There was a James Bond film released in 1969 known as “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” and while it is primarily known as the only Bond film to star George Lazenby, it is also the only Bond film to star an R-Code 428 powered 1969 Mercury Cougar convertible in the film’s most memorable and hectic chase scene. Diana Rigg serves as the driver were while she and Bond are being chased and shot at by the bad guys in Switzerland. Fate has them crashing the party at an ice race and that is what this film shows. The choreography (and perhaps sometimes lack thereof) involved in making an old school car chase. It was like filming an old school dogfight in the air. They talked it out and mapped it out and then went out and did it. Interesting stuff.
Supposedly Rigg did much of the driving here because of the number of close ups. One thing we find to be hilarious is that the big block Cougar (even though it is a fatty convertible) struggles so hard to get away from the baddies in their big Mercedes sedan. Blofeld’s driver deserves a raise apparently.
The film you are about to see is in black and white and perhaps that was a condition the studio placed on the company Ford had make this film in order not to give away too much (or any) of the actual movie. Either way we dig this look behind the scenes of movie making some 51 years ago now. Oh, and apparently the “hero” car in the movie still lives in England and is owned by a family. The one with its fenders beat in? Guessing that one lost the engine and was scrapped. Just a guess!
Love the tires squealing on ice, very realistic! LOL
One of the Cougars ended up in Sweden,and was later exported back to US