Roger Moore’s 10 Best James Bond Chase Scenes

The Drive remembers and honors Roger Moore’s contribution to car culture in the only way we know how: By watching him get chased.

byEric Goeres|
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Earlier today, the world learned Sir Roger Moore had died at the age of 89. So in honor of the actor and his lengthy career as James Bond, we at The Drive have pulled together a list of our favorite car chases from the Roger Moore Bond years...complete with our favorite wisecracks. Check 'em out below. 

1977, Lotus Esprit, The Spy Who Loved Me

A great starting point for today. This scene, from the 10th James Bond film, features a white Lotus Esprit, Barbara Bach on board, chased by a motorcycle with rocket-powered sidecar and a helicopter armed with machine guns. The underwater scene was likely filmed in the Bahamas. Key wisecrack: "Can you swim?"

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1979, Gondola Chase, Moonraker

Starts on water, ends on land. Pretty much a Q-powered reverse of the Lotus Esprit twist ending above. 

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1973, Car/Airplane Chase, Live and Let Die

James Bond peaces out courtesy of Mr. Bleeker's flight school aircraft. He never makes it off the ground, so it's basically a car chase with an airplane. Key wisecrack: "Same time tomorrow, Mrs. Bell?"

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1983, BD-5J Acrostar, Octopussy

World's smallest jet, launched out of the back of a trailer hidden behind a fake bull's ass. 007 dodges missiles, barnstorms and gets safely away (spoiler alert). Key wisecrack: "Fill 'er up, please."

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1983, Indian Tuk-Tuk, Octopussy

Basically a street fight on wheels, James Bond is pursued by tennis-racket wielding bad guys in a government Jeep. Ends with a spiffy little fistfight. Key wisecrack: Either "This should shake them off!" or "Thank God for hard currency!"

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1973, Low-Speed Tail-Job, Live and Let Die

Bond gets tailed uptown to Harlem by some bad dudes. An odd mix of 1970s New York street scenes, a look at the city when 20-foot land yachts ruled, and a display of smirking racial mores. Key quip: "You can't miss him, it's like following a cue ball," as the tail-job goes into Harlem.

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1977, Ski Chase, The Spy Who Loved Me

No list of Roger Moore James Bond chased is complete without this epic Austrian ski chase. Sick moves, ski-pole guns and a Union Jack parachute make this stunt sequence spectacular.

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1981, Ski Chase, For Your Eyes Only

Speaking of ski chases, don't forget this one filmed in Cortina d'Ampezzo. James Bond is on skis, his adversaries are on snow motorcycles with spiked tires and machine gun turn signals.

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1983, Alfa Romeo GTV6, Octopussy

Gotta get a good look at this chase featuring James Bond's streetjacked Alfa Romeo GTV6. The police are in hot pursuit in BMW 5 Series cop cars. Bonus: James wearing a pretty nice burgundy circus worker shirt.

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1973, Boat Chase, Live and Let Die

This one's got it all. Boat jumps, redneck Sheriff J.W. Pepper, gas flinging, wedding drive-throughs, shots fired, swimming pool landings, multiple pile-ups, and enough wisecracks and visual gags to be perhaps the best Roger Moore James Bond chase scene of them all.

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Bonus: 1963, Roger Moore in a Volvo 1800, The Saint

Absolutely 100 percent most definitely not James Bond, but oh-so-good. Black-and-white 1963 London, being chased through town by bad guys in a Ford Zephyr to a soundtrack of solid crime jazz. Rumor has it that not only did Roger Moore drive it in this clip, but he also owned it.

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Call for Entries

Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions for chase scenes we may have missed or unintentionally omitted from this list in the comments below.

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