'Bond In Motion' Now Open

The new 'Bond In Motion' exhibition opened to the public on Tuesday 17 January at the UK's National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, and has already seen good business. The exhibition of 50 Bond-related vehicles, backed by Eon Productions, has been mounted to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film series during 2012.

A special press launch was held at the Museum on Sunday 15 January, and saw a variety of guests from the world of Bond in attendance, including four Bond women: Britt Ekland, Eunice Gayson, Madeline Smith, and Jenny Hanley. Other guests at the event included Colin Salmon ('Charles Robinson'), SFX supervisor Chris Corbould, and stunt arranger and director Vic Armstrong. Some members of the Ian Fleming Foundation (IFF) also travelled all the way from the USA to be specially present at the event, as the IFF have loaned some of their vehicles to the exhibition. Alongside the 50 vehicles, visitors can also see some of the famous gadgets and key props used in the 007 movies.  

The exhibition received wide media coverage on Monday 16 January, with many British newspapers carrying a publicity photograph of 69-year old beauty Britt Ekland posing with the famous Aston Martin DB5, which was driven by Sean Connery in 'Goldfinger'. BBC Breakfast TV also carried a live report from the exhibition on the same day, and interviewed SFX supervisor Chris Corbould and Bond fan and expert Matthew Field. At one point in Chris Corbould's interview, the BBC interviewer attempted to coax some details out of Chris about the forthcoming Bond movie 'Skyfall', but he wisely remained very tight-lipped. Matthew, in his interview, tried to steer the focus away from the usual fixation on the Aston Martin and emphasised the wide variety of 007 vehicles on display.

The National Motor Museum is located at Beaulieu in the New Forest in Hampshire, England, and 'Bond In Motion' will be open to the public for a whole year, giving dedicated Bond fans plenty of time to pay a visit.