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| Windfall: James Bond's Lotus Esprit submarine car sells for £550,000 | Windfall: James Bond's Lotus Esprit submarine car sells for £550,000 |
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| One of James Bond's best-known cars, the white submersible Lotus Esprit that appeared in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me, has sold at auction for more than half a million pounds. The sale comes 24 years after the vehicle was found in a New York storage container purchased for $100 (£64). | One of James Bond's best-known cars, the white submersible Lotus Esprit that appeared in the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me, has sold at auction for more than half a million pounds. The sale comes 24 years after the vehicle was found in a New York storage container purchased for $100 (£64). |
| One of eight vehicles used in the 10th official 007 movie, the Lotus Esprit is said to be fully functional in submarine mode, but cannot be driven on land. It was sold at the RM Auctions house in London for £550,000, following a bidding war between two rival collectors. | One of eight vehicles used in the 10th official 007 movie, the Lotus Esprit is said to be fully functional in submarine mode, but cannot be driven on land. It was sold at the RM Auctions house in London for £550,000, following a bidding war between two rival collectors. |
| The car was discovered beneath blankets in 1989 after it was placed in storage following the completion of filming on The Spy Who Loved Me, which starred Roger Moore in his third turn as 007. The Long Island building contractor who bought the storage container initially had no idea what he had purchased. The Ian Fleming Foundation later confirmed that the vehicle was the one used in The Spy Who Loved Me. | The car was discovered beneath blankets in 1989 after it was placed in storage following the completion of filming on The Spy Who Loved Me, which starred Roger Moore in his third turn as 007. The Long Island building contractor who bought the storage container initially had no idea what he had purchased. The Ian Fleming Foundation later confirmed that the vehicle was the one used in The Spy Who Loved Me. |
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| In the film, Bond drives his Lotus off a pier into the ocean as he tries to evade a pursuing helicopter. Accompanied by Barbara Bach's Bond girl Anya Amasova, he then sends a missile hurtling towards his enemy with a curl of the lip, saying: "It's time we said goodbye to an uninvited guest." In another memorable scene, the Lotus emerges from the sea on a beach that is crowded with sunbathing holidaymakers. | In the film, Bond drives his Lotus off a pier into the ocean as he tries to evade a pursuing helicopter. Accompanied by Barbara Bach's Bond girl Anya Amasova, he then sends a missile hurtling towards his enemy with a curl of the lip, saying: "It's time we said goodbye to an uninvited guest." In another memorable scene, the Lotus emerges from the sea on a beach that is crowded with sunbathing holidaymakers. |
| The lucky new owner of the car will shell out £616,000 once fees are levied. But the Lotus is by no means the most valuable Bond car: in 2010, a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball sold for $4.6m. | The lucky new owner of the car will shell out £616,000 once fees are levied. But the Lotus is by no means the most valuable Bond car: in 2010, a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in Goldfinger and Thunderball sold for $4.6m. |
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