Barbara Bach, Caroline Munro, the Lotus Esprit/ submarine, Jaws and the Carly Simon theme tune and that fantastic opening sequence with Bond seemingly falling to his death and a Union Jack parachute bursting out to save our hero.... The best Bond movie by a country mile, imho....
My father worked for Lotus Cars, & I can distinctively remember at the 1977 Lotus Open Day Dad took me for an unofficial behind the scenes little tour of the factory that the public couldn't see that day, & there were three other PPW 306R's lined up (with official The Spy Who Loved Me decals on them) in the factory ready to go out on promotional duties (one of them had someone fast asleep in it...! 😴🤣😉) as well as the other Bond Esprit outside on public display that day...!?!
One of Lotus cars aka "Wet Nellie" was created by Perry Oceanographic, company specialized in custom submersibles. Perry, company that created Nellie also created other companies such as one that I work for in the area: Perry Baromedical. Perry Baromedical manufactures Hyperbaric Chambers.
i was a kid on holiday and my dad took me to see the the film, the sight of that white Lotus diving in the water on a big cinema screen was just the coolest thing i had ever seen and honestly think that ignited my love of cars till this very day
@oscarsgarage447 there is one question to ask no matter how times I've seen the film when the car emerges out of the sea onto the sand and rolls down the window where did that fish come from I mean an air tight car ummm confusing 😕
I worked for Rank Leisure Theaters when TSWLM was released in 1977 and they had about 15 body shells made to publicise the film in the foyers of some of Rank's key cinemas across the UK. These then got used in various Bond Exhibitions such as the one at Beaulieu. To the lay-person, they looked the real deal but sadly they weren't. Closer inspection, you can see the tell-tale signs such as the unusual font on the registration plates, the fixed missile launcher between the headlamps, the blacked out windows underneath the 'grills' and the fixed 'fins' protruding from the wheel arches. So it's highly unlikely that anyone who has been to a Bond in Motion exhibition has actually seen a film-used car.
BRAVO!!! You did a PHENOMENAL job in detailing the cars used in the production of the film, and there whereabouts. Despite being a huge fan of the "early" Bond films (meaning Connery and Moore), I somehow was unaware of where the road car(s) ended up. Even though Dezerland sounds a bit absurd (I hate amusement parks, etc!), its nice to see that so many of the Bond cars ended up in one place and properly maintained, thank goodness. Many people think of the Aston-Martin as the ultimate Bond car, but for me, the Lotus. The driving in "The Spy Who Loved Me" is absolutely incredible. Just like Pontiac Trans Am sales took off with after 1977's second top-grossing US box office film "Smokey and the Bandit", I would think that TSWLM did wonders for the Esprit. The exceptional style of Roger Moore coupled with the car's amazing handling just makes the Esprit Series 1 iconic to my eyes. Again, thanks for presenting this thoroughly enjoyable and well-documented presentation.
I owned a white Lotus Esprit S1 years ago when I lived in Huntington Beach CA. It was a really fun car, and they always parked it out front when I used to go to the Righteous Brothers club in Fountain Valley 🙂
I owned a red 77 Esprit S1 back in the late 80's in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. Eventually owned a yellow 91 S4 in Las Vegas in the mid 2000's. Still love the Esprit.
