The only Land Rover used in two consecutive James Bond movies; Skyfall and Spectre
2011 Land Rover Defender SVX 'Spectre' 4x4 Utility
Registration no. VX61 BGV
Chassis no. SALLDHFS8AA797848

Representing arguably the ultimate version of Land Rover's iconic Defender, the example offered here was used during the filming of the 24th and latest film of the James Bond franchise, Spectre, set in the Austrian Alps and released in 2015. Spectre is the seventh James Bond film to feature a Land Rover, the first being Octopussy (1983).

SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) first appeared in Ian Fleming's James Bond novel Thunderball (1961) and in the film Dr No (1962) led by super-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Clearly, the operatives of such a criminal organisation would need their own specially adapted vehicles to cope with the Alpine terrain, so Sony Pictures contacted Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division to supply the required Defenders.

In its standard form the friendly and familiar Defender would have lacked the aura of menace required for the SPECTRE vehicles, so the movie cars were sent to marque specialists Bowler, a company recognised for over 30 years as market leaders in the design, engineering, and production of class-leading custom vehicles. Bowler then trasnformed them from standard Defender 110 crew-cab models to the 'Bowler racing specification' worthy of a Bond villain, including an engine upgrade, 4-point harnesses and full roll cage that runs both internally and externally. Finished in sinister Santorini Black, the result was the SVX, or Spectre Defender, with huge 37"-diameter all-terrain tyres granting the nickname 'Bigfoot'.

In fact, the original requirement for Spectre had been for nine such vehicles, but after all chassis had been delivered, the film's directors and stunt co-ordinators decided that 10 'Bigfoots' were required. As luck would have it, in a corner of SVO's busy engineering workshop sat a forgotten piece of film history: the one remaining Stornoway Grey Metallic Defender 110 that 007's field agent Eve, played by Naomie Harris, had driven in the preceding Bond movie, Skyfall. So chassis number '797848' was upgraded to 'Spectre' specification by Land Rover SVO and pressed into action once more, though on this occasion on the side of the villains. This decision makes '797848' unique as the only Land Rover to have appeared in two consecutive Bond films. The silver interior finish left over from Skyfall is still visible.

Accompanying provenance includes a Spectre plaque; SVO and Land Rover signed correspondence; SVO bill of sale; full build specification; logbook stating 'prototype' with Land Rover Company Vehicles Engineering Fleet the one previous owner from new, current MoT; V5C Registration Certificate; sundry bills; and Austrian show plates.