James Bond's Lotus Esprit Up For Grabs

First-ever Esprit Turbo to be auctioned by Coys; previous owners '007' and Colin Chapman

For Coys eyes only...

A rare double-whammy of Lotus history is being sold at the Coys Blenheim Palace auction on Saturday 18^th July, as the Lotus Esprit turbo used by Roger Moore in For Your Eyes Only goes up for sale.

Why the double-whammy? Because OPW678W is not only 007’s ride from the 1981 film, it was also used by Lotus founder Colin Chapman as his daily driver before its starring role.

The car – which also happens to be the first Esprit Turbo that Lotus produced – was originally white, but the film’s producers discovered that the car didn’t stand out against snowy backdrops (surprise, surprise), so the Esprit Turbo was sent back to Lotus to be repainted in its current metallic bronze colour.

The car might not be as trick as the submarine Esprit that the catalogue says is from Never Say Never Again (though as many PHers have pointed out it is actually from The Spy Who Loved Me), but those bespoke ski racks – which are included in the sale – are pretty cool.

If you fancy owning a piece of Lotus and film history, now might be a good time as the Coys guide price is £90,000-£110,000 – a fair sight less that the £135k opening gambit the last time the car went on sale back in 2006.