Irish Motorist on 007's SAAB and that bloody Alan Dukes!

Reader Donal Rogers from Ireland has sent over this terrific article from the June 1983 issue of Irish Motorist about James Bond's new choice of car, the Saab 900 Turbo. Of course, by 1983 we were three books into the John Gardner cycle, so I'm not sure how "new" the Saab really was at this time. But it's a fun article and I especially love the mid-article rant about...Alan Dukes?

Donal tells me, "Alan Dukes was the Irish Minister for Finance at the time the article and so would have been responsible for difficult national budgets at a time of severe economic crisis for Ireland in the early 1980s."

I also like the expression of dismay that Bond is "now a regular jogger." I had to think about it, but I do recall that Bond does go jogging while at the Anton Murik estate in License Renewed, but I'm pretty sure it's so he can surveil the property.

Anyway, enjoy this blast from Ireland's past.

Click to enlarge.

Thank you Donal.