Een speciale levering voor het 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.
Aankomst in Nashville
In slechts twee uur tijd waren we vertrokken van de ijsvrijmaakfaciliteit en een door sneeuw bedekte startbaan op Toronto Pearson International naar de verwelkomende zonneschijn in de hoofdstad van countrymuziek en bourbon: Nashville. Vervolgens, na een korte rit naar het noorden richting Bowling Green, Kentucky, liet het National Corvette Museum ons duidelijk weten dat we gearriveerd waren, dankzij de ongelooflijk epische reclameborden.
Het archief en de bibliotheek
Het museumgebouw was net als de inhoud ervan: gedurfd en opvallend. Een enorme rode spits die uit een felgele koepel oprijst, is het eerste wat de meeste bezoekers opmerken, maar als je je ogen sluit, zijn er genoeg 1000 pk V8-motoren in de omgeving waardoor je waarschijnlijk je entree in het museum begeleid zult horen door het hoogtepunt van een rijke geschiedenis van Amerikaanse spierkracht.
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 neemt uiterste zorg in de archiefruimte om het model uit te pakken dat gemaakt is door Agora's expert – Mark Adams.
Museumwandeling
Nadat we ons schaalmodel van 1:8 van de split window op een transportwagen hadden geplaatst voor veilig vervoer, leidde het museumteam ons door de tentoonstelling met slechts één bestemming voor ogen: hun volledig gerestaureerde, levensgrote 1963 C2 met identieke kleurstellingen als ons model. Ik had er nog nooit eerder een in het echt gezien, maar dit nam direct mijn adem weg. Het was onberispelijk, de iconische lijnen van de carrosserie waren haarscherp, het lakwerk was vlekkeloos en het chroom deed me naar mijn zonnebril grijpen. Het was echt zo prachtig als zijn reputatie beloofde.
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.
Het zien van het 1:8 schaalmodel naast het origineel was het hoogtepunt van de ervaring, en het is zeker de moeite waard om het museum te bezoeken alleen al om in dezelfde ruimte te zijn als zo'n zeldzaam stukje autogeschiedenis, maar het museum had nog zoveel meer te bieden, dankzij een uitstekende rondleiding van Katie.
Als een grote fan van de autosport, was ik onder de indruk van de collectie voormalige raceauto's van het museum. De "Sportscar of the Year", een witte 1961 C1 met blauwe strepen, stond trots naast een felgele C5R, en vlak om de hoek van een C8 GT3-auto nog bedekt met verbrand rubber en racepuin, wat laat zien hoe rijk de Corvette motorsport-erfgoed is.
1961 Gulf Racing Corvette C1 in bruikleen van de familie Skokos. De “Sportauto van het Jaar".
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.
Een deel van de tentoonstelling gewijd aan concepten, en het ontwerp- en productieproces, was bijzonder gedenkwaardig. Corvettes door de jaren heen hebben hun identiteit geperfectioneerd, maar het was een genot om enkele van de ideeën te zien die ontwerpers en ingenieurs hadden gecreëerd toen ze de vrijheid kregen om vreemd en eigenzinnig te zijn. In 1986 creëerden ze het Indy Concept dat me deed denken aan het liefdeskind tussen een C8 en een Jaguar XJ220, een echt meesterwerk.
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.
De XP 819, of het “Lelijke Eendje” (naar mijn bescheiden mening nogal hard benoemd) was een genot om mee te werken, aangezien het prachtig de interactieve laserscansoftware demonstreerde die gebruikt wordt voor het digitaliseren van de auto's, en het deed sterk denken aan onze eigen 3D-scans die we voor zoveel van onze modellen gebruiken.
