Factual error: The 1960s London policeman at the beginning is carrying a baton on his belt. British police officers didn't start carrying batons until the 1990s. Before that they only carried short truncheons in concealed pockets. (00:01:50)
Factual error: When Austin and Mrs Kensington are in the Electric Psychedelic Pussycats Swingers Club, the Union Flag in the club is back to front. The cross of St Patrick, ie the diagonal cross, should be rotated slightly anti-clockwise, not clockwise, as we see it. (00:04:35)
Factual error: When Austin Powers is in the casino and plays blackjack with #2, the sequence of the blackjack hand is dealt wrong. (00:28:55)
Factual error: In the film Austin has a Boeing 747-300 as his personal jet. This model of the 747 was not released until 1980, and he was frozen in 1967.
Factual error: The British soldiers (quartermaster at the MOD, MPs and paras) are all wearing inaccurate uniforms and insignia.
Factual error: When Mrs Kensington pulls up in the Jaguar to save Austin from the hordes of women chasing him at the start of the film, the car does not have a front number plate, which has always been illegal in the UK, even in the swinging 60's.
Factual error: When Dr. Evil demands money from the United Nations, to the left of the Israeli speaker is a nameplate of a British gentleman marked "England" and a British flag. The British have been represented in the U.N as "United Kingdom" since its inception.
Factual error: The US Air Force general is always addressed as 'Commander' Gilmour. Commander is a naval rank considerably junior to general, and the stars on his shoulders show he's a general.
Factual error: In the beginning of the movie where Austin is leading the band around the corner, the Snare Drummer is using a snare drum with a "free floating tension system" (the vertical rods on the shell). Free Floating snare systems weren't developed until the late 1980's, yet they're in 1960's London. Also, the band has a quint (5 toms) drum player. In the 60's drummers were only using 1 or 2 marching toms at a time, quints didn't become popular until the 90's.
Factual error: Britain has a Ministry of Defence, not a Ministry of Defense.
Factual error: The rifles that the Paras are holding are SLR rifles, which were ditched by the British Army in the late 1980's for the SA-80 rifle.
Factual error: When Austin rounds the corner of the London street leading the band and the dancers, a large, white warehouse-looking building is reflected in the right front fender of a blue car at the lower left of the screen. Not a 60s London building - most likely it is a building on the studio lot.
Chosen answer: It's supposed to resemble an upside-down version of, ahem, wedding tackle.
JustJudy