You Know His Name Associating the Best with Bond

Created by Ian Fleming in 1953, Commander James Bond of the British Secret Service appeared in 14 books and proved so popular that after Fleming’s death the publishers approached other authors to continue Bond’s legacy. Now the total number of books stands at 40 and counting.

Of course, Bond is a considerable movie franchise too, with 26 films recognised so far and produced by Albert ‘Cubby’ Broccoli’s EON productions. Various actors have taken the role of 007, with Daniel Craig the most recent, and guessing the next has become something of a national pastime (who do you think will make a great Bond?).

He’s changed a lot over the years and in the process has come to represent more than British espionage. In fact, Bond is as much known for his lifestyle as his career, becoming so associated with the finest of things that he has become somewhat synonymous with class and prestige.

Bond became a brand.

When it comes to sponsoring a James Bond film, competition is fierce, ensuring the secret agent is always kitted out with the best. Whether it’s due to his Omega watch or Tom Ford suit, Bond looks good when he enjoys a glass of Bollinger champagne (though Heineken’s £28 million deal gave us a Bond drinking beer in Skyfall) and, presuming he hasn’t drunk too much, he always drives a fine set of wheels. It’s often an Aston Martin – they’ve provided Bond’s cars for half of the films to date – though BMW and Jaguar have appeared too, along with others.

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Aston martin from Die Another Day Bond’s newer Aston Martin Bond’s Aston Martin DB10 Bonds submarine Lotus Bonds Aston Martin DB 2/4 Aston Martin from On Her Majesty’s Service Bonds Jaguar CX75 Bonds yellow Citreon 2 CV6 The Mercedez Benz from Her Majesty’s Service The classic mustard yellow Mustang Mach super car Aston martin from Die Another Day Bond’s newer Aston Martin As well as paying for product placement, such sponsorship deals usually allow for future advertisements featuring Bond, tie-in products, and desirable limited editions, too. Bollinger the gentleman’s choice for bubbly, for example, released a limited-edition Champagne to celebrate their relationship with the film franchise.

Of course, if you want to get even closer to Bond, you could always buy an item of memorabilia at auction. We talk about some of the famous cars recently auctioned in another article.

Another way to play Bond is to go for a 007 private number plate.

One fan, living here in Swansea, Wales, snapped up BMT 216B for the Aston Martin DB5 he was restoring to the James Bond specs. In Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies, the Aston Martin displayed BMT 214A, but in Goldfinger, Thunderball, and Skyfall was BMT 216A, so we think 216B is close enough when you consider it’ll be on the same prestigious vehicle.

Bond plates often prove popular, and 007 never fails to stand out on a number plate, whatever the style. With the popularity of Bond far from waning, they make good investments, and with so many films it’s fun to get creative with the possibilities.

Here are just a few great 007 number plates we have available for true fans to choose from:

What Bond plates can you find? Use our state-of-the-art private number plate search tool and let us know the best Bond plates in the comments below.