It's definitely a cheesy stunt — after all, what spy would go to the trouble of doing a barrel roll in pursuit of a villain. Yet it's still impressive, since the filmmakers actually jumped and rolled the car in real life for the shot. And though they did some crude 1970s-era computer modeling, ultimately a stunt driver had to get behind the wheel and get it right the first time. In comparison, the recent Jaguar E-Pace barrel roll was practiced and performed autonomously a few times first. The Bond car, a 1974 AMC Hornet, survived the jump, and is now going to be sold by Auctions America.
This Labor Day weekend, the auction house will offer this historic film car. It comes from the collection of Jay Milligan, the man who developed the barrel roll jump. According to Auctions America, Milligan was performing the jump before the film, with the first successful jump happening at the Houston Astrodome. Milligan then offered the stunt to the James Bond filmmakers. From there, modifications to the stunt were done for the movie shoot thanks to help from Calspan Corporation and some then-high-tech computer modeling. The AMC was fitted with a roll cage, and the seat and controls were moved to the middle to keep the car balanced.
Obviously the stunt went well, and according to Auctions America, the car suffered no damage from the jump. The car was clearly kept in good condition, too, since the paint and trim all appear to be about as shiny as it was when it rolled off the lot, or over the river. The auction house also includes the shipping documentation for the car to the filming location in Thailand. But if you want this car, you'd better have a healthy bank account, because Auctions America expects the car to sell for between $250,000 and $350,000. If you want to bid on it or see it in person, check out the Auctions America fall auction in Auburn, Indiana, over Labor Day weekend.
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