Motor Culture Bond Girls Galore On Display In "Bond In Motion" Petersen Museum Exhibit

Title exhibit of the "Bond In Motion" exhibit at the Petersen Automotive Museum's Mullin Grand Salon 1st Floor exhibit space. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Motor Culture Bond Girls Galore On Display In "Bond In Motion" Petersen Museum Exhibit

This month, the long delayed and anticipated 25th edition of the 007 Bond feature length movie series "No Time To Die" was released to be shown in theaters only opened on Friday, October 8th, 2021. The worldwide opening came to a very successful $330,000,000 box office weekend and marked the end of the Daniel Craig era of the 007 Bond saga.

Billboard displays at the AMC16 in Burbank opening day of the feature presentation in the Dolby Sound enhanced Theater #14 of "No Time To Die." It is recommended that one watch both Casino Royal (2006) and Spectre (2015) before taking in "No Time To Die" so that one's mind is fresh with the storylines that feed this 25th edition of Bond, James Bond. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Just one week in advance of this 25th film in the series was released, the Petersen Automotive Museum opened a new exhibit of the 007 Bond movie franchise titled "Bond In Motion" which features more than 30 cars, motorcycles, boats, submarines, helicopters and even scale filming models of aircraft from an array of both classic and contemporary Bond films. This exhibit represents some of the most memorable and indelible 3D vehicle art that, in their own way, delivered "Bond, James Bond" through motor culture creations (some custom, and some just perfect for the time of Bond) as strong as the story lines themselves.  

007 graphic from the exhibit hall floor. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Bond 007 graphic from the top of the exhibit hall staircase. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

This exhibit is impressive on many levels, from the detail of the exhibit descriptions to the general display throughout the environment itself. One of the initial exhibits upon entering the hall that will command one's attention is the Bond defining 007 gun-enhanced graphic (above) placed in a two-story three-dimensional exhibit in the middle of the signature circular staircase that is a defining structural element of the Mullin Grand Salon.

This 1964 Silver Birch Aston Martin appears as the repeat signature motor culture Bond Girl ever since it first appeared in EON Productions' 1964 film Goldfinger. This heart-warming beauty went on to appear in Thunderball (1965), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Casino Royale (2006), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time To Die (2021). In addition, the vehicle has appeared in the video-games 007 Racing (2000), Agent Under Fire (2001), From Russia with Love (2005), Blood Stone (2010), James Bond: World of Espionage (2015) and the Best of Bond DLC for Forza Horizon 4 (2018).Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021) 

As one might guess, an Aston Martin, especially a DB5, is never too far from one's gaze. The very first vehicle happens to be just that - a perfect DB5 in every way as shown in many of the 007 Bond films as a reoccurring friend - even in the last No Time To Die installment.

But enough about the easy hits ... what about the "Nellie" factor? A vehicle title that shows up twice - one is an up armored. assemble on demand, aircraft and the other is a luxury sports car that doubles as a submarine. 

LITTLE NELLIE

Bond flying Little Nellie in You Only Live Twice - Image Credit: JamesBondMemes.blogspot.com

Little Nellie (Wallis WA-116 Series 1) - Featured in You Only Live Twice (1967). A heavily armed gyrocopter that could be transported in several cases and quickly assembled in the field. Little Nellie, was designed and built by Wing Commander Ken Wallis and flown by him in the film, is one of the most celebrated vehicles in the James Bond series. In the film, James Bond uses the autogyro, supplied by Q Branch, to give reconnaissance of the Japanese landscape to find out where SPECTRE’s rockets might be launching from. A cine-camera fixed to Bond's helmet allowed him to photograph every inch. Image Credit Edmund Jenks (2012)

On the exhibit floor, Little Nellie appears as a graphic in the exhibit description that features a model of a Helicopter used in You Only Live Twice (1967) by SPECTRE to protect their missile/rocket launch site.

