Director Sam Mendes has announced the 24th James Bond movie, which begins filming next week, is to be called Spectre.

And he has also confirmed the return of the film’s iconic four-wheel star, the Aston Martin.

The car firm was once owned by Huddersfield businessman Sir David Brown.

Mendes made the announcement at an event staged at Pinewood Studios where he also outlined further details including naming Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci who will become Bond girls.

Oscar-winning Austrian actor Christoph Waltz will play a villain in the film while Andrew Scott, best known for his role as Moriarty in BBC1’s Sherlock will join the cast as one of 007’s Whitehall bosses.

An Aston Martin DB10 at the revealing of the new James Bond film at Pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire.
An Aston Martin DB10 at the revealing of the new James Bond film at Pinewood Studio in Buckinghamshire.

Bond will once again be driving an Aston Martin, this time a DB10. Movie fans saw a previous Aston, his vintage DB5, was blown to pieces in Skyfall.

The film is named after the shadowy terrorist organisation created by Bond author Ian Fleming which first appeared in his novel Thunderball.

James Bond actor Daniel Craig standing next to an Aston Martin DB5
James Bond actor Daniel Craig standing next to an Aston Martin DB5

The Aston Martin has long been the car of choice for James Bond and a James Bond-themed drive around England and Wales taking in some Bond film locations was part of the firm’s centenary events.

Aston Martin was founded by Lionel Martin and Robert Bamford. They called their company Bamford & Martin which later became Aston Martin, acknowledging Bamford’s success at the Aston Clinton Hillclimb in Buckinghamshire, where he had successfully raced their very first cars.

Sir David Brown, who also headed David Brown Tractors at Meltham and David Brown Gears in Lockwood, bought Aston Martin and Lagonda Ltd in 1947.

The DB5 – perhaps the most famous Aston Martin, which was driven by Sean Connery as 007 in Goldfinger and Thunderball – went into production in 1963.

Sir David sold the company in 1972. The businessman died in 1993, aged 89.

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FILM : JAMES BOND IN GOLDFINGER PCTURE SHOWS GERT FROBE AS GOLDFINGER SUNDAY MIRROR FILM PAGE 22/07/2007
FILM : JAMES BOND IN GOLDFINGER PCTURE SHOWS GERT FROBE AS GOLDFINGER SUNDAY MIRROR FILM PAGE 22/07/2007