Thoughts from the Curb

Aug 26, 2008 - Countdown to Bond: Umm, the Moonraker Gondola?

In Ian Fleming's novel "Moonraker," the book-bound 007 prominantly drives his 1933 Bentley Mark IV convertible ... eventually to its destruction (for the second time actually, it was crashed in "Casino Royale" like the DBS in the movie).

But there's no Bond car in the 1979 film "Moonraker." In fact, there's actually barely any cars in the movie. Oh, there's a cable car, plus a speed boat, an ambulance, a golf cart and six space shuttles. There was one motor vehicle, however, one that's a perfect representation of the patently ridiculous "Moonraker" -- the Gondola on Wheels.

Yes, that's right. The first and (thankfully only) Q Gondola has a high-speed propellor that lets Roger Moore get away from some baddies in speed boats. When that fails, he presses a button and an inflateable skirt boosts the gondola out of Venice harbor and into San Marco square. He then meanders through the square as confused Venetians, tourists and even pigeons, yes pigeons, do double takes.

"Moonraker" is an amusing film for about an hour fifteen, and then becomes totally stupid when Bond ends up in a space shuttle and space station. Like "Die Another Day" years later, "Moonraker" reached a new outlandish series low but it did result in an excellent, literally more down-to-Earth Bond adventure.

-James Riswick 

6:07 pm | Categories: bond cars Permalink | Alert Administrator

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