An Aston Martin DB5 complete with rotating machine gun headlamps used in the filming of the James Bond movie No Time To Die has been unveiled as the centrepiece of a new exhibition.
The stunt replica, which also features a changing LED number plate and bullet hole damage, is on show as part of the Bond In Motion display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, in the New Forest, Hampshire.
It is one of eight replicas and two originals which were used in the set piece car chase scene filmed in the southern Italian hilltop town of Matera.
The car features the machine gun headlamps used in the latest Bond movie (Andrew Matthews/PA)
The car was unveiled at the opening of the exhibition by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and Chris Corbould, special effects supervisor on No Time To Die and 14 other Bond movies.
Mr Corbould, who has been involved in the making of 60 movies, told the PA news agency: “I went to Aston Martin and they asked me what car we intended to use, I said we would like to use the DB5.
“The next question was ‘how many do you think you are going to need?’ When I said 10, the room went silent.
“We looked at various options, do they purchase 10 cars but the cost of each of those cars wasn’t entertained, do we try to get people to rent them to us? Would you rent your car to do an action sequence in a James Bond film? Obviously not.
A replica of the Safin mask also forms part of the display (Andrew Matthews/PA)
“So the decision was made to use two pristine cars for James Bond getting in and out and Aston Martin then made eight others for us to use in various parts of the sequence with gadgets and others were full stunt versions.”
Lord Montagu said: “We are about telling the history of motoring up to the present day and coming together with Bond, one of the biggest names in entertainment, is a wonderful partnership.”
Other vehicles on show include a badly-damaged Land Rover Defender 110, the “Stealthy Bird” submersible glider used by Bond to fly into Safin’s base, the Aston Martin V8 from the London and Norway scenes and one of three Triumph Scrambler 1200XE motorbikes used in the Matera scene.
Also on show are villain Primo’s bionic eye, the Safin mask, mini mines fired from the DB5 and costumes worn by Bond and Primo.
YesAuto/PA media
Keyword: Aston Martin armed with machine guns takes centre stage in James Bond exhibition