I was just a young boy when [ Spy Who Loved Me ] was released, my Grandfather/Dad took me to see it along with 90% of all the Bond films of the time and happily to he proud as he worked for Rank Organisation who gave him the most jealous present 'i' could have wanted. He was invited to the very set of the Stromberg submarine set, met Roger and Barbara Bach and a few others, what a privelage this was for him and Boy, was I in awe!😊 I, decades later got to meet the most delightful and hot Helicopter pilot ( Caroline Munroe ) in my local town who was absolutely awesome and a pleasure to talk with. Of course, the Lotus Esprit was my favourite car but not because it was a 'Submarine' but a short and sleek car, sporty with a low ride body that enamoured me I even had two versions a tiny Dinky version and after a transforming version with little trigger rockets. Sadly, being a young boy I didn't understand water and toy cars didn't mix, so - rusted. I would lived to have owned a least a kit version as they were available but not for long though I think it fulfilled the fantasy criteria for many years. Thank you for this upload, it brings back some amazing memories that were positive in my life and hope one day to see a full model, though she was my idol, in a museum, 😊Just remember: No body does it better!😁
I remember visiting Pinewood Studios in 1992 and Production Designer Peter Lamont showed me this storage facility near the huge 007 Sound Stage and there was these huge old minature models and stuck between them was this remote controlled fibre-glass model version (about 3/4 scale version) of the Lotus with its fins - sadly, it was in a poor state with a couple of its fins hanging off, but it certainly was recognisable. It was used in a water tank for underwater pick-up shots of the Lotus going passed the camera. I would of love sifting through this treasure trove of these minature models....regardless of them falling apart.
I've sat in the 'Wet Nellie' ! In 1976 Pinewood Studios had an open day . As a movie mad 12yr old I went along with some school friends. As well as sitting in this iconic piece of kit we got to peddle around in the Bugsy Malone cars! Memorable day
@@johntate5050 The DB5 is more an elegant silver tablespoon than jelly mould. 70s cars are too boxy. Great if you want to drive around in a pack of Silk Cut, but I'd rather present as the guy born with the silver spoon.
As a kid I had a toy version of this car made by Corgie. It had some spring loaded plastic rockets and the kit included also a tiny model of the helicopter. It was a pleasure to play with it.
The absolute best video I've seen on this iconic car. Brilliant job sir. Big Bond fan here and agree with others here in saying that the Lotus is my all time favourite Bond car. And the chase scene was second to none. Sitting in the cinema for the movie's premier watching this beautiful car dart around...then fly off the pier like it did...was jaw-dropping for a 15 year old kid. And from that time onwards the series one Espirit was for me the most purely designed sports car I'd ever seen.
I saw the road going one at the Cars Of The Stars Collection in Keswick, Lake District, but I thought there was also one of the water versions there at the same time - could be wrong but I seem to remember both. Loved that museum - went to it many times - it had Kit, the original Batmobile, FAB 1 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang there amongst a load of other amazing vehicles. Was never so impressed with the Trotter’s yellow Reliant van, but that had a great story as the collector (a wonderfully obsessed dental surgeon) had had to stay up all night playing poker to get the original owner to seek it to him. Loved that place and visited many times. Great vid 👍👍
Fantastic video about a movie favourite car from the past There was quite a lot of research done for this video, which made it very interesting and informative.
I love the way Lotus made the film company want their car. They had one employee take the sole driving Esprit-prototype, park it outside EON's offices just before lunch break, walk away, and when EVERYONE from EON was outside at lunch and standing around the car the guy walks back to the car, gets in and drives of while COMPLETELY IGNORING any questions. That show made EON really want that "mystery sportscar"^^
I live on Long Island New York. Back in 1993 there was a local parade in the town of Center Moriches. I watched the car go down Main Street on a back of a flat bed tow truck. The guy who owned it ,ran a small store of used tools. Name of the store was Used Not Abused Tools. Time to time I used to buy some stuff from him. He told he used to go to those storage auctions quite a bit. That is how he got most of his stuff for his store. He also got the Lotus.
Good day to you. This is Ted from texas. I had the Good Fortune of seeing this vehicle while it was on display in Westhampton Beach New York Long Island shortly after the gentleman had purchased it from the storage unit. It was at a car show on the west end of Main Street. I do not remember the year but I do remember the car and seeing it. It was pretty cool to see
I saw Wet Nellie in front of a Lotus dealer in St. Louis, Missouri when I was a teenager. It was before the movie came out and the little crowd around the car was trying to figure out what we were looking at. A sign (or maybe it was a person) explained it was a submarine car prop from a new James Bond film. It was very obvious it wasn’t watertight as the windshield was just a piece of plexiglass (perspex) with black electrical tape lines across it. When I later saw the movie it all became clear to me
Thanks for sharing I went to the star's the cars museum and seen that car plus the Aston Martin from the bond films was a great experience I find it sad that these cars Carnt be shared with the public any more
Circa 1988 I was a young airman on guard duty at RAF Northolt when a white Lotus Esprit rolled up to the gate... It being active IRA days I informed the driver I'd have to examine the vehicle for IED's Explosive Devices, Improvised or otherwise. He laughed and was a good sport and popped the bonnet. That was how I learned the engine's in the back!
