It was almost 40 years ago that Sean Connery, as James Bond, darted around in the film "Goldfinger" in an Aston Martin DB5 made unique by its memorable revolving license plates and ejector seat.

The legendary British secret agent, played these days by Pierce Brosnan, gets behind the wheel of the newest Aston Martin model in this fall's new Bond film "Die Another Day."

It is just one of several automobile-product placements that are popping up in this year's crop of blockbusters as auto manufacturers increasingly turn to the movies as a clever but subtle way of introducing new models or exposing their brand name to mass audiences.

"The new generation of consumers is getting more sophisticated and has somewhat moved away from blatant selling of products," said Chris Cedergren, an analyst with Nextrend, a Thousand Oaks-based consulting and research firm. "Manufacturers have to look for exposure and are doing it by product placement. It's a phenomenon that's now bursting at the seams."

In addition to Bond's classy Aston Martin, other current or upcoming auto placements include the futuristic Lexus featured in "Minority Report," a Mercedes-Benz E-Class in "Men in Black II," a Jaguar XK8 in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," and a Cadillac Escalade EXT in "The Matrix Reloaded."

  "Since the 1920s, when the movie industry was in its infancy, various carmakers have made concentrated efforts to get their vehicles into the hands of stars and in front of the cameras," said Eric Dahlquist, president of the Entertainment Resources and Marketing Association in Burbank.

It started with Model T Fords in Mack Sennett's comedies in the '20s and continued through Hollywood's Golden Age with Bette Davis and Barbara Stanwyck tooling around in Packards and James Dean behind the wheel of a Mercury in "Rebel Without a Cause."

Since then, Hollywood and the automobile industry have often teamed up for mutual benefit (remember Herbie and "The Love Bug"?) but the practice has exploded in recent years.

"It's not new but what is new is that there is more promotion involved now because of general awareness of movies and public's thirst for celebrity involvement," said Dahlquist. "That is what is driving this and the manufacturers want to be involved because it creates a lot of brand awareness."

In most cases, paying for high-profile appearances of their cars in some of the year's biggest movies is being done to help drive sales of a particular model.

The 2003 Mercedes E-Class driven by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones in "Men In Black II," which hit theaters Wednesday, is virtually introducing a car to the public that will be available to the consumer at the end of the summer. A toy version of the new car has already hit stores along with a Will Smith action figure.

"It's a real car and used in an integral way in the story," Dahlquist said. "There are a lot of lines that surround it within the film but it's not overt. That's a different approach, a real car for sale and it will drive sales."

  The convertible Jaguar XK8 that will be driven by Mike Myers' title character in "Austin Powers in Goldmember," which hits theaters on July 26, won't be easily recognizable because it has a Union Jack motif painted on specifically for the movie.

"We think for Jaguar it's probably one of the most fun product placements that any car company can have," said Simon Sproule, a spokesman for Jaguar and Aston Martin. "The car just puts a lot of smiles on people's faces. Jaguar is all about being a sexy fun car company and we're really pleased to be back in the third movie. It's a great opportunity."

The car has been on sale in the United States market for last five years.

"Good placement in movies is great for exposure and for us, absolutely," said Sproule. "`Austin Powers is going to be one of the hit movies of the summer and for us to be in the movie is a great opportunity. It will show a different side to Jaguar that people aren't used to: relaxed, fun and tongue-in-cheek."

The Galpin Jaguars dealership in Van Nuys has gotten caught up in the spirit of the movie this summer by painting an XK8 to look just like the one used in the movie. It will be on display near the red carpet during the film's Los Angeles premiere later this month.

"We decided to invest in it and do it," said Brian Allan, general manager of the dealership. "People are stopping by the store and looking at it. It's an exact duplicate."

While the XK8 typically retails for $76,000, when the painted one goes up for sale after the movie premiere, it will have a $89,000 price tag.

In contrast, the Lexus used by Tom Cruise in "Minority Report" is not for sale since it is a concept car from the future that for Lexus simply creates brand awareness instead of driving sales of a particular model.

"We like the involvement because in the film it positions the Lexus brand as a icon of luxury even 50 years into the future," said Keith Dahl, national merchandising manager for Lexus. "That's why we felt it was a really beneficial partnership for us. It gave us an opportunity to connect with the films' audience in an entertaining way. It creates a little excitement and emotional ties to our brand."

While buying the electronically powered Lexus from "Minority Report" is impossible since there is only one and it isn't street legal, it is next to impossible to purchase the Aston Martin from the upcoming Bond film.

The model, which retails for $228,000, is sold out in the United States and already had a two-year waiting list even before its association with the Bond film was made public. The exclusive car is capable of reaching speeds of 180 mph.

"This movie will absolutely help even more because it'll be a successful worldwide movie," Sproule said. "It gives you all this exposure in a lot of different places."