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New survey reveals top 50 Bond icons from the series so far

JamesPageJamesPage Administrator, Moderator, Director
edited February 2012 in News Posts: 1,380
<b>Press Release</b>
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 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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Comments

  • Dr_MetzDr_Metz
    edited February 2012 Posts: 401
    I don't get how the car from Casino Royale beats out the the Walther PPK. Also, the gunbarrel sequence should be number one IMO.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    I pretty much agree with that although Honeys white bikini should be higher.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    Dr_Metz wrote:
    I don't get how the car from Casino Royale beats out the the Walther PPK. Also, the gunbarrel sequence should be number one IMO.

    I agree with you highly. And Honey's bikini and gold-painted Jill should be waaaaaaaay higher. They are two of the most famous scenes in cinema in their own right. And #45- SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! Can't wait to see the community reaction to that one... :-w
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    #20 is too disgraceful to forget :/
  • Master_DaharkMaster_Dahark
    Posts: 4,813
    How on earth is the speedboat from LALD ranked so high?? Let alone on there at all?
  • Commander_SkyfallCommander_Skyfall
    edited February 2012 Posts: 371
    The flying snow mobiles from TWINE.... Seriously?

    And the BMW Z3 which did nothing but not the Z8....?
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    Commander_Skyfall wrote:
    The flying snow mobiles from TWINE.... Seriously?

    People of my generation (aka probably <20) find that very memorable. I remember them from the TWINE game even, as you skied down the slopes and shot people :P
  • X3MSonicXX3MSonicX https://www.behance.net/gallery/86760163/Fa-Posteres-de-007-No-Time-To-Die
    Posts: 2,635
    Blofeld's white cat should be around top 5.
  • Commander_SkyfallCommander_Skyfall
    Posts: 371
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    Commander_Skyfall wrote:
    The flying snow mobiles from TWINE.... Seriously?

    People of my generation (aka probably <20) find that very memorable. I remember them from the TWINE game even, as you skied down the slopes and shot people :P

    Man that makes me feel old, and I'm not even Daniel Craig's age, well, not quite ;-)

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    That list is very odd. Many great items ranked in the wrong order.

    Are they sure '1,000 Bond fans' and not just 1,000 people were asked?
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited February 2012 Posts: 12,837
    Samuel001 wrote:
    That list is very odd. Many great items ranked in the wrong order.

    Are they sure '1,000 Bond fans' and not just 1,000 people were asked?

    I agree. I was really surpised at how high the LALD speedboat was. The DB5 I expected to be no 1, I thought the gunbarrel would be higher, and the white cat.
  • JWESTBROOKJWESTBROOK
    Posts: 5,745
    I think people looked at a list of things, and where like 'a flying speedboat? I don't remember that but its impressive!'
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited February 2012 Posts: 13,894
    Iconic for who? There's so many odd items that make the list. Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge supporter of the Dalton era (more than the other eras) but even I wouldn't call the revolving sofa iconic. If you're going to pick elements to represent the Dalton era, how about the TLD PTS, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, or the Tanker Chase, but not the sofa.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    Samuel001 wrote:
    That list is very odd. Many great items ranked in the wrong order.

    Are they sure '1,000 Bond fans' and not just 1,000 people were asked?

    Definitely just 1000 random idiots.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    Iconic for who? There's so many odd items that make the list. Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge supporter of the Dalton era (more than the other eras) but even I wouldn't call the revolving sofa iconic. If you're going to pick elements to represent the Dalton era, how about the TLD PTS, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, or the Tanker Chase, but not the sofa.

    I think thats the most iconic from daltons era
  • Dr_MetzDr_Metz
    Posts: 401
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    MajorDSmythe wrote:
    Iconic for who? There's so many odd items that make the list. Don't get me wrong, i'm a huge supporter of the Dalton era (more than the other eras) but even I wouldn't call the revolving sofa iconic. If you're going to pick elements to represent the Dalton era, how about the TLD PTS, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, or the Tanker Chase, but not the sofa.

    I think thats the most iconic from daltons era
    I would think the "ghetto blaster" is more iconic than the sofa.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    I don't know who puts these lists together but some of the stuff should not even be on the list. I agree that Golden Girl (GF), Laser, Oddjob's hat, most anything from GF should be in the top 5 and a couple of DN items too.
    Some things like Little Nellie was brief and forgotten. Gun ski from TSWLM...Please.
  • LiveAndEatPieLiveAndEatPie
    Posts: 101
    What an odd list of just random stuff. I can see why they did it from an insurance marketing view and I'm all for some Bond promotion. But who really cares whats number 1 or number 50?
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    edited February 2012 Posts: 2,629
    X3MSonicX wrote:
    Blofeld's white cat should be around top 5.