Absolutely brilliantly researched. I actually saw Wet Nellie at Pinewood back in the day just after filming hand finished. My Old mate and Best Man , was a Special Effects Engineer - and was until he retired several years ago - and Wet Nellie was just another 'SFX item' hanging around. I never new what happened to it, so this Video was fascinating to watch. Keep up the great work.
@@oscarsgarage447 Yes in Orlando Florida, I had the time of my life: they also have screen used knight rider cars and dukes of hazzard gereral lee’s etc We spent almost a whole day there go karting and arcades. Was an epic day out I’ll remember forever
I had the moulds for making the fibreglass sub version for the movie. Still get questions asking if they are still for sale, sold them about 15 years ago, got hardly anything for them too. Based in the UK.
Great video. I was at Dezerland recently. It is an amazing collection. There was hardly any body there. I had the whole Bond museum to myself. It is almost hidden at the back of a cafe.
That Lotus Esprit model from the 70s looks great. Such a beautiful car. The car engineers back then really had the knowledge and culture of cars. They were such different from the people from today which work in the automotive industry. The Tesla Cybertruck looks like trash, in all honesty. Maybe the individuals working at Tesla inspired themselves from the shape of one of the window grill pieces mounted on the submarine Esprit.
One of the underwater ones was at the Saratoga Auto Museum until Jan 24, when it was packed up to go to its next destination, Washington DC Spy Museum I think.
I used to work in a factory dead opposite from the "JW Automarine" plant where parts for the Lotus were produced, and a few small submersible craft for other 007 films. It used to be based in Holt, Norfolk....
Such a great movie, Caroline Munroe and Barbara Bach, such great chemistry with Roger Moore, a true Bond classic The Esprit has always been on my wishlist but hard to find a prestine one nowadays Lots Of Trouble Usually Severe 😉
Mate, I can also add that one of the cars from a South Wales dealership was in the possession of one of my parent's nextdoor neighbours son who worked for lotus at the time, his parents lived nextdoor to mine in Newport South Wales in the 80s. He had brought it home as it was on its way to the studio to be converted to the submarine and unfortunately I was not able to have a ride in it because I was in school at the time.
Was working at Silverstone that weekend the road version was auctioned in 1998 (playing in a band for two days in a bandstand near the auction marquee). Seem to remember several Lotus concept cars up for sale. Plus I *think* a Bond Aston Martin was there (not for sale). I had never seen so many amazing vehicles in one place (walked over the brow of a hill and the field was Ferrari red). Lot of money around that weekend.
Interesting thing is: when the wheels are retracted inside the car when it dives … in reality there would be no space left for a standard engine or, even more important, there would be not much leg space left for the passengers. I always hoped for a spoof (Rowan Atkinson?) in which the driver pulls back his knees to his body in order to make room for the transformation.
I thought this would be a bad video, but as a teen, this movie was the first I ever went to see on my own without my family. I went with a chum from school - so why not check it out. It was great!! lol. Thank you for making it and for doing all the detective work! Well done. Subbed :)
I remember seeing one of the road cars at an annual car show and it had bullet holes in a rear side panel which apparently happened when a stunt didn’t go as planned.
That car wasn’t it the film but I know the ‘story’ about the ‘damage’. That car was the car used for the publicity photos at Pinewood Studios and now resides in the Bo’ ness Motor Museum.
I never would have thought of the Lotus and the Tesla together, but when you see them both in profile, you can see it. The proportions are very different, but still, that's quite interesting.
Peter, from the museum in Keswick purchased my S1 Esprit in white around 2001. The reg was URH 666R. Apparently he planned to use it as a mock-up spare. I lost touch with the car after that until someone wrote to me years later that it was in a dealer showroom in Italy. Whilst not a Bond car, I thought you may find this interesting. Cheers, Dave.
