Bond’s Aston named most iconic classic car in film history

Sept. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- • Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger named as most iconic classic car in cinema

• Inspector Morse’s Jaguar Mk II most popular from British TV, with Delboy’s Robin Reliant in third place

• British men select Clarkson as their ideal driving partner, ahead of Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Anniston and Angelina Jolie

James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger has been named as the most iconic classic car in cinema history, according to RAC research*.

More than a quarter (28%) of people voted for 007’s DB5, with Michael Caine’s 1968 Mini Cooper S from The Italian Job making off with second (24%) and Herbie – the 1963 VW Beetle – racing away with third on 14%.

The survey – carried out for the launch of RAC’s Classic Car Insurance – asked visitors to rac.co.uk their classic car preferences from both the big and small screen. Inspector Morse’s Jaguar Mk II was found to be the runaway choice (43%) for the most iconic car from a British TV series. Third place was taken by Delboy and Rodney’s Reliant Regal van from Only Fools and Horses (15%), which was considered more iconic than Jim Bergerac’s more glamorous Triumph Roadster (11%).

Strangely, almost a fifth of male drivers (16%) said their ideal partner for a classic car ride would be Jeremy Clarkson! The Top Gear presenter clocked nearly twice the number of votes for big screen beauties Cameron Diaz (9%), Jennifer Anniston (8%) and Angelina Jolie (7%), with male respondents opting for a passenger with superior motoring knowledge. Less surprisingly, George Clooney emerged as the female favourite with nearly a fifth of women (18%) wanting to go for a spin with him in a vintage motor. Clarkson, however, still proved popular with the opposite sex, taking second spot with 13% of the vote.

In the US TV classic car category The Dukes of Hazzard’s 1969 Dodge Charger was judged to be most iconic (27%), just edging out Starsky and Hutch’s 1976 Ford Gran Torino on 26%.

Mark Godfrey, head of RAC Insurance, said: “Bond’s DB5 is one of the most desirable cars ever designed, so it is no surprise to see it named the most iconic in film history. Delboy’s Robin Reliant, on the other hand, shows that there are any number of cars which can be seen as ‘classics’, and that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

“In fact, to take advantage of our new Classic and Cherished Car Insurance a car only has to be 15 years or older, made as a standard production model and be driven fewer than 7,500 miles a year.”

To mark the launch of its Classic Car Insurance RAC is giving away a 1969 MGB Roadster to one lucky person. To enter visit: http://www.rac.co.uk/car-competition.

For more information about RAC Classic Car insurance visit: http://www.rac.co.uk/insurance/classic-car-insurance.

* Survey was conducted on www.rac.co.uk between 7th and 19th September 2012, and was completed by 456 respondents.

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