Une Livraison Spéciale pour le Musée National de la Corvette
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.
Arrivée à Nashville
En l'espace de seulement deux heures, nous avions quitté l'installation de dégivrage et une piste recouverte de neige à l'Aéroport International Pearson de Toronto pour le soleil accueillant de la capitale mondiale de la musique country et du bourbon : Nashville. Puis, après un court trajet en voiture vers le nord jusqu'à Bowling Green, Kentucky, le Musée National de la Corvette nous a clairement fait savoir que nous étions arrivés, grâce aux panneaux publicitaires incroyablement épiques.
L'archive et la bibliothèque
Le bâtiment du musée ressemblait beaucoup à son contenu : audacieux et proéminent. Une immense flèche rouge s'élevant d'un dôme jaune vif est la première chose que la plupart des visiteurs remarquent, mais si vous fermez les yeux, il y a suffisamment de V8 de 1000 ch dans les environs pour que votre entrée dans le musée soit probablement accompagnée par le point culminant d'une riche histoire de la Muscle Car américaine.
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 prend un soin maximal dans la salle des archives pour déballer le modèle réalisé par l'Expert d'Agora – Mark Adams.
Promenade au musée
Ayant transféré notre modèle réduit à l'échelle 1:8 de la Corvette à fenêtre divisée sur un chariot utilitaire pour un transport sécurisé, l'équipe du musée nous a guidés à travers l'exposition avec une seule destination en tête : leur C2 de 1963 entièrement restaurée, de taille réelle, avec des coloris identiques à notre modèle. Je n'en avais jamais vu en vrai auparavant, mais cela m'a instantanément coupé le souffle. Elle était impeccable, les lignes iconiques de la carrosserie étaient d'une netteté tranchante, la peinture était immaculée, et le chrome m'a fait agripper mes lunettes de soleil. Elle était vraiment aussi magnifique que sa réputation le promettait.
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.
Voir le modèle à l'échelle 1:8 posé à côté de l'original était le point culminant de l'expérience, et cela vaut vraiment la peine de visiter le musée juste pour être dans la même pièce qu'une pièce aussi rare de l'histoire automobile, mais le musée avait tant d'autres choses à apprécier, grâce à une superbe visite guidée par Katie.
En tant que grand fan de sport automobile, j'ai été époustouflé par la collection de voitures de course anciennes du musée. La « Voiture de sport de l'année », une C1 de 1961 en blanc avec des bandes bleues était fièrement exposée à côté d'une C5R jaune vif, et juste au coin d'une voiture GT3 C8 encore couverte de caoutchouc brûlé et de débris de course, montrant à quel point l'héritage de Corvette en sport automobile est riche.
Corvette C1 de course du Golfe de 1961 prêtée par la famille Skokos. La « Voiture de sport de l'année ».
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.
Une partie de l'exposition dédiée aux concepts, ainsi qu'aux processus de conception et de fabrication, était particulièrement mémorable. Les Corvettes au fil des années ont su affirmer leur identité, mais c'était un plaisir de voir certaines des idées que les designers et ingénieurs avaient créées lorsqu'on leur donnait carte blanche pour être originaux et excentriques. En 1986, ils ont créé le concept Indy qui me rappelait le fruit d'une union entre une C8 et une Jaguar XJ220, un véritable chef-d'œuvre.
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.
La XP 819, ou le « Vilain Petit Canard » (nom assez sévère à mon humble avis), était un plaisir à manipuler, car elle mettait magnifiquement en valeur le logiciel de balayage laser interactif utilisé pour la numérisation des voitures, et rappelait extrêmement nos propres scans 3D que nous utilisons pour tant de nos modèles.