@@chrispalmer9838 thats a shame but when you think about it the cost of that Z900 back in 1977 probably would have been a tiny fraction of the movies budget
I supplied (working for someone else) T-shirts to some film studios back in the late 70s. And I was told of 7 cars sitting around the studios back during the filming.
If it’s been used to make the cyber truck then I’d say lotus is a great car , both designs was very radical for their times , the cyber truck is a change of metal which many of us have wanted for many yrs as no more shopping trolley dents or car door
I used to go regularly to the Silverstone historic festival and was there that weekend in '98, even at the time I couldn't believe how cheap the Esprit went for, also the FYEO Turbo Esprit sold at the same time for similar money. Sounded a great museum in Keswick, wish could have visited, least got to see the Bond cars when the exhibition came to London a few years back.
I remember seeing a sub-car at Beaulieu museum about 15 years ago. Pretty sure it was full sub mode one side and retracting wheels the other. Happy to be corrected as my memory is a bit...........
I believe the only one configured like that has only been on display in America (Dezerland). But they have moved about so much over the years you may be correct... Edit - found a picture of it in 2011 at Beaulieu and it has fins on both sides... commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1976_Lotus_Esprit_submarine_car_-_James_Bond_%285963034679%29.jpg
@@oscarsgarage447 that's brilliant thanks for the info and yes that's 100% what I saw as I remember it being a low roof - alley way kind of room . Not sure where I got the folding wheel from .
I took part in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant a couple of years ago. They had one of these Lotus cars as part of a line up of Bond vehicles, but the Lotus was not one that appeared in the film. The others, Aston Martins with machine guns fitted, were real Bond cars. I met a Bond Girl, but I’m not sure which one! Thanks for great video.
I have a photo of submarine car #3 at the Dezer Hollywood Cars museum in Las Vegas in 2018. They had a 2nd "fin" one that looked like it was getting bodywork done in a workshop area visible through a window.
Submarine car #5 was at the Peterson museum in Los Angeles in 2022. You could see the rails the fins traveled along as they were pushed out of the body.
Back in the late 90s I worked at a haulage company in Hampshire and one of these turned up at our yard and was stored for a couple of days. It was one of the underwater versions and I remember being somewhat disappointed when I saw that the slats on the windows were made from a really cheap cut of wood painted black. Had the trims where the wheels should have been. I’m assuming it was genuinely one of the mock ups from the film .
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Barbara Bach, Caroline Munro, the Lotus Esprit/ submarine, Jaws and the Carly Simon theme tune and that fantastic opening sequence with Bond seemingly falling to his death and a Union Jack parachute bursting out to save our hero.... The best Bond movie by a country mile, imho....
My father worked for Lotus Cars, & I can distinctively remember at the 1977 Lotus Open Day Dad took me for an unofficial behind the scenes little tour of the factory that the public couldn't see that day, & there were three other PPW 306R's lined up (with official The Spy Who Loved Me decals on them) in the factory ready to go out on promotional duties (one of them had someone fast asleep in it...! 😴🤣😉) as well as the other Bond Esprit outside on public display that day...!?!
Amazing info!
One of Lotus cars aka "Wet Nellie" was created by Perry Oceanographic, company specialized in custom submersibles. Perry, company that created Nellie also created other companies such as one that I work for in the area: Perry Baromedical. Perry Baromedical manufactures Hyperbaric Chambers.
Was it Jaws having a kip in the motor?
i was a kid on holiday and my dad took me to see the the film, the sight of that white Lotus diving in the water on a big cinema screen was just the coolest thing i had ever seen and honestly think that ignited my love of cars till this very day
Great story!