    As should be the PPK.

    The Astin Martin and the martini definitely belong. I could buy Oddjob's bowler in the Top 5 but certainly not the jetpack ofr the flying speedboat.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited February 2012 Posts: 13,350
    LiveAndEatPie wrote:
    But who really cares whats number 1 or number 50?

    It is nice to see what a group of random people rank as number one and number fifty, though mostly everything in between could be put in any order, I agree.
  • boldfingerboldfinger
    Posts: 5,767
    Walther PPK only on 12.?
    And no buzzsaw from OP?
    The flying hovercraft from TWINE before Honey Ryder´s bikini?
    TLD didn´t have anything better to offer than the revolving sofa :-S ?
    Someone´s not done their research :-B .
  • 0iker00iker0
    Posts: 501
    JWESTBROOK wrote:
    Commander_Skyfall wrote:
    The flying snow mobiles from TWINE.... Seriously?

    People of my generation (aka probably <20) find that very memorable. I remember them from the TWINE game even, as you skied down the slopes and shot people :P
    I'm 18 and I don't think they should be there, at least that high, Honey deserves to be in a higher place. What about the car in The Living Daylights? Why isn't it there?
  • JamesCJamesC
    edited November 2020 Posts: 121
    1
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    I’m sure like me when you think of iconic moments of the series one of your guaranteed top 20 is the memorable 5 second scene where Bond opens Staceys window with a credit card that beeps. A very worthy entry at number 18 that really defines Bond for me and certainly deserves to be above Jill Masterson and Honey. Should be higher really.

    And what is number 14 supposed to be? I must have seen LALD well over 30 times. I can remember a ‘Felix lighter’ but that was a radio. Theres Bonds wash kit when hes checking for bugs but the only lighter I remember is the one he lights his cigar with before burning the snake and that doesnt have any other obvious features.

    Could someone please jog my memory as I feel pretty stupid not knowing what on earth the 14th most iconic moment of the series is.

    Who puts these lists together? Stevie Wonder wearing a blindfold in a darkened room and picking things out of a hat before randomly scattering them across the floor? Youd get just as good a list if you gave it to a group of chimps to compile whose only film experience was as extras on the PG Tips advert.

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    And what is number 14 supposed to be? I must have seen LALD well over 30 times. I can remember a ‘Felix lighter’ but that was a radio. Theres Bonds wash kit when hes checking for bugs but the only lighter I remember is the one he lights his cigar with before burning the snake and that doesnt have any other obvious features.

    I thought that was it, the ‘Felix lighter’. Very non-descriptive, I agree.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    TheWizardOfIce wrote:
    I’m sure like me when you think of iconic moments of the series one of your guaranteed top 20 is the memorable 5 second scene where Bond opens Staceys window with a credit card that beeps. A very worthy entry at number 18 that really defines Bond for me and certainly deserves to be above Jill Masterson and Honey. Should be higher really.

    And what is number 14 supposed to be? I must have seen LALD well over 30 times. I can remember a ‘Felix lighter’ but that was a radio. Theres Bonds wash kit when hes checking for bugs but the only lighter I remember is the one he lights his cigar with before burning the snake and that doesnt have any other obvious features.

    Could someone please jog my memory as I feel pretty stupid not knowing what on earth the 14th most iconic moment of the series is.

    Who puts these lists together? Stevie Wonder wearing a blindfold in a darkened room and picking things out of a hat before randomly scattering them across the floor? Youd get just as good a list if you gave it to a group of chimps to compile whose only film experience was as extras on the PG Tips advert.

    I think we can all agree that this list is BULLSHYTT
  • DoubleOhhSevenDoubleOhhSeven
    Posts: 1,778
    Too much from NSNA. That's not a Bond film in my eyes.
  • VirageVirage
    Posts: 1,856
    Swap the DBS with Little Nellie and the Lotus with the teeth and I'd be happy
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Great list! Kind of funny how every one of them is a gadget, weapon, or a car for the most part.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,571
    00Beast wrote:
    Great list! Kind of funny how every one of them is a gadget, weapon, or a car for the most part.

    The Bond legend has really grown on the back of these things. Nowadays as we demand a more realistic Bond we can overlook that the only reason the series flourished and survived is because Bond was unique, offering guns, gadgets and beautiful girls.
    Sometimes Bond fans come on here and say they wished there were no gadgets in Bond films, and that misses the point. In the 60s and 70s we loved those things, the kids bought in to the fantasy and their parents bought them the toy gadgets for Christmas.
    History will recall Little Nellie, the first Aston Martin and Jaws' metal teeth long after LTK is forgotten. Never dismiss the legacy of Bond lightly.
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