Doug Crossen wrote:
>I hope you can help me. I am looking for the VIN/Serial numbers for the
>1959-1/2 Sunbeam Alpine Sport Roadster used in the main chase scene of
>the 1962 James Bond movie Dr. No. If you have any information or ideas
>of where to look please E-mail me at
>Thanks
The vin number would have been between B9100001 and B91119956 and probably
"RRX", with color #53.
It looked like the Rootes PR department, or at least local Rootes dealers,
had a hand in supplying some key vehicles for Dr. No. There was the
Wedgewood Blue RHD Series II Alpine that Connery drove, and a two-tone
reddish brown Hillman Saloon that was shown when Strangways was gunned down
by the "3 blind mice". The hearse that chases Bond is a 1940 Packard, and
it becomes a torch as it slides off the road and down the mountain. Bond,
meanwhile, drives under the boom of a clamshell loader with the Alpine,
demonstrating the value of a low car to secret agent survival. Even though
they were on a dirt road, you could hear squealing tires as Connery saws
madly at the wheel like a dirt track racer. The front wheel of the heavy
old Packard looks like it's going to roll under on the curves, and the stunt
driver really earns his pay. It would seem that Rootes PR guys would have
wanted to tout their cinematic coup, but I haven't seen any ads to that
effect. I have a .jpg of a B & W poster for Asian release that shows the
Alpine being chased by the Packard. This was before all the 007 mega-hype
surrounding these movies, so the Alpine didn't get the recognition that,
say, the Goldfinger Aston Martin did. Also, the Alpine wasn't highly
modified and tricked out like the Aston Martin, so was less of an
interesting star.
Given the use of Rootes products, I suspect that these vehicles were on loan
to the production from a local Rootes dealer near the shoot (Jamaica?). The
movie didn't strike me as being particularly high budget (see trivia below),
so I don't think anyone would have considered enshrining the car(s).
Where did you get the idea that the car was a '59 1/2? I looked it over in
stop-motion on the video and identified it as a Series II. The high
"bayonet" front window guide of the Series II was clearly visible early in
the mountain road scene before the chase. It was a RHD car with wire
wheels, and fairly wide whitewalls, but otherwise stock. The engine sounds
seemed authentic. If the car were a "1959 1/2" it would have been one of
the first Series I cars, and would have had a short front window guide.
Given that the movie was made in 1963, the Series II would probably be the
current available model. Many Series II cars were actually sold in '63.
Incidentally, after Bond arrives unexpectently to the surprise of his
"date" (who is working for the bad guys), and after she "detains" him for a
couple of hours, Bond picks up the phone to call a taxi so they can go out
to eat. She says "I thought you had a car?" (the Alpine), and he replies
"The damn thing wouldn't start." I guess they had Lucas disease even back
then. Yup, if it can happen to 007, we're in good company. Actually, he is
calling a military escort to pick her up so he can wait for the bad guy that
she set him up for. Lots of treachery in these flicks.
I picked up some trivia on Dr. No from one of the 007 pages:
•Thunderball was originally going to be the first 007 movie, but legal
wrangles with its co-author lead to Dr. No being chosen instead.
•Author Ian Fleming wanted his cousin Christopher Lee to play Dr. No. See
also The Man With the Golden Gun. •The budget was only $1,000,000 but when
costs over ran by $100,000 United Artists wanted to pull the plug fearing
they would never recoup its outlay.
•Fleming originally asked Noel Coward to play the part of Dr. No, Coward
replied in a telegram "Dr. No? No! No! No!".
•Actors considered for the lead role included: Cary Grant, David Niven,
Trevor Howard, Rex Harrison, and Roger Moore.
•Sean Connery was chosen for the part of 007 after Cubby Broccoli's wife saw
him in Disney's Darby O'Gill and the Little People.
•After the film's release in Italy, the Vatican issued a special communique
expressing its disapproval at the film's moral standpoint.
•The voice of Honey Ryder is not that of Ursula Andress.
•Connery is morbidly afraid of spiders. Shot of spider in his bed was
originally done with a sheet of glass between him and the spider, but when
this didn't look realistic enough, the scene was re-shot with stuntman Bob
Simmons.
•A painting of the Duke of Wellington, stolen in 1960 and never recovered,
can be seen on the wall of Dr. No's headquarters.
•The rights to the famous theme song were bought from Monty Norman for a
ridiculously low sum of money, and subsequently appeared in many later Bond
films.
•The film was titled "James Bond chases Dr. No" in Germany.
•The Japanese office of United Artists originally translated the title as
"We don't want a doctor", and even had posters printed with that title. The
mistake was discovered at the last moment.
•The San Fernando Valley Theater in Los Angeles advertised this movie as
"Doctor Number", starring Seen Connery.
Rex Funk
-----Original Message-----
From: Russell Maddock <rmaddock(at)petrie.starway.net.au>
To: Alpine List <alpines(at)autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, September 24, 1998 5:41 AM
Subject: Fw: Serial Numbers
>I don't like Doug's chances of getting a response on this.......
>
>Russ Maddock
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Doug & Bonni Crossen <h2oski(at)gomontana.com>
>To: rmaddock(at)petrie.hotkey.net.au <rmaddock(at)petrie.hotkey.net.au>
>Date: Thursday, 24 September 1998 19:13
>Subject: Serial Numbers
>
>
>>I hope you can help me. I am looking for the VIN/Serial numbers for the
>>1959-1/2 Sunbeam Alpine Sport Roadster used in the main chase scene of
>>the 1962 James Bond movie Dr. No. If you have any information or ideas
>>of where to look please E-mail me at h2oski(at)gomontana.com.
>>Thanks
>>Doug Crossen
>>
>>
>
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