@oscarsgarage447 there is one question to ask no matter how times I've seen the film when the car emerges out of the sea onto the sand and rolls down the window where did that fish come from I mean an air tight car ummm confusing 😕
I worked for Rank Leisure Theaters when TSWLM was released in 1977 and they had about 15 body shells made to publicise the film in the foyers of some of Rank's key cinemas across the UK. These then got used in various Bond Exhibitions such as the one at Beaulieu. To the lay-person, they looked the real deal but sadly they weren't. Closer inspection, you can see the tell-tale signs such as the unusual font on the registration plates, the fixed missile launcher between the headlamps, the blacked out windows underneath the 'grills' and the fixed 'fins' protruding from the wheel arches. So it's highly unlikely that anyone who has been to a Bond in Motion exhibition has actually seen a film-used car.
BRAVO!!! You did a PHENOMENAL job in detailing the cars used in the production of the film, and there whereabouts. Despite being a huge fan of the "early" Bond films (meaning Connery and Moore), I somehow was unaware of where the road car(s) ended up. Even though Dezerland sounds a bit absurd (I hate amusement parks, etc!), its nice to see that so many of the Bond cars ended up in one place and properly maintained, thank goodness. Many people think of the Aston-Martin as the ultimate Bond car, but for me, the Lotus. The driving in "The Spy Who Loved Me" is absolutely incredible. Just like Pontiac Trans Am sales took off with after 1977's second top-grossing US box office film "Smokey and the Bandit", I would think that TSWLM did wonders for the Esprit. The exceptional style of Roger Moore coupled with the car's amazing handling just makes the Esprit Series 1 iconic to my eyes. Again, thanks for presenting this thoroughly enjoyable and well-documented presentation.
I owned a white Lotus Esprit S1 years ago when I lived in Huntington Beach CA. It was a really fun car, and they always parked it out front when I used to go to the Righteous Brothers club in Fountain Valley 🙂
I owned a red 77 Esprit S1 back in the late 80's in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles. Eventually owned a yellow 91 S4 in Las Vegas in the mid 2000's. Still love the Esprit.
I was just a young boy when [ Spy Who Loved Me ] was released, my Grandfather/Dad took me to see it along with 90% of all the Bond films of the time and happily to he proud as he worked for Rank Organisation who gave him the most jealous present 'i' could have wanted.
He was invited to the very set of the Stromberg submarine set, met Roger and Barbara Bach and a few others, what a privelage this was for him and Boy, was I in awe!😊
I, decades later got to meet the most delightful and hot Helicopter pilot ( Caroline Munroe ) in my local town who was absolutely awesome and a pleasure to talk with.
Of course, the Lotus Esprit was my favourite car but not because it was a 'Submarine' but a short and sleek car, sporty with a low ride body that enamoured me I even had two versions a tiny Dinky version and after a transforming version with little trigger rockets. Sadly, being a young boy I didn't understand water and toy cars didn't mix, so - rusted.
I would lived to have owned a least a kit version as they were available but not for long though I think it fulfilled the fantasy criteria for many years.
Thank you for this upload, it brings back some amazing memories that were positive in my life and hope one day to see a full model, though she was my idol, in a museum, 😊Just remember: No body does it better!😁
Wonderful story, glad you enjoyed it!
A lot of time clearly goes into these videos, thanks for posting and keep up the good work
Glad you like them!
I remember visiting Pinewood Studios in 1992 and Production Designer Peter Lamont showed me this storage facility near the huge 007 Sound Stage and there was these huge old minature models and stuck between them was this remote controlled fibre-glass model version (about 3/4 scale version) of the Lotus with its fins - sadly, it was in a poor state with a couple of its fins hanging off, but it certainly was recognisable. It was used in a water tank for underwater pick-up shots of the Lotus going passed the camera. I would of love sifting through this treasure trove of these minature models....regardless of them falling apart.
Great story!
I've sat in the 'Wet Nellie' ! In 1976 Pinewood Studios had an open day . As a movie mad 12yr old I went along with some school friends. As well as sitting in this iconic piece of kit we got to peddle around in the Bugsy Malone cars! Memorable day
Wow what a great story!
What did you think the Lotus was? the film wasn't released for another year so you wouldn't have known what it was.
That was great! The Spy Who Loved Me was one of my favorite Bond movies.
By far the best Bond car in my opinion.
