AMC Hornet

Film – The Man With The Golden Gun

Overview
The Hornet won fame thanks to one of the most impressive stunts seen in the Bond franchise, which also set a world record for the first Astro-Spiral Jump on film. In The Man With The Golden Gun, Bond commandeers a Hornet X hatchback coupé from an AMC dealership in Bangkok to pursue Scaramanga through the city streets and into the countryside.To traverse a river, Bond guns the engine and accelerates up part of a fallen bridge to perform a spectacular 360 mid-air roll. 

Features
Racing style – Trimmed with styled wheels, fat tyres and go-faster stripes along the sides, the Hornet X hatchback coupé has a sportier look than the standard saloon. 

Extra leg room – The Hornet hatchback has the classic 1970s long hood/short deck shape seen on pony cars like the Ford Mustang. Built on the same 274cm chassis as the saloon model, it boasts more interior space than most. 

Safety first – The grille, bonnet and front bumpers have evolved by 1974 to blend together smoothly. Bumpers are engineered to be energy-absorbing and pop back into place after a low-speed impact. 

Sidebars – The Hornet is the first car to feature side-impact bars, or as AMC called them, ‘internally reinforced guard rail beams’. 

Hot hatch – Introduced in 1973, when hatchbacks were relatively new in the US, the Hornet beats its contemporaries on looks. 

Flexible boot space – The open boot can be converted into a camper using an AMC vinyl cover with mosquito netting. With the back seat down, the Hornet boot is large enough to sleep two. 

Trivia
The film’s signature car stunt was performed on 1st June 1974, day 35 of principal photography. Christopher Lee remembered the AMC Hornet’s famous stunt being performed saying ‘There was a roar of applause… and relief, I would think. It was done in one take. Unbelievable. I still have a great and vivid memory of Roger Moore coming up to the driver with tears in his eyes saying, “you fellas made me look good.”’