James Bond submarine Lotus Esprit sold for more than $930,000

The fully submersible Lotus Esprit, which starred in the 1977 James Bond film ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, was sold to an anonymous phone bidder on Monday for £550,000 ($930,800).

In the film, the Lotus, known as ‘Wet Nellie’, saved Bond and Bond-girl Barbara Bach from an aerial attack by a helicopter, when it accelerated off a ramp and plunged into the sea following a chase through the mountain roads of Corsica. The scene was filmed using the actual Lotus sold at auction.

“Bearing in mind it is not a car than can be driven on the road, the price just goes to prove the draw that Bond memorabilia has,” said RM Auctions Europe representative Peter Haynes.

“We are very happy with the price, it is very strong money for what is an important piece of movie memorabilia.”

The anonymous bidder might have been Bond’s nemesis in the film, Karl Stromberg, or, perhaps more likely, just Roger Moore keen to relive his glory days.