It’s the car Dianna Rigg gave a damn good thrashing in the sixth Bond outing, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and it’s the car you could own on December 16th, when it goes up for sale at Bonhams Auction House in London. The 1969 Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7 is expected to reach north of £120,000, which is to be expected when you consider it was owned by Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, the only woman to become known (briefly) as Mrs Bond.
Like all cars in a Bond movie, the Cougar gets its own scene in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, in this case armed not with rockets, smoke or heat seeking missiles, but a simple ski-rack that never gets used. Chased by the bad guys, Bond points at a stock car ice race (we can only assume these are regular occurrences in Switzerland) and says, “Turn left, that crowd might discourage them.” Does it hell. Fortunately the big Ford with its 335Hp V8 engine makes light work of the competition and the henchmen’s car flips and explodes. Obviously.
The car comes just as did in the film, complete with removable roof, ski rack and a set of 1969 skis. The auction takes place next month on December 16th. Good luck, commander.
