Bond Villian Defender SVX goes under the hammer!

Representing arguably the ultimate version of Land Rover's iconic Defender, the example offered here was used during the filming of the 24th and latest film of the James Bond franchise, Spectre, set in the Austrian Alps and released in 2015. Spectre is the seventh James Bond film to feature a Land Rover, the first being Octopussy (1983).

SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) first appeared in Ian Fleming's James Bond novel Thunderball (1961) and in the film Dr No (1962) led by super-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Clearly, the operatives of such a criminal organisation would need their own specially adapted vehicles to cope with the Alpine terrain, so Sony Pictures contacted Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations division to supply ten Defenders. 

In its standard form the friendly and familiar Defender would have lacked the aura of menace required for the SPECTRE vehicles, so the ten movie cars were sent to marque specialists Bowler, a company recognised for over 30 years as market leaders in the design, engineering, and production of class-leading custom vehicles. 

Bowler then transformed them from standard Defender 110 crew-cab models into vehicles worthy of a Bond villain. Finished in sinister Santorini Black, the result was the SVX, or Spectre Defender.

The transformation's most striking element is the huge 37"-diameter all-terrain tyres, which has given the Spectre Defender the nickname 'Bigfoot'. Built to Bowler's racing specification, the suspension incorporates Rose joints and Bilstein rally dampers.

The interior features Recaro seats with 4-point harnesses, while the full roll cage runs both internally and externally. The engine too has been significantly upgraded, producing 185bhp (up from the stock 120 horsepower) and 368lb/ft of torque.

Unlike most of the other Spectres, which were used only for publicity purposes or not at all, this example was used extensively in the filming and still has marks on its bonnet left by the stuntmen. Unusually, it retains its mechanical handbrake and 'SVX' boot badges (most of the other vehicles had theirs removed) and also key tags identifying it as an official film car, etc. The first private owner had the pick of all ten Spectre Defenders and chose this one as it is the most significant.

Representing a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire one of the most memorable' Bond' vehicles of recent times, this imposing Spectre Defender if offered with the owner's wallet containing the handbook and (blank) service booklet; current MoT certificate; UK V5C document for the most appropriate registration 'OO07 SVX'; and a framed presentation featuring movie stills, the shooting schedule, and an Austrian licence plate.

More information can be found here with Bonhams.