James Bond's Car From Dr. No

It Happened One Beautiful Spring, Back in the Day.

Sit Back and Relax, and I'll Tell You the Story of How I Came into Possession of James Bond's Car...

I had just Gotten Back to My Home State of Illinois from Pennsylvania, Where, While Visiting With My Older Brother, Roger, He Had Generously Gifted Me with a 1965 Sunbeam Alpine Convertible for My 16th Birthday!

Having Purchased the 2-Door Roadster in West Bromwich, England, During one of His Many Excursions Abroad, Roger had Explained to Me that He was Buying a New Car, and the Dealer would "Only" Allow Him $2,500.00 Trade-In for the British Rootes Group's Car, First Produced in 1953.

This was the Automobile that Competed, as a Modified "Tiger" Model in the 1964 LeMans and Various European Road Rallies, and Captured 4 Coupes Des Alpes Back in 1953.

It was the American Hot Rod Association's National Record Holder in the Quarter Mile, Reaching a Speed of 108 Miles Per Hour in Under 13 Seconds.

In Early Tests on the Car, Analysts Described it as Having "Performance Equivalent to an XX-K Jaguar."

Two of the Cars Raced at Monte Carlo in 1965, Placing 4th and 11th.

"Would You Believe" a 1965 Model was Driven by Maxwell Smart in the 1965-1970 Spy Spoof Series, "Get Smart?"

This Car is On Display at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles, and was Loaned to 1965 Playmate of the Year, Jo Collins for One Year.

The Car was also Featured in the 2008 Film Adaptation of the Get Smart TV Series.

A Lake Blue Alpine, the Same Color as the One I Drove, was Driven by Sean Connery, The Best James Bond, in the 1962 Ian Fleming Flick, Dr. No, the Very First James Bond Movie.

Connery's Alpine had Matching Interior. Mine was Baby Blue.

It Goes Without Saying that, at 16, I was Thrilled To Pieces to be Given That Particular Car as a Gift from My Wonderful, Big-Hearted Big Brother!

I had an Absolute Blast Driving it Back Home on My "Road Trip" From Pennsylvania to Illinois, Top Down and Radio Blaring All the Way!

When I Arrived Home, My First Order of Business Happened to be Delivering a Kitten From One Friend to Another.

I Picked Up the Kitten from My First Friend, Who Supplied Me with a Box and a Blanket, and I Headed Out to My Second Friend's House, Top Still Down on My New Sports Convertible.

I was Following (There's That Word!) a Large Pick-Up Truck, When All of a Sudden My Kitten Companion Made an Astounding Leap From Her Box in the Passenger's Seat to the Ledge of the Passenger's Window!

I Gasped, and Reached Over to Grab My Feline Daredevil, and, At That Exact Moment, the Pick-Up Truck I was Following Swerved Left Around a Parked Chrysler Imperial, and As I Retrieved the Kitten, I Rammed Headlong into the Back of the Huge Parked Car.

After Sitting There for a Few Seconds, I Opened My Door and Got Out, Not Realizing Blood Was Flowing Freely From My Nose, Which, I Would Later Learn at the Hospital, was Broken in Several Places!

My New Sports Car, James Bond's Car, Received $550.00 in Damages. Not a Scratch on the Boat-Sized Imperial.

All that Spring, I Played on the Golf Team With a Bandaged Nose. All the Yearbook Sports Photos Show Me With Large Sunglasses, Almost, but Not Quite Covering the White Bandages.

I Learned a Hard Lesson About Loose Animals in Vehicles.

My Car was Repaired in About Two Weeks, With Money I Earned Working at the University Golf Course.

My Dad Thought it was Best I Pay For the Repairs Myself, and I'm Certain He Was Right.

I Enjoyed My Car All that Summer, and for Many Years to Come.

My Brother Died of Cancer at 56, After an Action-Packed Life, but I'll Never Forget the Loving Generosity He Showed His Kid Brother on His 16th Birthday!

I Never Drove With a Loose Animal in the Car Again.

Well, a Turtle One Time, but, That's a Story for Another Time.

(The Kitten was Delivered Unharmed!)