Spy Octane, the new Porter Press book revealing the secrets of the vehicles in the James Bond films, has won rave reviews in the first few weeks since it was published.

Reviewers say Spy Octane is “definitive”, “wonderful”, “compelling” and a “masterpiece”. The research behind the book, by acclaimed Bond historians Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury, is described as “staggering”, “exhaustive” and “painstaking”. Meanwhile, every customer review at Porter Press gives Spy Octane the full five-star rating.

Spy Octane tells the behind-the-scenes stories of the spectacular array of transport which propelled Sean Connery and George Lazenby in seven action-packed James Bond movies, from Dr. No (1962) to Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

It reveals, for the first time ever, the complete story of all four Aston Martin DB5s used in the making and promotion of Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965). Every one of these cars’ owners down the years delved deep into their family archives to support the book with photographs and documents, most of them never published before.

Spy Octane also presents, for the first time, the true story behind the two Toyota 2000GT Convertibles built specially for You Only Live Twice (1967) – one of which was, until now, thought to be lost forever.

The book explains what happened to the two Aston Martin DBS Vantages and three Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertibles used in the making of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969). As Spy Octane exclusively reveals, all of these cars survive to this day.

But Spy Octane covers more than just Bond cars. It details every vehicle from the first seven films – on land, sea and in the air.

It reveals the fascinating story of the Little Nellie autogyro which starred in You Only Live Twice and includes exclusive, unpublished papers and logbook entries from Little Nellie’s creator and pilot, Wing Commander Ken Wallis. Wallis’ great-nephew, Elliot Wallis said, “Our family is extremely proud of Ken’s work and Little Nellie’s starring role in the James Bond movie. Their incredible story making You Only Live Twice is told in Spy Octane in granular detail. We were thrilled to be able to allow the authors access to Uncle Ken’s archive, which for many years, has remained locked away. It is now shared in this book for Bond aficionados and aviation enthusiasts to enjoy.”

Spy Octane includes an extraordinary collection of archive images which have never previously been published. “Some of these pictures have sat in attics for more than half a century,” says Matthew. “We have been granted access to private and corporate archives all over the world, including those of Ford and Toyota, who shared a wealth of incredible never-before-published photography.”

Photographs from the Ford archive show the stunt team at work on the stock car chase in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. There are also photographs, drawings and production memos from the collections of custom car builders Dean Jeffries and George Barris, who built futuristic vehicles for Diamonds Are Forever.

Fascinating newspaper clippings, photos and ephemera come from the scrapbook of Aston Martin executive Mike Ashley, who took the gadget-laden DB5 on a promotional world tour in 1964. “It has been an absolute honour to share my story in Spy Octane”, Mike says. “Flicking through this incredible volume and seeing all the other 007 vehicles beyond just Aston Martin – it is a great reminder of what an extraordinary cultural phenomenon the world of James Bond has become and the role it has played in automotive history and beyond.”

Spy Octane draws upon dozens of exclusive interviews with directors, actors, stunt-drivers, special effects specialists, designers, motor industry executives, museum curators and private owners to reveal how these incredible vehicles were created – and to unearth the story of what became of them after filming.

“The history of some of these vehicles is unbelievable and rivals even the most far-fetched espionage story,” said Matthew. “To weave all these extraordinary untold stories among more than 800 images, many of which have never been published before, is a dream come true.”

“We have been blessed with the cooperation of so many who have entrusted us with their stories for the first time,” said Ajay. “We have also unearthed 007 vehicles which were thought to have been lost forever.”

Spy Octane takes readers on a fascinating, unique, filmmaking and automotive ride. “Matthew and I realised we’ve written both a film and a vehicular history combined with a modern-day ‘where are they now?’ tale,” Ajay said. “We’re very excited to share it with the world.”

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