Una Consegna Speciale per il Museo Nazionale della 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.
Arrivando a Nashville
In soltanto due ore, abbiamo lasciato l'impianto di de-icing e una pista coperta di neve all'Aeroporto Internazionale di Toronto Pearson per il caloroso sole della capitale mondiale della musica country e del bourbon: Nashville. Poi, dopo un breve tragitto verso nord fino a Bowling Green, Kentucky, il National Corvette Museum ci ha fatto capire che eravamo arrivati, grazie agli straordinariamente epici cartelloni pubblicitari.
L'archivio e la biblioteca
L'edificio del museo era molto simile ai suoi contenuti: audace e prominente. Un'enorme guglia rossa che si eleva da una luminosa cupola gialla è la prima cosa che la maggior parte dei visitatori noterebbe, ma se chiudi gli occhi ci sono abbastanza motori V8 da 1000 bhp nella zona che è molto probabile che il tuo ingresso nel museo sia accompagnato dal culmine di una ricca storia della Muscle Car americana.
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 presta la massima attenzione nella sala archivi mentre apre la scatola del modello realizzato dall'Esperto di Agora – Mark Adams.
Passeggiata al Museo
Dopo aver trasferito il nostro modello in scala 1:8 del "split window" su un carrello utilitario per un trasporto sicuro, il team del museo ci ha guidati attraverso l'esposizione con un unico obiettivo in mente: la loro C2 del 1963, a grandezza naturale, completamente restaurata, con le stesse combinazioni di colori del nostro modello. Non ne avevo mai vista una dal vivo prima, ma questa mi ha letteralmente tolto il fiato. Era immacolata, le linee iconiche della carrozzeria erano affilatissime, la verniciatura era impeccabile e il cromo mi ha fatto stringere gli occhiali da sole. Era davvero splendida come prometteva la sua reputazione.
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.
Vedere il modello in scala 1:8 accanto all'originale è stato il momento clou dell'esperienza, e vale decisamente la pena visitare il museo solo per trovarsi nella stessa stanza di un pezzo così raro della storia automobilistica, ma il museo aveva molto altro da offrire, grazie a un eccellente tour guidato da Katie.
Da grande appassionato di motorsport, sono rimasto sbalordito dalla collezione del museo di auto da corsa del passato. La "Sportscar of the Year", una C1 del 1961 in bianco con strisce blu, era orgogliosamente esposta accanto a una brillante C5R gialla, e proprio dietro l'angolo si trovava una C8 GT3 ancora ricoperta di gomma bruciata e detriti di gara, mostrando quanto sia ricca l'eredità sportiva della Corvette.
Corvette C1 da corsa del 1961 del Gulf, concessa in prestito dalla famiglia Skokos. La “Auto sportiva dell'Anno".
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.
Una parte della mostra dedicata ai concetti, al processo di progettazione e produzione, è stata particolarmente memorabile. Le Corvette nel corso degli anni hanno perfezionato la loro identità, ma è stato un piacere vedere alcune delle idee che i designer e gli ingegneri avevano creato quando hanno avuto la licenza di essere stravaganti e bizzarri. Nel 1986 hanno creato l'Indy Concept che mi ha ricordato il frutto dell'amore tra una C8 e una Jaguar XJ220, un vero capolavoro.
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.
L'XP 819, o il “Brutto Anatroccolo” (a mio modesto parere, un nome piuttosto severo) è stato un piacere interagire con, poiché ha magnificamente messo in mostra il software di scansione laser interattivo utilizzato per la digitalizzazione delle auto, ed era estremamente evocativo delle nostre stesse scansioni 3D che utilizziamo per molti dei nostri modelli.
