Eine besondere Lieferung für das National Corvette Museum
Our Aston Martin DB5 sat in the beautiful Jamaican villa, on the very same dark-wood writing desk where Ian Fleming created James Bond. In this moment, two versions of the same story finally met.
Ankunft in Nashville
In nur zwei Stunden hatten wir die Enteisungsanlage und eine von Schnee bedeckte Startbahn am Toronto Pearson International hinter uns gelassen und wurden vom einladenden Sonnenschein in der Welthauptstadt der Country-Musik und des Bourbons: Nashville, empfangen. Nach einer kurzen Fahrt nach Norden nach Bowling Green, Kentucky, machte das National Corvette Museum unmissverständlich klar, dass wir angekommen waren, dank der unglaublich eindrucksvollen Werbetafeln.
Das Archiv und die Bibliothek
Das Museumsgebäude war wie seine Exponate: kühn und markant. Eine riesige rote Spitze, die sich aus einer leuchtend gelben Kuppel erhebt, fällt den meisten Besuchern zuerst auf, doch wenn man die Augen schließt, gibt es in der Umgebung genug 1000-PS-starke V8-Motoren, dass man höchstwahrscheinlich mit dem Crescendo einer reichen Geschichte des amerikanischen Muscle-Cars in das Museum eingeführt wird.
A doorway to the right led to the master bedroom, simply furnished with an oversized bamboo-framed bed matching the sofa, with crisp white cotton sheets, looking out through another open shuttered window, and in the corner, a second dark-wood, two-tiered writing desk looking out towards what we would soon come to enjoy – the most captivating Caribbean sunset.
A second door from the bedroom led outside to Fleming’s bathroom – a lush, tropical bathing enclosure full of palms and exotic planting that allowed the musical notes of the Jamaican birds, tree frogs and ocean waves to provide a sense of calm and tranquillity. A huge claw-foot bath beckoned, and a large chrome rain shower would have provided a much-welcome refreshing shower. In the late afternoon of our visit, the temperature and humidity, mixed with adrenaline and excitement, rendered us soaked through our carefully planned light cotton and linen evening dress.
Immediately on our arrival at Fleming’s villa, our mission was to take advantage of the exclusive opportunity we had to photograph our DB5 on the writing desks where Fleming would have sat creating James Bond. Cameras and video equipment at the ready, we each took turns positioning and posing ourselves and the model car for a photo shoot prior to the main event.
Stephen geht im Archivraum äußerst sorgfältig vor, um das Modell, das von Agoras Experten – Mark Adams, gefertigt wurde, auszupacken.
Museumsrundgang
Nachdem wir unser 1:8 Modell des Split Window auf einen Transportwagen für den sicheren Transport verladen hatten, führte uns das Museumsteam durch die Ausstellung mit nur einem Ziel vor Augen: ihrem vollständig restaurierten, lebensgroßen 1963er C2 mit identischen Farbgebungen wie unser Modell. Ich hatte noch nie zuvor einen in echt gesehen, aber dieser Anblick raubte mir sofort den Atem. Er war makellos, die ikonischen Linien der Karosserie waren messerscharf, die Lackierung war tadellos, und das Chrom ließ mich nach meiner Sonnenbrille greifen. Er war wirklich so atemberaubend, wie sein Ruf es versprach.
After the presentation ended, I found a quiet moment as I followed the steep cliff steps to a private beach below. Watching the deep orange sunset, the sea surface glistened like tiny diamonds. It was impossible not to wonder whose footsteps I was standing in and how many stories had begun here.
Bringing the Story Full Circle
The Aston Martin DB5 represents the Bond that millions of people know through the films, while GoldenEye represents the place where the character first came to life on the page. For a few hours, and hopefully for years to come, the most famous car in Bond history stood in a place where Bond himself was created. There was also a lovely symbolism in the fact that Fleming’s Bond originally drove a Bentley in the novels, yet the DB5 became the enduring visual symbol of Bond for generations of film fans. By bringing the DB5 to GoldenEye, we were connecting the literary birthplace of Bond with the cinematic icon that carried the character into global popular culture.
Standing at GoldenEye, I found myself wondering what Fleming would have made of it all. The model before us represented an Aston Martin from a film he never lived to see (Fleming died in August 1964, shortly before the Goldfinger movie was released), yet it existed because of a character he created on this very property. Perhaps he would have been surprised by the scale of Bond’s cultural footprint. But I suspect he would have appreciated the craftsmanship. After all, Bond’s world was built on an appreciation for things done well – whether a finely tailored suit, a well-made cocktail, or a beautifully engineered motorcar.
