Wednesday 17th May 2006

Bond's Esprit up for sale

Turbo car auction on eBay now

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Bond's Lotus Esprit Turbo 1

Fancy the Lotus Esprit Turbo that Roger Moore's James Bond used in "For Your Eyes Only"?

It's about to be auctioned off on eBay. According to the description, chassis number SCCFC20A8AMD 10858, engine number CC912 8011 18912, has double pinstripes, alloy wheels -- and a self-destruct system consisting of four C4 explosive packs (strategically hidden in both sides of the car, front and back), magnetic seals on all doors and boot, and vibration sensors.

Be warned: it's not cheap...

Check it out here.

[Luca1973]

Who in their right mind would pay at least a quarter of a million dollars for that?

[dinkel]

I want the 2CV

[swiss]

Indeed but the Bond thing is a major hobby for some !!

I'm interested in the plaque from Colin Chapman that says "Louts" apparently is that how he saw Lotus by taking on the big boys ?

[daytona600]

"Together with brass plaque with inscribed signature by Colin Chapman, the chairman of the Louts car company"

[dinkel]

There are two!

[wildoliver]

I'll just have the blonde please.

[Dodgey_Rog]

dinkel said:

There are two!

The White one, the anti theft system definately worked!!!

[bruciebonuz]

Am going home to write "Goodyear" on my tyres with white paint as it looks cool. Either that or "BF Goodrich" which would be more appropriate as its an X5. I think more modern cars should have the tyre manufacturer written on the tyre walls like the good old days.

[wildoliver]

bruciebonuz said:

Am going home to write "Goodyear" on my tyres with white paint as it looks cool. Either that or "BF Goodrich" which would be more appropriate as its an X5. I think more modern cars should have the tyre manufacturer written on the tyre walls like the good old days.

Im fairly sure your tyres will have the manufacturers name on the side of them, maybe not in white but it deffo will be there!

[Dodgey_Rog]

If i recall, the Bronze Esprit was a publicity shot for Lotus, Goodyear and For Your Eyes Only? There's a f**king great airship missing as it was floating in the background, looks like its been cut off!

[cdp]

That picture in Norwich is a few years old. Unfortunately you don't see many bikini clad models round there in this modern PC world.

I think there were three gold Esprit Turbos for the film. IIRC when my brother was buying his TVR 5 years ago I tried to persuade him to buy one of the them. I think they wanted about £8,000 for it. Which seemed too much for what I'm sure would have been a big bag of bills (but not as big a bag as the Chimera turned out to be).

I guess $250K is something of a punt but you never know with ebay.

[smele]

Looks a bit tatty as well, even the Louts badge has fallen off the steering wheel.

It does sound good in the film, but I have often wondered if it was dubbed over with the sound of something else.

[jambon]

$250,000! He's 'avin a larf! I thought Lotus stood for 'Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious'. Here it'll be a case of 'Loads Of Tat Un Sold'.

[crankedup]

I have a number of 'spy shot' photographs of that car when it was at the factory. At one time I knew one of the lotus security staff who passed the pics on to me.

Maybe I should E-Bay them? £100 each?

[dinkel]

. . . the new owner will pay.

[whatever]

smele said:

It does sound good in the film, but I have often wondered if it was dubbed over with the sound of something else.

iirc, they used a turbo 4 for the filming and over-dubbed the sound of the v8.

[yardelli]

I saw that car when the factory kept its own 'collection' stored in a dusty corner at Hethel around 10 years or so ago. When Proton came on board they cleared out all the old stuff.............I'm sure it then went to the 'Cars the Star' museumm in keswick though I think I did hear that had closed down?

[smele]

whatever said:

smele said: It does sound good in the film, but I have often wondered if it was dubbed over with the sound of something else. iirc, they used a turbo 4 for the filming and over-dubbed the sound of the v8.

That would make sense. Been a long time since I have seen old eyebrows in that film.

[X-file]

I'm pretty sure it's one of the genuine cars cos of the ski racks. I think I still have the original skis in the attic.....
Also to confuse matters Lotus repainted the white Bond cars bronze after the 'burglar alarm' self-destruct to save building more cars. And the one that blew up was only a shell anyway...

[dinkel]

Wogew dwove a shell?