Bond’s Renault 11 TXE
This one is for all the James Bond fans who will fondly remember Roger Moore in 1985’s A View To A Kill. Who can forget the scene along the River Seine where 007 chases an airborne Grace Jones with a Parisian Taxi? Well, that 1984 Renault 11 TXE stunt car is for sale through the Orlando Auto Museum.
Like witnessing a once in a lifetime comet, seeing a 007 car for sale is exceptionally rare. Let’s face it, the James Bond franchise has granted this overly abused 1984 Renault 11 TX automotive immortality and now it is available to buy. While it may be one of the less-celebrated stunt cars, this 1.7-litre Renault 11 TXE does have a special place in our hearts.
Of course, the car is not what you’d call road legal but it’s still a genuine James Bond car. In terms of what the Renault will cost, it’s firmly P.O.A for now and the asking price won’t be cheap. That said though, how often do we get the chance to buy a 007 stunt car?
Lights, Camera, Action With The Renault 11 TXE
In the movie sequence coordinated by Remy Julienne himself, Bond commandeers the Renault 11 from a nonchalant taxi driver before tackling the daunting staircase of Pont d’Iéna. Julienne, who acted as Roger Moore’s double, then jumps the Renault onto the roof of a moving bus before ripping off the top and splitting the car in half. Here is a short snippet of the movie segment:
The French stunt driver used three different Renault 11’s for the stunt work in A View To A Kill. One was a complete vehicle, another without a roof and the last one was in two halves for the climax of the chase sequence. It is, in fact, the Renault cut in two that is now for sale.
The complete Renault 11 was used for close-up shots during the initial scenes before Bond wreaks havoc across the Parisian waterfront. The one without a roof was cleverly utilised for post-jump shots while the last car was made to split in half upon contact with a civilian driver in a Renault 20. This certainly is the tale of two halves as it presents one of the greatest interests from the retro French hatchbacks. While it may not be driveable, it is definitely unique and something to boast about owning.
Renault’s Swan Song
The complete car was sold at auction with Coys in 2008 for £4200 ($6000) after residing in Peter Nelson’s Cars of the Stars museum. It was later showcased in Edinburgh for the Quantum of Solace premiere.
It remains one of Bond’s more controversial vehicles which is now famous for poor handling, insufficient power and subpar general assembly as it was made from the cheapest parts available at the time. Although Car and Driver selected the Renault 11 TXE as its 1983 European Car of the Year, they issued a tongue-in-cheek apology in 2009. While it was cheap to buy new, the Renault was subsequently worthless on the second-hand market.
The reason for landing the starring role in A View To A Kill was purely a budget choice in a way to keep production costs down. Funnily enough, the Renault 11’s appearance intelligently coincided with the French automaker’s last major push into the North American market. When this movie was made, AMC (American Motors Corporation) were distributing Renaults who were also responsible for the Hornet which Roger Moore used in his previous role in The Man With The Golden Gun.
Whichever way you look at, bad performance specs or not, at least 007 drove his stolen Renault 11 TXE in ways many disgruntled owners could only imagine. Now, this car has made cinematic history and available to buy on the open market. How much would you be willing to set aside for this classic movie car?
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