Das Highlight des Erlebnisses war es, das Modell im Maßstab 1:8 neben dem Original zu sehen, und es lohnt sich wirklich, das Museum allein schon zu besuchen, um in demselben Raum wie ein so seltenes Stück Automobilgeschichte zu sein, aber das Museum hatte noch so viel mehr zu bieten, dank einer hervorragenden Führung von Katie.
Als großer Motorsportfan war ich von der Sammlung ehemaliger Rennwagen des Museums überwältigt. Der „Sportscar of the Year“, ein 1961er C1 in Weiß mit blauen Streifen, stand stolz neben einem leuchtend gelben C5R, und gleich um die Ecke von einem C8 GT3-Auto, das noch mit verbranntem Gummi und Rennabfällen bedeckt war, was zeigt, wie reich das Corvette-Motorsporterbe ist.
1961 Gulf Racing Corvette C1, leihweise von der Familie Skokos. Der „Sportwagen des Jahres“.
David Zaritsky's GatherAll
Our presentation was held as part of David Zaritsky’s GatherAll event – an opportunity for Bond fans to gather together in real life, celebrating the style, culture and universe of all things related to James Bond. Sharing in the moment our model connected the books and the films at the place where James Bond was born would be a celebration for us all. Before we arrived, we didn’t quite know what to expect from a GatherAll event, and felt a little unsure about how we might fit in. Would we know enough Bond minutiae to keep up with the conversation? Would we feel overwhelmed by so much Bond talk? Who are Bond fans? Our experience revealed an event that impressed and inspired in equal measure.
The GoldenEye resort forms part of the GoldenEye estate bought by Fleming in the 1940s, but now owned by Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records. The first thing that struck me on arrival was the calm and picturesque beauty of the lagoon. It was easy to understand why Ian Fleming chose this place and why David Zaritsky invites James Bond fans to gather here year after year. Before taking part in the GatherAll, I thought of it simply as a gathering of fans who shared a common interest. By the end of our stay, I understood it as something else entirely – an immensely enjoyable social opportunity, not just for James Bond fans but for anyone looking for a luxury break in an idyllic location with an opportunity for social connection and light-hearted fun.
Ein Teil der Ausstellung, der den Konzepten sowie dem Design- und Herstellungsprozess gewidmet war, war besonders denkwürdig. Corvettes haben im Laufe der Jahre ihre Identität perfektioniert, aber es war eine Freude, einige der Ideen zu sehen, die Designer und Ingenieure entwickelt hatten, als ihnen die Freiheit gegeben wurde, ausgefallen und skurril zu sein. 1986 schufen sie das Indy Concept, das mich an das Liebeskind zwischen einem C8 und einem Jaguar XJ220 erinnerte, ein echtes Meisterwerk.
Surrounded by album covers and posters from Island Records’ artists tastefully adorning the beach bar, we sat in the shade with David Zaritsky to discuss plans for our presentation. We felt well looked after and reassured as David took as through the agenda for his four-day GatherAll event. GatherAll guests were invited (but not compelled or pressured) to attend any of the events David had organised, from the cocktail party at the Fleming Villa, catamaran cruise to Laughing Waters, where one of the most iconic scenes from Dr No was filmed, Beach B-B-Q at Button Beach, to a book group chat of Casino Royale under the thatch at Bizot Beach Bar.
David also quite masterfully injected a few fun missions into each day – simple games of find the golden duck, Bond figurine, or Q-The-Music Diamond – achieved by solving a mission clue. Now, if you had told us beforehand that GatherAll involved playing children’s games, we might have had second thoughts about taking part. But we discovered a new sense of fun and enjoyment that entertained us, and more importantly, brought the group together. Guests who had travelled alone enjoyed social connections. Retired couples found renewed fun, enjoyment and companionship. Young entrepreneurs found education, advice, inspiration, and connection. I have often considered what kinds of events we could organise to bring our like-minded modellers together in the real world, fostering greater social connection and opportunity. David Zaritsky had absolutely mastered the art, and I felt renewed inspiration to embark on my mission.
GatherAll is an event hosted by David Zaritsky, of The Bond Experience YouTube Channel. As part of his event in Jamaica, David organises exclusive opportunities for guests to enjoy, including a catamaran trip to Laughing Waters, the famous beach where Honey Ryder (Ursula Andres) meets James Bond (Sean Connery) in the first Bond movie, Dr No.
We were treated to a deep dive into Ian Fleming's first novel, Casino Royale, by one of GatherAll's guests, which stimulated fascinating conversation and revealed some unexpected insights into the author's literary talents.
Der XP 819, oder das „hässliche Entlein“ (meiner bescheidenen Meinung nach etwas zu hart benannt), war eine Freude in der Interaktion, da er die interaktive Laserscanning-Software, die zum Digitalisieren der Autos verwendet wird, wunderbar zur Schau stellte und stark an unsere eigenen 3D-Scans erinnerte, die wir für so viele unserer Modelle verwenden.
