On September 8-9, 2013, RM Auctions will be auctioning the underwater Lotus Esprit S1, which played an important role in the James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me", at Battersea Park in London.
At the time, Lotus supplied six plastic bodies, which can be seen in various scenes of the film.
Fully functional under water
One of the bodies was converted by Perry Oceanographic into a fully functional submarine, which was then driven by Don Griffin, a retired US Navy soldier. However, he had to wear a diving suit, as the Lotus Esprit was not waterproof.
Resurfaced
After filming, the functional model was stored for ten years before it almost accidentally ended up in the hands of a couple at an insignificant auction, who presented the movie car from time to time.
In September, the Esprit submarine will now be auctioned off by RM Auctions with no reserve price. At the time, it is said to have cost around USD 100,000 and there is a good chance that a fan will bid five or even ten times that amount.
Further information can be found on the RM Auctions website. A comprehensive report on the Lotus Esprit S2 can of course be found on Zwischengas.
