Sold! 007 Lotus Esprit

Bond to Q:

“Q, have I ever let you down?”

Q to Bond: ”Frequently.”

By Gunnar Heinrich

JAMES BOND didn’t always drive an Aston Martin.

In fact, in Ian Flemming’s books the spy to kill all spies drove a classic Bentley and in the movies it varied widely over the years from Aston to Pontiac to Saab to BMW back to Aston. 

But along the way, during the Roger Moore era (who some might say played the quintessential British gentleman spy), it was a Lotus Esprit series one.

Freshly penned by Giugaro, the car that would see the little British sports car maker through the next three decades was the classic flat nosed, wedge-shaped Anglo-take on the typical Italian exotic. 

Trimmed in hot white on very-Scottish plaid, the car that sold at Bonhams this weekend for approximately $165,000, was one of two film cars used in the Spy Who Shagged Loved Me with the exotic Barbara Bach playing a sometimes frightened sometimes amused passenger.

In the film, the Lotus featured cement blasting tailpipes, surface to air missiles (which took out a chopper) and could dive into the ocean as submarine. This car doesn’t have the sub capability – that car, which does still exist, is not on the market. 

Apparently, this film  car is still very much a four cylindered, turbo charged Esprit which means that the new Atlanta, GA based (yet anon) owner bought all the passion and the headaches that one can expect from a 70s-era British sports car.

Mostly headaches, me thinks.

[Linked: BBC | LotusEspritWorld]