A 1974 AMC Hornet That Was Rolled by James Bond is Heading to Auction
The 1974 AMC Hornet used in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun is heading to auction.
If you’re not familiar with this particular Bond Car because it’s not an Aston Martin, then here’s a quick history lesson. The 1974 AMC Hornet X “Astro-Spiral” was a stunt car used in the movie and has been specially balanced for the corkscrew stunt it performed. In the movie, the Hornet drove over the remains of a collapsed bridge, corkscrewing over a river as Sir Roger Moore pursued the villains. Nowadays, movies like The Fast and the Furious have made stunts like this a bit common thanks to CGI, but back then, it was truly a spectacle.
The stunt was first conceived by Jay Milligan, who after performing it at Houston’s Astrodome, contacted the producers of the Bond series and offered it to them for the next installment in the franchise. The producers not only secured the right to use the trick, but they ultimately filed a patent to ensure no one else could perform it on film.
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The car crossing the auction block is the actual stunt car used in the film, which survived the jump without incident. In fact, the trick reportedly only needed one take and it is being offered in as-jumped condition by the Jay Milligan collection.
It will be heading to the upcoming Auctions America auction from August 31 to September 3 in Auburn, Indiana. The auction house estimates it to fetch between $250,000 to $300,000.
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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