GOLDENEYE, 1995 | Christie's

GOLDENEYE, 1995

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GOLDENEYE, 1995

GAZ ECONOMY SALOON - JACK WADE'S CAR

REGISTRATION NO. X30 18A*A*
CHASSIS NO.?
ENGINE NO.?

SKY BLUE WITH LIGHT BROWN INTERIOR
ENGINE: FOUR CYLINDERS, 767CC, 29 BHP AT 4800 RPM: GEARBOX: MANUAL FOUR SPEED; BRAKES: HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED DRUM ALL ROUND; SUSPENSION: INDEPENDENT FRONT AND REAR. LEFT HAND DRIVE

AT SOME POINT, MOST OF THE USSR STATE-OWNED MOTOR MANUFACTURING PLANTS ACQUIRED PRESSES AND TOOLS FROM THE ITALIAN MASS-PRODUCER FIAT TO ENABLE THEM TO PRODUCE CARS THE ITALIAN GIANT HAD TIRED OF BUILDING FOR ITSELF. THE BEST KNOWN EXAMPLE IS THAT OF THE LADA SALOON, WHICH, IN THE MID 1990S, WAS STILL ESSENTIALLY FIAT'S 1500 MODEL OF THE 1950S. PERHAPS, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE 1995 UNITED ARTISTS/EON FILM GOLDENEYE, AND CERTAINLY LESS WELL KNOWN, THERE APPEARS TO BE A RUSSIAN-BUILT EDITION OF FIAT'S TINY FIAT 600 FOUR-SEATER ECONOMY. BUILT FROM 1960-1969, THE AGREEABLE LITTLE FIAT 600 WAS SEEN EVERYWHERE ON ITALIAN ROADS, PROVIDING ACCEPTABLE, IF NOISY, MINIMAL MOTORING FOR LARGE ITALIAN FAMILIES. THEY WERE CERTAINLY MANUFACTURED IN THE YUGOSLAVIA PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC UNTIL THE MID 1980S AND PERHAPS SOME FOUND THEIR WAY TO RUSSIA TO BE BADGE-ENGINEERED BY THE GAZ FACTORY - WHATEVER THE FACTS, THIS CAR LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A FIAT 600.

THIS EXAMPLE FEATURED IN THE 1995 UNITED ARTISTS/EON FILM GOLDENEYE. DRIVEN BY CIA AGENT JACK WADE [PLAYED BY JOE DON BAKER] TO COLLECT JAMES BOND [PLAYED BY PIERCE BROSNAN] FROM ST PETERSBURG AIRPORT IN A SEQUENCE WHICH PROVIDED SOME OF THE FILM'S HUMOUR.

THE PRESENT OWNER PURCHASED THIS CAR FROM THE PRODUCTION COMPANY AT THE END OF FILMING AND IT HAS BEEN ON STATIC DISPLAY IN A MUSEUM SETTING SINCE. THE CAR IS ACCOMPANIED BY A NUMBER OF RUSSIAN DOCUMENTS, A LETTER CONCERNING THE PROVENANCE FROM EON PRODUCTIONS AND A CORRESPONDING STILL.

Lot Essay

IN GOLDENEYE, CIA AGENT JACK WADE USES HIS GAZ ECONOMY SALOON AS A MODE OF TRANSPORT AROUND ST. PETERSBURG. WHEN JAMES BOND PAYS A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK COMPLIMENT TO WADE'S CAR, 'NICE CAR', WADE DEFENDS HIS UNCONVENTIONAL VEHICLE TO THE BRITISH AGENT WHOM HE COLLECTS FROM ST. PETERSBURG AIRPORT IN IT, TELLING HIM ..THIS BABY HASN'T LET ME DOWN YET. SHE'S AN UGLY LITTLE BITCH BUT SHE GETS YOU THERE.... AS IF ON CUE, THE CAR IS PICTURED IN THE NEXT SCENE BROKEN DOWN AND WITH STEAM POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. BOND PASSES A WRENCH, THEN A SCREWDRIVER TO WADE AS HE TINKERS WITH THE ENGINE. HOWEVER THE AMERICAN AGENT FINALLY FIXES THE PROBLEM BY TAKING A LARGE SLEDGEHAMMER TO THE CAR'S ENGINE WHICH THEN SPLUTTERS INTO ACTION. THE TWO AGENTS, WADE AND BOND, THEN PROCEED ON THEIR WAY THROUGH THE STREETS OF ST. PETERSBURG, UNTIL BOND IS DELIVERED, AT HIS REQUEST, TO THE DOOR OF HOSTILE RUSSIAN AGENT VALENTIN ZUKOVSKY [ROBBIE COLTRANE].

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