For seven movies he was the eponymous James Bond and never once drove an Aston Martin; Lotus Esprit, Citroen Deux Chevaux and a Space Shuttle. However Roger Moore also starred in a TV show with Tony Curtis and his character, Lord Brett Sinclair, toted around in a Bahaman Yellow AM DBS.
Very seventies in styling… Tony Curtis’ car was a Ferrari Dino 246 GT..
A little gem of italianna.
Bond #2 was George Lazenby, still quite a controversial selection; but in my mind better than Roger Moore bringing a serious role to the proceedings. His car was a new model Aston Martin DBS a 6 cylinder
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was the adventure when JB met Tracy Do Vicenzo played by the truly delightful Diana Rigg taking a break from her fame making Emma Peel in The Avengers.
This has the ending where Bonds nemesis Blofeld has the newly married Mrs Tracy Bond shot as they sit in the Aston overlooking the Riviera.
“This never happened to the other fellow!”
Connery as Bond, Aston Martin DB5, alpine road… Stylish, superlative and sinuous… In that order!
On this day in 1859 the first major publication defining evolutionary biology was introduced to the public. It was met with some derision with many theologically based opponents not likingj the idea we had evolved from some tree swinging simian. Charles Darwin was the author using scientifically acquired data from his HMS Beagle trip around the globe.
Well, we aren’t evolved from chimps… The apes, monkeys and homo sapiens are all evolved from a common mammal; way, way back in the past. The timescale is inconceivable by reply most: millions of years – that’s thousands of TIMES longer than the few thousand years of recorded history. Motorcycles? Well all current motos can hark back to the simple Daimler engine on a velocipede. Some heading along an lkkroute of cruiser fee twins, others sharply defined sports bikes. Yet more well set up for the long road or simple for city commuting. But a modern high performance Triumph Daytona isn’t ‘evolved’ from a twentieth century 2013 Harley Davidson Road King..
Oddly enough one of the newer motors in a Harley is called an Evolution… Still half a century behind modern bikes Evolution. That’s practically thousands of millennia in evolutionary terms!
Happy Evolution Day.
Licensed to Kill: Pierce Brosnan was a great James Bond; a suave agent with a calculated gentleman’s approach to his job. Not the tough guy Daniel Craig who has taken the mantle to great effect, but a clean-cut Fleming protagonist. He was see in his second outing Tomorrow Never Dies riding a BMW R1200C with Michelle Yeoh hurling through the Ho Chu Minh City.
I prefer the Aston Martin that happens to be Bonds favorite vehicle. Here he stands with a Vanquish.
Of course with the very British marque of Triumph going from strength to strength JB should be seen on a Bonneville gadget equipped by Q’s quartermaster department.
Here’s Irishman Pierce taking a stance aboard an emerald green Thruxton. This week he was filming a new movie in Cambridge and his professorial don character totes around the college town on a Triumph: looks like its catching on…
Looking stylish Mr Bond!
Half a Century ago today two shots rang out from a building across an open space in Dallas towards the presidential motorcade. They hit their target and history’s path was realigned drastically. Jack, the King and his Queen Jackie were taking America into a new and inspired future. Adventures of a growing democratic superpower. The sky had no limit.
…but Oswald put paid to that destiny. Even though the open top Lincoln was surrounded by Secret Service and a Harley riding escort the commanding view gained from the sixth floor aerie in the Texas Book Depository opened a huge chink in that armor and the crosshairs won.
The motorcycles were typically American: Harley Davidson.
The motos were 1963 FL Duo Glide police models. (Duo Glide means it had BOTH front AND rear suspension). As we know conspiracy theories abound; but I think Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone and wanted to be a piece of history. An interesting alternate history novel could be written where Kennedy wasn’t shot, and a decades long strong America under Jack, Bobby, and later son John ran the show…
The Peter Gabriel song Family Snapshot tells of would be assassin Arthur Bremer and his attempted shooting of presidential candidate George Wallace in 1972; though its lyrics reflect events in Dallas a decade earlier.
…They’re coming ’round the corner with the bikers at the front
I’m wiping the sweat from my eyes
-It’s a matter of time
-It’s a matter of will
And the governor’s car is not far behind
He’s not the one I’ve got in mind
‘Cos there he is-the man of the hour, standing in the limousine
“I don’t really hate you
-I don’t care what you do
We were made for each other
-Me and you
I want to be somebody
-You were like that too
If you don’t get given you learn to take
And I will take you.”
Holding my breath
Release the catch
And I let the bullet fly…
Actor Bradley Cooper likes his motos, especially British-made. Here spied astride a cherry red Thruxton.
Black fenders, and ‘oil’ tank side panels are a nice complement to the fuel tank.
Here’s another of him on another one. He must have one for each movie set! This has a Mad Max appearance, which, when combined with that helmet and boots adds to a determined biker stance.
Sorted!
What bikes were made for: The double corner! Tip ‘er in, through the ogee, wind it on for the next apex, heave over on to the other heel, fling through the second curve and power out like a stone out of a slingshot. It’s the loop-the-loop of the motorcyclist. A brace of Triumph Thruxtons take on a winding road over a grassy moor. I love the superlative and dynamic composition of this image.
Some storms passed our way over the weekend. Indeed unseasonable tornadoes touched down across parts the Midwest causing catastrophic damage for some. Here’s a vintage image of a pair of Ariel riders refueling in some English village. Better bring yer wellies!
Keep Calm and Paddle On!
Need to give ‘er a push into next week. Just put yer back into it!
A few canine stories of the week: it has been discovered that the domestication of or “best friend” most likely occurred in Europe during the last Ice Age. 10-14,000 years ago or so. Not in the Middle East as previously thought. The winters and glaciers drew wolves together with man. I believe the link of man and dog has lead to the initial development of civilization. A pack animal to protect a settling community. Here’s a herding Border Collie atop his/her owners Bonnie.
The other story was a dog trekking to Everest Base camp (17,500 feet). A happy pup, named Rupee, taken as a stray off the streets and now happy as Larry to follow their owner up into the Nepal Himalaya.
Goggl’d, leather’d and astride a BSA. Here’s a lass with every intention of getting down the road with confidence. It’s great that there are a lot more riders of the fairer sex than pillions. Motorcycles are for everyone! Vendredi is Venus’s Day.
Nikon have launched this new digital SLR… And what a corker it looks too! Just like my old brass edged F3. But at $2800 for the body only way out of my reach…
Vintage moto taken for a spin by our Scottish actor pal Ewan McGregor. Norton is the bike. A Jedi the rider is…
