Bond's back in a Bentley!

Bill Tanner

And about time too.

According to the news section, Sebastian Faulks is to stay true to Fleming's roots and Bond's allegiance to the Bentley marque.

But which model is it to be? The novel is set in 1967 so it may continue where Fleming left-off with Bond's old custom-Continetal MkII (S1? S2?) 'Locomotive', but if Faulks is planning something new, there's speculation that the car might be the T-series model, launched in '66. I'd at least hope for one of the 2-door cars (launched about 6 months after the original car) or ideally a pre-Corniche convertible... but sadly these didn't come along until 1968 (Corniche in 1971) so are outside the timeline. I suppose the previous S2 or S3 Continental models are the most likely choices, but these were very large and quite dated cars by '67.

Though it's not strictly canonical, there's an interesting passage in John Pearson's unofficial biography, which made quite disparaging remarks about the Corniche model; something along the lines of how Bentley had betrayed their sporting roots in producing an overly-soft and luxurious car. Opinions I think Fleming's Bond would have agreed with.

emtiem

I'd imagine that he'll still have the same car that Fleming had him own at the end of the novels. I don't think the T particularly suits Bond as you say and I'm not sure there'd be any reason for him to change car.

Loeffelholz

emtiem wrote:

I'd imagine that he'll still have the same car that Fleming had him own at the end of the novels.

I agree; seems to me as if Faulks is keen to preserve the Fleming continuity, and Bond driving the same Bentley last seen in the TLD short story would be a simple (and effective) step in that direction.

Apocrypha23

I read something about Bond having a driver. That just seems incredibly out of character. How old is Bond supposed to be; 40, 50? He's not going to take the back seat of a performance sedan!

superado

I agree with the others that it will be the same Bentley last seen in TLD (published in 1966). If it's to be a different model, there must be some compelling reason for a new backstory, which I think creates imo artificial bumps, like Gardner's Mulsanne Turbo and how Bond's inheritance was used to buy it in light of his civil servant imcome...just so he's still in a Bentley 2 decades later? ...or Higson's use of the Bamford Martin to make the GF connection and I still wonder why two different 4.5 liter Bentleys were introduced. Fleming's own bumps are inherently novel, but I think it's touchy to pull off post-Fleming.

emtiem

superado wrote:

...or Higson's use of the Bamford Martin to make the GF connection and I still wonder why two different 4.5 liter Bentleys were introduced.

Were there? I lose track of Bond's Bentleys. Do you mean in Higson? I haven't read many of those so did he bring in another 4.5? I thought it was the one he has in Casino Royale?

superado

emtiem wrote:

superado wrote:

...or Higson's use of the Bamford Martin to make the GF connection and I still wonder why two different 4.5 liter Bentleys were introduced.

Were there? I lose track of Bond's Bentleys. Do you mean in Higson? I haven't read many of those so did he bring in another 4.5? I thought it was the one he has in Casino Royale?

I'm sorry, Entiem, that appears to have been a spoiler for you! Anyway, here's the lowdown:

In YB1, Silverfin, we're introduced to Aunt Charmaine who has a pristine 4.5L Bentley, and from a literary perspective vs. coincidences that happen in real life, we're meant to make that connection with the 4.5 in the Fleming stories.

Jump to YB3, Double or Die, and one of Bond's mates finds a ruined 4.5 for sale really cheap near Eton, and Bond by chance while at the villain's disguised gambling den near the London docks(?), he's accosted by real life American gangster Dutch Schultz (was featured as a character in Coppola's Cotton Club) and used as a good luck charm in roulette, ends up winning a large amount for the gangster, which Shultz later splits up and sends to Bond at Eton.

At the end of the story proper, young Bond buys the wreck of the 4.5 Liter and fast forward to the end of WWII, he is driving it to Bechley(?) Park. There was never an explaination of what happened to Aunt Charmaine's 4.5 Liter up to that point to disqualify it from being the 4.5 liter Bentley that Bond eventually owned, which is why I wonder on practical terms of plot there is the sudden insertion of the 2nd 4.5 with its back story.

emtiem

Oh no- quite right- I've read half of Silverfin and remember Bond's aunt's Bentley now you mention it. I've heard he buys one later also; I'd just forgotten about the aunt's one. I don't know if you can count the first one as he never actually owns it!