On film anyway
It is the most 70s looking car ever made. It looks like a packet of cigarettes. I prefer the DB5.
@@xcx8646 lol, a pack of cigarettes
@@xcx8646 The DB5 looks like a Victorian jelly mould in comparison. The 70s gave us the best car shapes of all time.
@@johntate5050 The DB5 is more an elegant silver tablespoon than jelly mould. 70s cars are too boxy. Great if you want to drive around in a pack of Silk Cut, but I'd rather present as the guy born with the silver spoon.
As a kid I had a toy version of this car made by Corgie. It had some spring loaded plastic rockets and the kit included also a tiny model of the helicopter. It was a pleasure to play with it.
The work you put in is truly incredible
Thanks!
Always enjoy your videos. Great research, and it's great to know some of our favourite screen cars still exist. Much appreciated.
Glad you like them!
The absolute best video I've seen on this iconic car. Brilliant job sir.
Big Bond fan here and agree with others here in saying that the Lotus is my all time favourite Bond car. And the chase scene was second to none.
Sitting in the cinema for the movie's premier watching this beautiful car dart around...then fly off the pier like it did...was jaw-dropping for a 15 year old kid.
And from that time onwards the series one Espirit was for me the most purely designed sports car I'd ever seen.
Thanks for that, appreciated!
I saw the road going one at the Cars Of The Stars Collection in Keswick, Lake District, but I thought there was also one of the water versions there at the same time - could be wrong but I seem to remember both. Loved that museum - went to it many times - it had Kit, the original Batmobile, FAB 1 and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang there amongst a load of other amazing vehicles. Was never so impressed with the Trotter’s yellow Reliant van, but that had a great story as the collector (a wonderfully obsessed dental surgeon) had had to stay up all night playing poker to get the original owner to seek it to him. Loved that place and visited many times. Great vid 👍👍
Turns out the Trotter van was an original.., video coming up soon!
Genius - OK - I’ve subscribed! Well done 😎@@oscarsgarage447
I visited twice, really glad I did so before he sold everything.
Well put together mate.
Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it
Spy Who Loved Me is probably my fav Bond film
Fantastic video about a movie favourite car from the past
There was quite a lot of research done for this video, which made it very interesting and informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another fantastic video as always facinating stories behind these cars loved it mate
Glad you enjoyed it
Nearly missed this one great bit of detective work well done
I love the way Lotus made the film company want their car.
They had one employee take the sole driving Esprit-prototype, park it outside EON's offices just before lunch break, walk away, and when EVERYONE from EON was outside at lunch and standing around the car the guy walks back to the car, gets in and drives of while COMPLETELY IGNORING any questions.
That show made EON really want that "mystery sportscar"^^
Great product placement!
I live on Long Island New York. Back in 1993 there was a local parade in the town of Center Moriches. I watched the car go down Main Street on a back of a flat bed tow truck. The guy who owned it ,ran a small store of used tools. Name of the store was Used Not Abused Tools. Time to time I used to buy some stuff from him. He told he used to go to those storage auctions quite a bit. That is how he got most of his stuff for his store. He also got the Lotus.
WOW! Great info!
Great video! One of my favourite Bond cars
Thanks! 👍
@@oscarsgarage447 Ah No problem
Out of all Bond films, the Lotus Esprit is my favorite. Especially when it transformed into a submarine car.
Riveting story, thanks for all the effort to bring this to us.
Glad you enjoyed it
Good detective work. Fascinating stuff.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video! Always loved the cars from this movie!
Glad you enjoyed it
Good day to you. This is Ted from texas. I had the Good Fortune of seeing this vehicle while it was on display in Westhampton Beach New York Long Island shortly after the gentleman had purchased it from the storage unit. It was at a car show on the west end of Main Street. I do not remember the year but I do remember the car and seeing it. It was pretty cool to see
Very cool!
