Typed letter signed to Amherst Villiers from Fleming, 1960, with related typed letter signed from Solly Zuckerman to Fleming, and copy of Motor Car Lover's Companion

2 typed letters signed and related volume, comprising:

i. Ian Fleming, typed letter signed, 4 July 1960, 1p, 8vo, previously folded

introducing Charles Amherst Villiers to Sir Solly Zuckerman (Baron Zuckerman) (1904-1993), chief scientific adviser to the Ministry of Defence (1960-1966). For Moonraker, Fleming sought technical advice from his friend Amherst Villiers, an automotive and astronautic engineer.

ii. Sir Solly Zuckerman, typed letter signed, 2 July 1960, 1p, 8vo

to Ian Fleming, expressing a wish to see Charles Amherst Villiers

iii. The Motor Car Lover's Companion. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1965

large 8vo, manuscript note from Charles Churchill Villiers to Jon Gilbert on p. 263, opposite picture of 'Blower' Bentley, explaining that "Ian Fleming my father's great friend bought this car from me in 1961. It was one of my great loves", original black cloth, dust-jacket

Charles Amherst Villiers (1900-1991), automotive and aeronautical engineer, was the only man to work for both motor racing legends Ettore Bugatti and W.O. Bentley. Villiers pioneered supercharging and built the land speed recordbreaker Bluebird, which was name-checked in Thunderball (p. 16). Villiers was a long-time friend of Fleming, who chose Villiers' 'Blower' Bentley as James Bond's car. Villiers was also an accomplished artist and painted Fleming from life--a painting reproduced in the signed limited edition of On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

At Fleming's request, Villiers also produced the initial car-design sketches for Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, but he could not commit to the project as he was busy developing Grand Prix cars for Graham Hill. Amherst's 'Chitty' designs were kept by Fleming, however (eventually surfacing when the manuscript of the story 'and some sketches' of the flying car were auctioned by Sotheby's on 12 December 2002).