The Spy Who Loved Me submarine car sells for £550,000

A James Bond submarine car featured in The Spy Who Loved Me has been sold for £550,000.The Lotus Esprit was sold at RM Auctions in Battersea, south London, after a fierce price war between a female buyer and a telephone bidder who finally took the iconic car.

The distinctive-looking vehicle was designed for an underwater scene in the 1977 film starring Roger Moore as 007.In the film, 007 and Bond girl Anya Amasova, played by Barbara Bach, escape a helicopter attack by driving the Esprit off a pier into the sea.

Although it was known as the Wet Nellie on set, it is a fully operational submarine but cannot be driven on the road.

Those in the auction room clapped as bids went up to £550,000, which after charges left the buyer paying out £616,000.

Peter Haynes, from RM Auctions, said the auctioneer was pleased with the price despite it coming in at under estimated prices of between £650,000 and £950,000.