I saw Wet Nellie in front of a Lotus dealer in St. Louis, Missouri when I was a teenager. It was before the movie came out and the little crowd around the car was trying to figure out what we were looking at. A sign (or maybe it was a person) explained it was a submarine car prop from a new James Bond film. It was very obvious it wasn’t watertight as the windshield was just a piece of plexiglass (perspex) with black electrical tape lines across it. When I later saw the movie it all became clear to me
Another excellent video 👍👍👍👍👏👏👏👏⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks for the visit
Thanks for sharing I went to the star's the cars museum and seen that car plus the Aston Martin from the bond films was a great experience I find it sad that these cars Carnt be shared with the public any more
I’ve seen the car at Keswick when it was there. Great place with lots of great cars and it’s a shame it’s gone.
Circa 1988 I was a young airman on guard duty at RAF Northolt when a white Lotus Esprit rolled up to the gate...
It being active IRA days I informed the driver I'd have to examine the vehicle for IED's Explosive Devices, Improvised or otherwise. He laughed and was a good sport and popped the bonnet. That was how I learned the engine's in the back!
Great story!
What a great story! Thanks for researching and sharing!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely brilliantly researched. I actually saw Wet Nellie at Pinewood back in the day just after filming hand finished. My Old mate and Best Man , was a Special Effects Engineer - and was until he retired several years ago - and Wet Nellie was just another 'SFX item' hanging around. I never new what happened to it, so this Video was fascinating to watch. Keep up the great work.
Great story and glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve been to the museum it was amazing
Dezerland Park?
@@oscarsgarage447 Yes in Orlando Florida, I had the time of my life: they also have screen used knight rider cars and dukes of hazzard gereral lee’s etc
We spent almost a whole day there go karting and arcades. Was an epic day out I’ll remember forever
Glad its doing well. I believe Dezer has something like 600 cars so plenty to look at.
@@oscarsgarage447 there are a few walk arounds on RUclips that are decent
I have some pics of the Lotus on my phone
I had the moulds for making the fibreglass sub version for the movie. Still get questions asking if they are still for sale, sold them about 15 years ago, got hardly anything for them too. Based in the UK.
Wow!
Great segment
I've always wondered about the film cars in Gran Prix and Le Mans
Great video. I was at Dezerland recently. It is an amazing collection. There was hardly any body there. I had the whole Bond museum to myself. It is almost hidden at the back of a cafe.
Thanks for the info!
Great video really enjoyed watching it ! Hi from Holland
Glad you enjoyed it!
That Lotus Esprit model from the 70s looks great. Such a beautiful car. The car engineers back then really had the knowledge and culture of cars. They were such different from the people from today which work in the automotive industry. The Tesla Cybertruck looks like trash, in all honesty. Maybe the individuals working at Tesla inspired themselves from the shape of one of the window grill pieces mounted on the submarine Esprit.
Good bit of detection. Well done.
Thanks 👍
Thank you. Great vid. I did always wonder what happened to the sub car. Cheers.
Glad it helped
Screen used Cars are just fantastic. I’d love to see the Car. Right Elon time to let others see it.
One of the underwater ones was at the Saratoga Auto Museum until Jan 24, when it was packed up to go to its next destination, Washington DC Spy Museum I think.
Great video as always. I think that the 2nd Lotus is in a private collection in Switzerland. I’ll check for you
That would be great to know!
Great show. Thank you from me in Sweden 👍🇸🇪
Glad you enjoyed it
I had no idea that when I went to the museum in Keswick in 2010 was the real one
HiHi ^^ Thank you for sharing your interesting video. Sending you hugs and rainbows from New Zealand 💕
Thank you for the vid.......I love film memorabilia....Going to Hinkley this year just to see Steve McQueen's 'The Great Escape' Triumph...
Have fun!
What a film when I was a kid. Roger Moore is my favourite Bond. Esprit is still cool as F.
thanks for your efforts.
It's my pleasure
I used to work in a factory dead opposite from the "JW Automarine" plant where parts for the Lotus were produced, and a few small submersible craft for other 007 films. It used to be based in Holt, Norfolk....
Not too far from the Lotus factory, makes sense.
