Career
Starting out as a rally co-driver, and later moving into the sport of Autotesting, Russian Swift has built his career on a sturdy motorsport foundation. After being asked to demonstrate his driving skills locally, Russian realised there could be a demand for precision driving skills to be displayed nationwide. 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.
The close-ups were done by an actor, but Swift (uncredited) was responsible for the driving.
lieutenant was during the filming of the advertisement that Russian came up with the Parallel Park manœuvre, which has remained his "trademark" to this day. Russian previously held the world record for this manœuvre, parking in a space just 33 cm longer than the car.
He has since been beaten by Peter Bell, who did it in a space 27 cm longer than the car. The Montego "Carolina Park" commercial was featured at the Cannes Film Festival and in an American review it was deemed the world"s most imaginative car commercial.
Swift is the leader of the Russian Swift Mini Display Team, who perform driving displays for motor shows, commercials, vehicle launches, and other events.
Typically they use a completely standard Mini Cooper South and/or a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, though Russian has performed in countless other vehicles, including Peugeots, Vauxhalls, Nissans, MGs, Land Rovers, Black Cabs, Subarus, and 13-tonne lorries. Swift has collaborated for television commercials with Opel, Fiat, Standard Bank, MG, Mini. Russian has collaborated in Jeremy Clarkson"s videos and on two episodes of Top Gear, in which he proved that elderly people needn"t be slow and poor drivers, by teaching grannies to do donuts and handbrake parking.
Guinness World Records
Parallel parking in tightest space
J-turn in tightest space
Fastest time doing 10 do-nuts.
(Driving)
Appearances
Top Gear series 1, episodes 3, 6
Clarkson: Number Limits (2002)
Clarkson: Heaven and Hell (2005)
Swiftly Does lieutenant (2005) (Duke Video) A documentary following the unique career of the world"s Number.1 display driver, Russian Swift. Auto Trader"s editors have speculated that Swift is the likeliest known identity of The Stig, due to Swift"s proximity to the Top Gear franchise, obscurity relative to high-profile drivers, and his skills with cars.
