Boxwish Blog

James Bond's Lotus Espirit to go under the hammer

Posted by Team Boxwish on 19 November 2008 at 12.07PM

Daniel Craig or Sean Connery? SPECTRE or QUANTUM? Pussy Galore or Vesper Lynd? Wherever you stand on the classic Bond versus modern Bond argument, the allure of Her Majesty’s top MI6 agent hasn’t diminished over the years. Far from it. With Quantum of Solace breaking box office records stateside, cinema’s longest-running film franchise shows no sign of slowing down, but for those new to the world of 007, who might only recognise him when played by Craig or his predecessor Pierce Brosnan, there’s much to recommend the earlier efforts of the 60s and 70s. And as if to prove it a much-loved relic from this era – the Lotus Esprit – is expected to fetch a pretty penny when it goes under the hammer at auction next month. Move aside Aston Martin DBS, the Lotus Espirit is Bond’s quirkiest car.

The white 1976 Lotus Espirit was driven by third Bond actor Roger Moore in 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me and stunned fans with its amphibious abilities. Unable to escape Sardinia, Bond and his female accomplice Anya Asamova (Barbara Bach) drive the car into the sea, where it morphs into a submarine, complete with periscope, fins and propeller. Two were used during production of the movie and though they presented on-set difficulties, the scene established the Lotus Espirit as a serious rival to the Aston Martin in the hearts of Bond’s loyal army of auto lovers.

Now, collectors and car buffs with big pockets can bid to make their spy dreams come true as one of the cars goes up for auction at Bonhams’ annual motoring sale on 1st December. With a price tag between £100,000 and £120,000 the car doesn’t come cheap, but further Bond memorabilia is available, namely a registration plate from classic Bond flick, Goldfinger. The plate, which is expected to fetch over £80,000 was attached to the Rolls Royce Phantom III as used by Auric Goldfinger and as per the arch villain’s lust for all things gold it reads “AU1” – AU being the chemical symbol for gold. Clever, eh?

So if the credit crunch is something that’s happened to other people, head over to the Bonhams website for more information on how you can secure the Bond goodies. Or simply go for the pocket-sized option with the Lotus Esprit Underwater Toy Car & Goldfinger Rolls Royce & Odd Job Figure.

[via BBC News]