LONDON, Dec 5 (Reuters) - British toymaker Hornby will sell model vehicles based on the new James Bond film,extending a tradition dating back half a century as the suaveBritish agent returns to the screen.
Hornby has won the international licence to sell Corgi andScalextric-branded James Bond products with the new range to bedisplayed at the London Toy Festival in January 2015, thecompany said on Friday.
Bond, played by actor Daniel Craig, is back in the headlinesafter this week's announcement that the 24th film in the serieswill be called "Spectre" and released next November.
Hornby Chief Executive Richard Ames said that the deal willcontinue a long partnership between the toy firm, which tracesits history back over 100 years, and the Martini-sipping spy.
"James Bond has been a fantastic licensed partnership forour brands going back over 50 years with Corgi's Aston MartinDB5 from Goldfinger winning the very first toy of the year awardin 1965," Ames said, referring to one of Bond's most popularfilms.
Bond, the dapper agent who took to the big screen for thefirst time in 1962, has provided a boost to a number ofBritain's businesses during his 50-year movie run.
On Thursday, luxury carmaker Aston Martin said it wouldcontinue supplying Bond with his favourite car by building a newsports car, the DB10, with only 10 specially-designed models tobe made. (Reporting By Costas Pitas; editing by Keith Weir)