James Bond's Lotus submarine up for auction

The iconic white Lotus Esprit that
transformed from a supercar to a super-
submarine will go under the hammer in
London this September.
A piece of cinematic and motoring history is
set for auction: namely the lotus Esprit Series
1 submarine car, one of the stars of the Roger
Moore James Bond film The Spy Who Loved
Me.
The sale, by RM Auctions on September 8-9 in
Battersea Park, is expected to draw huge
crowds thanks to the provenance of James
Bond and the renewed appetite for classic and
unique cars. In 2010 RM Auctions oversaw the
sale of the film franchise's other iconic car,
none other than the Aston Martin DB5 used in
Goldfinger and Thunderball for a scarcely
believable £2.9 million ($4,608,500). And
bidding is expected to be similarly brisk for
the Lotus.
Remarkably, the car, which still features all of
its weaponry and which was the only Lotus
used in all of the underwater scenes during the
making of the 1977 film, was thought to have
been lost.
Built by Perry Oceanographic in Florida and
driven by retired Navy SEAL Don Griffin during
its battle sequences, the car is a fully
operational, self-propelled submarine and
when shooting wrapped, it was shipped to
Long Island, New York where it sat in storage
for 10 years.
In 1989, the storage unit was put up for ‘blind
auction' due to non-payment of rent (the first
10 years had been paid in advance), and for a
‘modest winning bid' a local couple became
the new owners of a piece of cinematic history.
Since then the vehicle has been authenticated
and has been shown at a number of events and
museums.
Max Girardo, Managing Director, RM Auctions,
Europe, says: "This particular Lotus is certainly
up there amongst the most famous cars of all
time. Over the years, millions of moviegoers
have stared in awe as the Lotus transformed
itself into a submarine, and now, perhaps one
of them will have an opportunity to own it.
Her Majesty's Secret Service aside, it surely is
the ultimate beach accessory!"