Outside the sun blazed down on the gravel sweep. The interior of the Hillman Minx was a Turkish bath. Bond’s bruised hands cringed as they took the wheel.
DR NO. Chapter 20
James Bond has just completed his report to the Acting Governor and is now set to return to Honey in Beau Desert. You’ll recall earlier in the novel, Bond had been given Strangways’ Sunbeam Alpine to drive, but had sent two men in it, posing as Bond and Quarrel down the Devil’s Racecourse, where the men and the car met an unfortunate end. (or did it?)
So now Bond has apparently been provided with a Hillman Minx to drive. The Minx is actually a very similar car to the Sunbeam, which is a badge-engineered variant. The car was a mid-sized family car from the British car maker Hillman, and was manufactured between 1931 – 1970.
Great to get your posts. Thank you. May I take issue about the Alpine and the Minx? Both great cars of their time but a different perception – sports versus family salon. I owned an Alpine but I won’t have dreamed of a Minx because it was ‘a married couple and two kids type’. Watched Dr No last night and saw Minx parked next to Ford Anglia in the opening sequences – and owned three of those!
I have a soft spot for the Minx, it was our first family car.