SPECTRE security used this Bell Helicopter to chase off James Bond flying Little Nellie. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

WET NELLIE

The Lotus Esprit S1 (or Series 1) is a sports car that was built by Lotus in the United Kingdom between 1976 and 1978. The car gained fame through its appearance in the 1977 film, The Spy Who Loved Me, where it was featured in a long chase sequence on the Italian island of Sardinia; ultimately converting into a submarine. Appearing in the film's tie-in novelization and video game, the Esprit also featured in Storm Bringer (1985), 007 Racing (2000) and the Best of Bond DLC for Forza Horizon 4 (2018).

Q's Wet Nellie as it appears on exhibit with a moving light splashed over the exterior so as to emulate the Lotus Esprit S1 as a submarine under the water. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

OTHER "NELLIES" - as nominated

Custom vehicles that could have carried the the moniker Nellie given their unusual nature are scattered throughout the Bond In Motion exhibit. These apparatus tools, given their unique function and special appearances, earn a vote to be nominated Nellies simply because of the fun they bring to their film stories as the original Nellies had delivered..

Two candidates for the tag Nellie come from the movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971) for vehicles designed and/or built by two of the most famous customizers of craft in the film industry.

MOON BUGGY NELLIE - Built by Dean Jefferies

In the exhibit that features motor culture memorabilia from Diamonds Are Forever, the featured exhibit that shows a Honda ATV-90 vehicle that James Bond commanders to escape Willard Whyte's Tectronics Laboratory patrol agents as they try to track him down while he escapes a laboratory in a Moon Buggy.

1971 HONDA ATC-90. Image Credit : Edmund Jenks (2021)

Dean Jefferies crafted Moon Buggy. Image Credit: MGM/EON Productions via The James Bond Dossier (2015)

James Bond (Sean Connery) escapes Tectronics Laboratory located in the desert outside of Las Vegas in an experimental bubble-domed Moon Buggy that was in the laboratory's warehouse. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

BATH-O-SUB NELLIE - Built by Barris Kustom Industries 

This unique marine vehicle plays a pivotal role in Diamonds Are Forever where James Bond gets the upper hand against arch-enemy and head of SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Nellie candidate Bath-O-Sub with SPECTRE logo on the nose. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

 

Exhibit description of Bath-O-Sub. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

Exhibit description of Bath-O-Sub scene with image. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

The last nominee for adding the name Nellie to a motor culture "Bond Girl" found inside of the Bond In Motion very special exhibit inside of the Mullin Grand Salon is originally called the Q Boat ... or as listed in the Salon as the Q Jet Boat..

PORPOISING NELLIE (Q Boat)

Featured in The World Is Not Enough (1999), PORPOISING NELLIE (Q Boat) was created by Q as a "fishing boat" for his retirement. 

Q Boat as displayed on the floor of the Mullin Grand Salon. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2021)

This unique craft came with missiles, torpedos, and a GPS tracking system. It could also submerge (porpoise) although the pilot either needed to have his own breathing apparatus or surface quickly before he drowned. However, this feature wasn't exactly finished when James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) took it for the defining opening action sequence which could account for why the pilot was exposed to the water when using that function.

There are many, many honorable mentions amongst these motor culture Bond Girls that could qualify as being dubbed a Nellie, and one may wish to explore the possibilities at the Petersen Automotive Museum soon.

Maybe, a good time might come just after taking in the latest in the 25 movie series, and Daniel Craig's final episode, No Time To Die in theaters only.

LARGEST JAMES BOND PROP AND VEHICLE EXHIBIT EVER DISPLAYED IN A U.S. MUSEUM 

NOW OPEN AT THE PETERSEN THROUGH OCTOBER 30, 2022

IN THE MULLIN GRAND SALON

... notes from The EDJE

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TAGS: Aston Martin, EON Productions, James Bond, Lotus, Petersen Automotive Museum, 007, LITTLE NELLIE, WET NELLIE, Moon Buggy, Bath-O-Sub, Q Boat, Mullin Grand Salon, The EDJE