BOND’S BARREL-ROLL HORNET UP FOR
The Man With The Golden Gun AMC is estimated at £195k-£272k
One of the most famous James Bond film stunt cars is coming up for auction, estimated at $250,000 to $350,000 (about £195,000-£272,000).
Auctions America is selling the red 1974 AMC Hornet that performed the barrel-roll river jump in The Man with The Golden
Gun at its Auburn, Indiana, event on 31 August 31-3 September.
The car, owned by stuntman, Jay Milligan, until his death earlier this year, is fully functional and still boasts all the tricks required for its fantastic flight – including a heavily modified frame and suspension. The interior has been replaced by a stripped-out cabin with roll cage and central driving position, to aid weight distribution. There’s also a tiny fuel tank, to minimise the chance of explosion in the event of things going a little awry.
The jump, between two parts of a twisted bridge in Thailand, was one of the first stunts to be worked out by computer. Driver Loren ‘Bumps’ Willert did the job perfectly in one take and refused to give it another go when asked. Bond producers later patented the stunt, meaning that it couldn’t be performed in any films afterwards.
If the car makes its estimate, then it will be by far the most expensive AMC Hornet ever sold – standard examples are worth no more than about $1500 (about £1170). But then, they haven’t been corkscrewed by 007…