Bond’s £120,000 Lotus up at auction
09 July 2009
A Lotus Turbo Esprit driven by everyone’s favourite eyebrow raiser Roger Moore in James Bond film For Your Eyes Only is going up for auction later this month.
And it’s been tipped to fetch up to £120,000 when it goes under the hammer.
The Lotus was designed for a new generation of Bond fans to be a less gadget-laden and more realistic than the elaborate versions of the 1970s.
So if you want a sports car with rocket launchers and ejector seats then this isn’t the model for you.
If, however, you’re mad enough to want to take the rear-wheel drive Lotus on a trip to the Alps you’ll be pleased to know it’s got a ski rack.
Gallery: Bond's Lotus
The metallic bronze vehicle from the 1981 movie was the work of Lotus's own development team and, prior to its starring role alongside Bond, the chassis number one car was the personal transport of Lotus founder Colin Chapman.
Two identical cars were supplied for production, but Edward Bridger-Stille, a director of auctioneers Coys, said the other one was blown up during a stunt.
It had a "useful burglar alarm" by exploding when the ignition was tampered with by Bond's would-be assailant. That’ll stop thieves if you live in a moody area.
However, the cars do not have this facility in real life. Probably wise considering those horrendous ‘no win no fee’ adverts which bombard daytime TV these days.
Mr Bridger-Stille estimated the car will fetch between £80,000 to £120,000 and said it had "great investment potential" in times of economic uncertainty elsewhere.
In December last year, the 1976 Lotus Esprit driven by Moore’s Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me sold for £111,500 at auction to a Bond aficionado in the USA.
The Lotus Esprit Turbo will be auctioned by Coys in a sale at Blenheim Palace on July 18. Let’s keep this one in Britain.
Video: the Lotus Evora
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