The best gadgets in a Bond car are the ones that look like part of the car. In GoldenEye, the Aston Martin DB5 carries a car stereo that is secretly a printer. Our catalogue identifies it as the Alpine 7817R CD tuner, a head unit that Alpine sold in the early 1990s. The Alpine 7817R from GoldenEye is out of production, so this page covers what it was and how to find one.
In the film
The car is fitted with an Alpine 7817R that works as a communication device and colour printer or fax. It prints out the photograph of Xenia Onatopp sent from Bond’s digital monocular camera. Alpine Europe has since described the unit differently, calling it a CDE-7822R specially modified to print a fax, so we treat the 7817R as the closest match we can identify and not as certain.
The details of the Alpine 7817R
A real head unit. The 7817R was an ordinary product: a car CD tuner listed in Alpine’s 1994 catalogue alongside other vintage car radios such as the 7982R and 7816M. A video listing dates it to 1993.
The look. Resale listings describe it as a high-end unit with dual illumination, amber and green. The display lighting is one of the first things to check on an example.
The trick. The printing was a film effect. The production adapted the unit for the scene, so a stock 7817R plays discs and tunes the radio and does nothing else.
Owning it now
This is a collector’s piece, not a daily upgrade. One resale listing for a vintage example, with working illumination in both amber and green and a working CD player, asked £256.38 and named the Bond connection in its title. Prices for an untested unit are lower, and those are usually for repair.
What to check. Ask whether the CD mechanism loads and plays, whether both illumination colours work, and whether there is a faceplate and wiring. An owner in a Facebook group describes bringing a unit back to working order by cleaning the boards and soldering in new components, which is worth knowing if you buy one that does not work.
Fitting it. Installing a 1990s head unit in a modern car needs the right wiring harness and mounting kit, and an installer who has fitted one before. Many collectors display theirs instead.
Specifications
| Model | Alpine 7817R car CD tuner |
|---|---|
| Era | Early 1990s (listed in 1994 Alpine catalogue; a video listing dates it to 1993) |
| Illumination | Dual amber and green (resale listing) |
| Film use | Disguised printer and communication device in the Aston Martin DB5 |
| Availability | Out of production; second-hand only |
| Example price | £256.38 for a working vintage unit (resale listing, at the time of writing) |
Alpine’s current range is on Alpine’s own site.
Questions
What stereo is in the DB5 in GoldenEye?
Our catalogue identifies it as an Alpine 7817R CD tuner. Alpine Europe has named a CDE-7822R, so the exact model is not certain.
Did the Alpine 7817R really print photographs?
No. The printing was a film effect, and a stock 7817R plays discs and tunes the radio.
Can I buy an Alpine 7817R?
Not new. It is out of production, so search eBay and check the listing for working illumination and a working CD mechanism.
How much does an Alpine 7817R cost?
One working vintage example was listed at £256.38 at the time of writing, and untested units cost less.
More props are collected under Gadgets and Electronics, and the film is on the film page.
