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James Bond’s 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible Is Now The Priciest Cougar

James Bond memorabilia is expensive, but don’t be so quick to chalk it up to a silly purchase. If anything, stuff linked to the James Bond fictional universe, whether it’s cars, gadgets, or clothes, is an investment.
James Bond’s 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible is the most expensive Cougar sold at auction, fetching $480,088 13 photos
Photo: Bonhams
The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16The 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible from On Her Majesty's Secret Service goes under the hammer on Dec. 16
The recent sale of the 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 Convertible featured in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is proof of that. This would be the sixth James Bond film in the franchise and the only one to star George Lazenby as the iconic 007. The Cougar wasn’t even Bond’s car but belonged to Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, who later became Mrs. Bond in the film.

Still, it was featured in four separate scenes and was driven in the ice chase scene included in the video below. This particular Cougar was one of the three or four used during production and one of the two not to have been damaged at all. It sold at Bonhams’ Bond Street Sale event, fetching twice the maximum estimate.

Bonhams estimated that the car would fetch between $130,000 and $200,000, but it changed hands for $480,088, which makes it the most expensive Cougar to sell at auction. Remember, this is for a car that’s not even technically a Bond car (in the sense that it wasn’t issued by the government for his use) and whose history wasn’t even known to many of its owners.

After production, this particular Cougar went through several owners and, along the years, the association with the James Bond universe was forgotten. The last owner, the seller, had no idea it was a Bond car when he bought it, even though all pertinent documentation was included with the purchase.

The Ian Fleming Foundation (IFF) has confirmed this Cougar’s authenticity and says that it’s one of the three surviving vehicles. One was scraped after serious damage during production, one is in Spain with a collector, and the other is with the IFF itself. It’s been fully restored as of 2020 and comes with the rack and wooden skis shown in the film but no other additional Bond-eque gadgets.

All in all, not a bad deal for the new owner, especially if you consider the astronomical prices other 007 memorabilia have sold for.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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