James Bond Helicopter to star at Goodwood Revival

The helicopter made famous by Pussy Galore in the 1964 James Bond Film ‘Goldfinger’ will take centre stage at the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation exhibition at the Goodwood Revival on September 12.

The flying machine, officially known as the Hiller UH-12E4 is the very aircraft in which Galore, played by actress Honor Blackman, flew Goldfinger’s atomic bomb to Fort Knox for the film’s finale. It was also used by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in Oscar-winning film, ‘The VIPs’, the previous year.

Up to 30 aircraft will form part of the display with other highlights including a 1948 Tempco ‘Globe Swift’ GC-1B whose previous owner’s father was taught to fly at 14 years old by aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright – and even had the latter’s signature on his licence.

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson is set to bring his Fokker DR1 triplane, the same kind of machine used by German World War 1 hero Manfred von Richthofen, aka, The Red Baron, while the largest machine this year will be a Douglas C47A Dakota.

Two very rare Austers will be on-site, a ‘5’ that was used in the D-Day landings of 1944 and a J1, which completes the line-up of the Leicestershire-built machines.

Beechcraft’s presence is marked by a pair of twin-engined aircraft, an E18S and a BE-50 Twin Bonanza, while de Havilland, Cessna, Percival, Piper and others will be represented as well.

Rob Wildeboer, Goodwood Aviation General Manager, said: “Every year we gather an amazing selection of aircraft together for the Freddie March Spirit of Aviation exhibition, but this year’s is truly the most impressive to date. We have famous aircraft and some extreme rarities that will appeal to both the true aviation enthusiast and those looking to get up-close to something pretty special.”

Is this the real Bond Aston Martin ?

A 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/4, which is understood to have been the inspiration for James Bond’s Aston Martin, was unveiled by international auctioneers Coys at the Old Admiralty Building, where Ian Fleming had his office.

The car, which will be auctioned at Coys’ traditional Blenheim Palace sale on 12th July, is believed to have been the inspiration for the Aston Martin featured in the original novel Goldfinger.

This model is a Vantage specification 1954 DB 2/4 Mk I, bearing the registration JBW 974. For many years it sat idle, collecting dust and rust, until a father and son purchased it for restoration. It was during the restoration that a set of unique special modifications came to light, along with the car’s connections to the British Intelligence Service and the creator of Bond himself, Ian Fleming.  

These one-off features seem to be the same as the fictional Bond car in Goldfinger, including reinforced steel bumpers, concealed lockers, heavy-duty anti-interference ignition system, driver’s seat connections for two-way radio and/or a homing device, and a Halda Speed Pilot device, which accurately computes time and distance in relation to a pre-selected average speed.

Chris Routledge, Managing Partner of the auction house, said: “The story around this car and its discovery is phenomenal. It was supplied new on 4th July 1955 to the Honourable Sqdr. Ldr. Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister DSO, whose father was Lord Swinton, a close confidant of Winston Churchill and head of MI5 and the Security Executive during WWII. Moreover, the vehicle was regularly at Ian Fleming’s direct next-door neighbour in Kent, and indeed it was the next-door neighbour’s house which was also used as inspiration in the Bond novels, this time as Sir Hugo Drax’s residence in the novel Moonraker.

He added: “This could be one of the most important discoveries of all time, confirming the link between the undoubtedly most famous spy in history and possibly the world’s most iconic sports car marque.”

The car will be on show at the Stratstone of Mayfair Aston Martin showroom on Park Lane, 113 Park Lane, London W1K 7AJ, until the end of the week. It will then go on display at the foyer of the Grange St. Paul’s Hotel, 10 Godliman St, London EC4V 5AJ.

Bond's Aston visits Beaulieu for a limited time

The National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is pleased to announce the return of the most iconic of all Bond cars, the GOLDFINGER Aston Martin DB5, to its BOND IN MOTION exhibition.

This stunning original film car, a must-see for Bond fans and classic car enthusiasts everywhere, will be on display for a limited time only, so if you don’t want to miss out, visit Beaulieu before the end of the Easter holidays to see this elegant motor showcased alongside 49 other vehicles used in the Bond films.

The car has been kindly loaned to the exhibition by the Louwman Museum, Holland, and returns just as an exciting new exhibit has been revealed. Joining the three SKYFALL vehicles currently on display – two Honda CRF250R motorcycles and the Land Rover Defender 110 – is a third scale miniature model of the Aston Martin DB5 which was used in filming SKYFALL.

BOND IN MOTION is the world’s largest exhibition of original James Bond vehicles ever staged, and features a whole range of vehicles from the films, including cars, boats, motorbikes, sleds, jets and many more.

Other star exhibits include the gadget-laden Jaguar XKR driven by Bond villain Zao in DIE ANOTHER DAY, the Aston Martin DBS from QUANTUM OF SOLACE, the Bede Acrostar jet famously flown in OCTOPUSSY, and the BMW 750iL from TOMORROW NEVER DIES, plus iconic vehicle action clips from the James Bond films. This exclusive, one-off exhibition will remain open to visitors until 5^th January 2014.

BOND IN MOTION can be seen as part of a visit to the whole Beaulieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and the gardens. Beaulieu is open daily from 10am – 5pm. For more information please visit www.beaulieu.co.uk or telephone  01590 612345.