Paul says: “I would enter ‘Run what ya brung’ races. It was an incredible thrill sitting there on the line, one foot holding the brake, the other foot on the throttle.
“It would make an absolute racket. When the light changed to green, the nose would lift and we were off. I could do 16-second quarters no problem.
“It was one of the best cars I’ve ever owned, a proper animal.”
In November 1985, Paul sold the car to his friend Simon Nelson.
“It was an incredible thrill sitting there on the line, one foot holding the brake, the other foot on the throttle”
“In those days American cars weren’t held in high regard and changed hands relatively cheaply,” says Simon.
“Even the 007 connection didn’t hike up the price. We tried to get paperwork from the James Bond people, but they were very cagey.
“I bought it from Paul for £1500 and just liked posing with it. I’d take it to car shows, and I was part of the local club, ERIC – Essex Racing Is Cool.”
Simon rebuilt the engine on his drive, but personal circumstances brought the renovation to an end.
This Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7 spent the 1980s enjoying the Essex muscle-car scene
“It started to deteriorate,” he admits. “The plastic rear ’screen in the convertible top began to split and the body was rusting.
“My ex sold it without telling me. Later I heard from the DVLA that someone was applying for the logbook.
“I responded and said that I wanted to know where the car had gone. I got no reply.
“I was angry at the time, but what can you do?”
Simon’s ex-partner had sold the Mercury in July 1988 to local collector Cliff Baron, who owned more than 100 cars and motorcycles.
The Mercury Cougar’s restoration took nearly 30 years
Due to the number of vehicles that have passed through Cliff’s hands, 30 years on he has little memory of the Bond car.
“I had too many cars and not enough space to keep them,” he says.
The following custodian would own the Cougar for more than three decades.
In 1990, Bristol-based collector of American classics Robert Hurdle learned about the Mercury by chance.
“I was in the process of restoring a ’69 Mustang that was missing its original Cobra Jet engine,” he explains. “A friend saw an advert for a ’69 Mercury Cougar Convertible 428 for £2500.”
The Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7 is an unsung 007 hero
“I went to Chelmsford in Essex, and the Cougar was crammed in a barn among loads of other classics,” he remembers. “It was no longer running, and parts had been taken from it.
“On closer inspection it didn’t have the 428 block as advertised, but instead a 390. It did have the original heads and intake manifold. I knew very few of these cars had been built, so I bought it anyway.”
Robert bought it for £1500. He says: “After I did the deal, I was told, ‘By all accounts this car was in a Bond movie. You see that burn mark on the seat? That was done by Cubby Broccoli’.
“I took that with a pinch of salt, but after trailering it home I thought the Cougar was so rare that it had to be a separate restoration project.”
The Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7’s rare 428 Cobra Jet engine
The Bond car was then destined to enjoy a brighter future as Robert embarked on a full rebuild.
Joining The Cougar Club of America, he was pointed towards retired Ford employee Lois Eminger.
Affectionately known as ‘Mrs Thunderbird’, Eminger was tasked in the 1960s with handling correspondence relating to all customer enquiries concerning out-of-warranty vehicles, and she was horrified to discover that Ford destroyed all records after 10 years.
Eminger asked Ford management for permission to preserve the papers and for the company archive to send customer invoices to her rather than disposing of them.
She stored the records at her home long into her retirement and would help Ford owners all over the world identify rare cars that, without her, would never have been authenticated.
XR-7 trim brought additional luxuries to the Mercury Cougar
With proof of ownership and a modest fee she answered every enquiry.
Robert recalls: “All you had to do was send Lois $25 and she would look in her garage and send you the documents for your car.
“I had a nice letter back from her: she found the invoice and on it was stated ‘BOND MOVIE’.”
Robert made seven trips to the US, bringing back suitcases full of parts, and gradually the car was rebuilt, recreating its look in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
He sourced an authentic boot rack and skis, and even recreated the red French numberplates. The restoration took him nearly 30 years.
“It would make an absolute racket. When the light changed to green, the nose would lift and we were off. It was a proper animal”
“By the time I had finished, it was better than when it came off the factory line,” he smiles.
“Apart from the engine block being a service replacement, it was all original parts.
“I always intended to own the car for at least a year after I finished so I could enjoy it, but COVID put a stop to that. I couldn’t even display it at shows.
“I was also having trouble insuring it for what I thought it was worth. I spoke to Bonhams and they were very excited to sell the Cougar.”
All of this Mercury Cougar’s parts are Ford originals
The Bond Mercury was sold on 16 December 2020.
Robert had been concerned that COVID restrictions would affect the sale, but against an estimate of £100-150,000, the hammer went down at £310k (£356,500 including premium): “I put a lot of time and effort into that car, so I was very happy we set a new record for the highest price ever paid for a Cougar.”
The successful bidder was Swiss-based asset manager and American car collector Michael Micko.
“I am a huge Bond fan, and I love On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in particular,” he says. “I adored seeing this loud American Cougar driving through the picturesque scenery in Portugal and Switzerland, with the stunning Diana Rigg at the wheel.”
The Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7 makes 335bhp at 5200rpm
“I love 1960s muscle cars and already own some period big-block Mustangs and Corvettes,” he adds.
“I’d always wanted a Cougar as close to the OHMSS spec as possible, but I had never been able to find one.
“Flipping through a Bonhams catalogue I couldn’t believe it: there was Tracy’s actual car – I had to buy it!
“The guide price was pretty reasonable, but when it came to the auction the price just kept going up.
“I looked at my daughter and she said, ‘You want that car, Papa!’ The rest is history. I knew I was never going to find this car again.”
Stylish Cougar script in the Mercury’s cabin
Michael brought the Mercury back to his home in the Swiss mountains.
“I think this Cougar really belongs here,” he says. “I took it to ICE, Switzerland’s International Concours of Elegance in St Moritz, where the cars actually get to drive on the frozen lake.
“Simon Kidston was there and reached out later when he was finally able to buy the OHMSS Aston Martin DBS.
“We hope to get our cars together to recreate the scenes in Estoril at some point. These cars kind of belong together – the only husband-and-wife Bond cars.”
Images: Jack Harrison
Thanks to: Ajay Chowdhury and Mike Smith. You can buy the book Spy Octane by Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury at porterpress.co.uk
Factfile
Mercury Cougar Convertible XR-7
- Sold/number built 1969-’70/6021 (all XR-7s)
- Construction steel monocoque
- Engine all-iron, ohv 428cu in (7014cc) V8, Holley four-barrel carburettor
- Max power 335bhp @ 5200rpm
- Max torque 440lb ft @ 3400rpm
- Transmission three-speed SelectShift automatic, RWD via limited-slip differential
- Suspension: front independent, by double wishbones, coil springs, anti-roll bar rear live axle, semi-elliptic leaf springs; telescopic dampers f/r
- Steering power-assisted recirculating ball
- Brakes discs front, drums rear, with servo
- Length 16ft 1¾in (4922mm)
- Width 6ft 2¼in (1885mm)
- Height 4ft 3½in (1308mm)
- Wheelbase 9ft 3in (2822mm)
- Weight 3410lb (1547kg)
- 0-60mph 5.9 secs
- Top speed 105mph
- Mpg 11
- Price new $3499
- Price now £500,000 (est)*
*Price correct at date of original publication
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