertibles. My neighbor in London had one and always called it "the real Bond car." They range from $16,000 to $40,000 depending on the condition. In addition, Alpine was also the favorite car in the Get Smart TV series.

But I'll save the best two for last. In The Man with the Golden Gun, Bond drives a red 1974 Rambler Hornet hatchback on the famous corkscrew aerial jump. Although the coupe never made it to Australia, 1,825 four-door Hornets were built and sold between 1971 and 1975.

So that leaves a red 1971 Mustang Mach 1 from Diamonds are Forever. A good one will set you back around $40,000, and there are a lot of them. And yes, I know it's six times the price of a BMW 750, but it looks so much cooler!

David Burrell, editor of www.retroautos.com.au