It’s a classic proposition; the fast moving, ultra secretive, hush-hush, high-drama world of the secret agent.
Let’s explore the image. We have a suave, confident, international man of mystery, but this ain’t no Bond that I recognize; not even George Lazenby. This guy is clearly bringing a fresh mindset to the business of low profile problem elimination, for which may all our countries be truly grateful. He’s flanked by a tall-haired siren with a brazenly plunging neckline, come-hither eyes and sexpot features, obviously the poison-edged love interest in this exotic saga.
We can dig deeper after the jump.
Two further figures hover in the middle distance; let’s assume that they have a minor but important role as the story unfolds. They’re rather obviously trained assassins; intending to seduce their prey before incapacitating him in the most hideous way, but not before the two of them have given themselves an opportunity to have their bit of fun with him; Bambi and Thumper style.
The scene is set by the roulette wheel with chips galore; there’s plenty of stray dollars flying around when you’re in this guys’ line of work which probably involves spending a lot of time in casinos full of Femmes Fatale. One presumes him to be a very European agent; we see buildings hugging the hillsides; elevated Autostrada and perilous mountain passes.
And his transportation? Well, barring the occasional executive flight in a forward-swept HFB Hansa Jet (featured top-right), he prefers to mix English eccentricity with Hemi-headed haste, in a Jensen that somebody in high authority has afforded him. If we assume the Elan +2 belongs to the vampish villainess; where her nimble-footedness should be fortuitous in the foothills, the Vignale-bodied brute should be easily able to Intercept her.
But not without good tyres. Fortunately; this is a 1971 commercial for the Dunlop SP Sport Radial; of which:
“The low crouched silhouette and meaty wrap-around tread give the SP Sport that ready-for-action look”
Dunlop actually ran a whole series of these adverts at the dawn of the seventies; keen to bring glamour and excitement to what had hitherto been seen as a somewhat mundane product. And tyre technology was rapidly getting more and more exciting at the time. The SP Sport in 1971 featured:
“…. a cunning (and exclusive) wet weather system…. actually dries the road beneath you…..water is pumped away by exclusive Aquajets around the shoulder of the tyre.”
Or to put it succinctly:
“Now dry tyre bites dry road”
They didn’t make any effort whatsoever to underplay the talent of their new tyre, just kept creating more taglines:
“Dunlop SP Sport is the radial engineered for action”
And I reckon the Secret Agent angle was pretty perceptive; because who doesn’t want to be able to Bond with the blacktop?
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