The cars are the stars: a look at the iconic cars in the James Bond franchise

It has been 53 years since Sean Connery uttered the famous words "The name's Bond. James Bond" in the first Bond movie, Dr No. There have been 22 Bond films since, and with the latest instalment, Spectre, with Daniel Craig as 007, opening in UAE cinemas today, we look at the iconic cars that have added to the spy's mystique.

Aston Martin DB5

This is one of the most recognisable cars in the history of cinema – a quintessential James Bond car. It has featured in Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale and Skyfall (2012). The special-effects team added a large array of gadgets to the car, including an ejector seat, machine guns and a smoke screen.

Fact: The Goldfinger DB5, complete with gadgets, was sold in 2010 for US$4.6 million (Dh16.9m) to the car collector Harry Yeaggy.

Aston Martin DB10

This is the latest Bond machine. It features in Spectre, and according to Aston Martin, Bond's new car showcases the new design direction for future models from the British manufacturer. It has been deemed the most aggressive-looking Aston yet.

Fact: The DB10 isn't available to buy. Ten models were created and used exclusively for filming.

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

This car was introduced in the film Die Another Day, as part of a seven-minute chase sequence, and had the usual stack of tech – an ejector seat, torpedoes and bonnet-mounted shotguns. Its most remarkable feature, however, was the ability to become invisible.

Fact: Aston Martins featured in 11 of the 23 Bond films to date. Spectre is the 12th.

The Jaguar XKR

This car was driven by the Bond villain Zao in Die Another Day (2002). The car was equipped with a gun mounted between the seats, missile-launchers in the front grilles, rocket launchers in the doors and mortars in the boot, making it one the most dynamic villain's cars in the history of the Bond franchise.

Fact: Eight of these vehicles were used during filming. All were formerly Jaguar fleet vehicles converted into special-effects cars.

Aston Martin DBS

This car was seen in Casino Royale (2006), equipped with a spare gun and a defibrillator. Daniel Craig's sleek machine was later destroyed by Bond's pursuit of Le Chiffre. A second DBS made an appearance in Quantum of Solace (2008) in a car chase through Italy.

Fact: Casino Royale's car barrel roll stunt featuring this car broke the world record for the most barrel rolls assisted by a cannon – the car completed seven full rolls.

Lotus Esprit S1

In The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), the producers paired Bond, played by Roger Moore, with a Lotus Esprit S1 in a chase sequence that covered land, air and water. The Lotus had the ability to transform into a mini-submarine, and was fondly referred to as Wet Nellie.

Fact: Lotus delivered two street-legal vehicles for filming; one was converted into a camera car. Lotus also provided six Esprit bodyshells, one of which was sealed for underwater scenes.

Aston Martin DBS

This car featured in the dramatic opening scenes of Quantum of Solace, starring Daniel Craig as 007. It is remembered for the way Bond skilfully navigated the winding roads in it.

Fact: The car was sold at a Barnardo's children's charity event at Christie's International in London in 2012 for Dh1.4m.

Bajaj RE Taxi

This auto rickshaw, or tuk-tuk taxi, was used in Octopussy (1983), starring Roger Moore as 007. The car was featured in an iconic scene that saw Bond jump in a taxi with the ally agent Vijay, and speed off on two wheels through the streets of Udaipur, being chased by another tuk-tuk.

Fact: One of the black-and-yellow tuk-tuk taxis from the film is among the Bond vehicles kept in a warehouse in Kankakee, Illinois, in the United States.

Rolls-Royce Phantom

This car featured in several scenes in Goldfinger, and played a significant role in the film, with Bond putting a tracker in the Rolls, owned by the villain Goldfinger, which allowed him to follow him to Switzerland. The number plate is AU1 – Au being the periodic-table symbol for gold and the first two letters of Goldfinger's first name, Auric.

Fact: The Phantom's licence plate was offered at auction in 2008, but wasn't sold – bids didn't reach the reserve price.

Aston Martin DB5

This car first made its debut with Sean Connery at the wheel in 1964, but this particular version from Daniel Craig's Casino Royale had Bahamian number plates and was left-hand drive.

Fact: Leonardo DiCaprio was seen driving a DB5 in his hit movie Catch Me If You Can (2002), during a scene in which he imitated James Bond.

BMW Z8

This car featured in The World Is Not Enough (1999), starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond, and features titanium armour and a multitasking heads-up display. Unfortunately, this sleek Bimmer reached its demise when it was cut in half by a helicopter with a very large saw.

Fact: Two kit cars and one shell were made for The World Is Not Enough. The shell was destroyed during filming.