Russ Swift

Infobox_Celebrity
name = Russ Swift


caption =
birth_date =
birth_place = England
occupation = Stunt driver
salary =
networth =
website = [http://www.russswift.co.uk/index.html]

Russ Swift is a British driver who is known for performing stunts and precision driving.

Career

Swift's driving skills were memorably put to the test in 1987, when he performed stunts in a crowded parking lot in an Austin Montego for a television advertisement. [cite video
people = Jeremy Clarkson, Russ Swift
title = Clarkson: No Limits
medium = DVD
publisher = Brian Klein
location = United Kingdom
year2 = 2002] The close-ups were done by an actor, but Swift (uncredited) was responsible for the driving. The Montego "Car Park" commercial was featured at the Cannes Film Festival and in an American review it was deemed the world's most imaginative car commercial. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Russ Swift- The Story
work =
publisher = Russ Swift Precision Driving Services
date =
url = http://www.russswift.co.uk/biography.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-20] Swift is the leader of the Russ Swift Mini Display Team, which makes driving displays at motor shows, commercials, new vehicle launches, and other events; typically they use a virtually-stock modern Mini Cooper S and/or a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Russ Swift Services
work =
publisher = Russ Swift Precision Driving Services
date =
url = http://www.russswift.co.uk/services.html
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accessdate = 2008-06-20] Swift has held three Guinness World Records, and has done more than 8,000 stunt shows in 50 countries. [cite web
last = Kaehler
first = Justin
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = IGN Interview: Russ Swift
work =
publisher = IGN
date = 2007-05-29
url = http://cars.ign.com/articles/792/792494p1.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-20]

Swift's career has also involved the original Mini, which he used to capture four British Autotest Championships and a rally win in Sweden in the early 1980s. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Russ Swift- The Story
work =
publisher = Russ Swift Precision Driving Services
date =
url = http://www.russswift.co.uk/biography.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-20]

Guiness Records

*Parallel parking in tightest space
*J-turn in tightest space
*Fastest doughnuts

Swift has collaborated in Jeremy Clarkson's videos and on "Top Gear". On Top Gear, he was commissioned to prove that elderly people needn't be slow and poor drivers, by teaching grannies to do doughnuts and handbrake parking.

Appearances

*"Top Gear" series 1, episodes 3,6 [cite episode
title =
episodelink = http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/episodes/series1episode3.shtml
series = Top Gear
serieslink =
airdate = 2002-01-03
season = 1
number = 3 ] [cite episode
title =
episodelink = http://www.bbc.co.uk/topgear/show/episodes/series1episode6.shtml
series = Top Gear
serieslink =
airdate = 2002-11-24
season = 1
number = 6 ]
*"Clarkson: No Limits" (2002)
*"Clarkson: Heaven and Hell" (2005)Swift also appeared on Tiffs Needels Burning Rubber Video. (2000)

"Auto Trader"'s editors have speculated that Russ Swift is the likeliest known identity of the The Stig [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Who is the Stig?
work =
publisher = Auto Trader
date = 2007-01-22
url = http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/car_page_content/33573.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2008-06-20] , due to Swift's proximity to the Top Gear franchise, obscurity relative to high-profile drivers, and his skills with cars.

References

External links

* [http://www.russswift.co.uk/index.html Russ Swift's website]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZA6g8r8U2o&feature=related Montego advertisement]