Such a great movie, Caroline Munroe and Barbara Bach, such great chemistry with Roger Moore, a true Bond classic
The Esprit has always been on my wishlist but hard to find a prestine one nowadays
Lots Of Trouble Usually Severe 😉
thx for the headsup👍
Any time!
How Interesting, enjoyed knowing what happened to them. As ever since that movie Its been my favourite car of all-time
Great video, very informative and entertaining
Glad you enjoyed it!
Good story. Very well researched.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great work Sherlock.
Thanks!
Mate, I can also add that one of the cars from a South Wales dealership was in the possession of one of my parent's nextdoor neighbours son who worked for lotus at the time, his parents lived nextdoor to mine in Newport South Wales in the 80s. He had brought it home as it was on its way to the studio to be converted to the submarine and unfortunately I was not able to have a ride in it because I was in school at the time.
Very COOL.. nobody does it better!!
Roger Moore's Favorite Bond movie...mine too.. greatest theme song too...
Last time I saw them they were in a special Bond display at Beaulieu National Motor Museum, Hampshire, England.
That is another of the underwater cars.
That bodyshell belongs to The Ian Fleming Foundation and is currently in Chicago
Was working at Silverstone that weekend the road version was auctioned in 1998 (playing in a band for two days in a bandstand near the auction marquee). Seem to remember several Lotus concept cars up for sale. Plus I *think* a Bond Aston Martin was there (not for sale). I had never seen so many amazing vehicles in one place (walked over the brow of a hill and the field was Ferrari red). Lot of money around that weekend.
Interesting thing is: when the wheels are retracted inside the car when it dives … in reality there would be no space left for a standard engine or, even more important, there would be not much leg space left for the passengers.
I always hoped for a spoof (Rowan Atkinson?) in which the driver pulls back his knees to his body in order to make room for the transformation.
I thought this would be a bad video, but as a teen, this movie was the first I ever went to see on my own without my family. I went with a chum from school - so why not check it out. It was great!! lol. Thank you for making it and for doing all the detective work! Well done. Subbed :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
I remember seeing one of the road cars at an annual car show and it had bullet holes in a rear side panel which apparently happened when a stunt didn’t go as planned.
That's new information to me, be interested if you hear anymore on it.
That car wasn’t it the film but I know the ‘story’ about the ‘damage’. That car was the car used for the publicity photos at Pinewood Studios and now resides in the Bo’ ness Motor Museum.
Ah that would make sense - the Bo'ness one has Bond actors signatures on it but the wrong headrests.
I never would have thought of the Lotus and the Tesla together, but when you see them both in profile, you can see it. The proportions are very different, but still, that's quite interesting.
Love this ,
Thanks!
First time visitor to the channel, and enjoyed that v much! Sub added!
Welcome aboard!
You put a lot of work into this, very interesting. x
Thank you!
I remember the front number plate PPW306R on the wall of The Crown pub in Marlow, Bucks during the late 1980's.
Nice history lesson
Glad you liked it
Peter, from the museum in Keswick purchased my S1 Esprit in white around 2001. The reg was URH 666R. Apparently he planned to use it as a mock-up spare. I lost touch with the car after that until someone wrote to me years later that it was in a dealer showroom in Italy. Whilst not a Bond car, I thought you may find this interesting. Cheers, Dave.
Interesting story. Its not showing as exported on DVLA so may have returned to the UK - a V5 was issued in February 2022.
@@oscarsgarage447 Yeah, I think it was brought back to the UK around 6 years ago.
The Spy Who Loved Me is pretty much a remake of You Only Live Twice.
great vidoe
Thanks!
Its amazing you havent aged a bit since your acting performance as Arthur Slugworth in the first Wonka movie.
The years have been kind...
@@oscarsgarage447 obviously they have .
There is one that was at Bond in Motion in Brussels last year, though I think that was a very good replica. It had the tartan headrests.
I've found some images of it on Flickr. I don't think it is related to the movie apart from the false number plates someone has put on it...
Bond in Motion’s road car is deffo a replica and was described as such
I would like to know what became of the Kawasaki Z900 used in the film and its sidecar which was powered by a Suzuki 185 engine
It was destroyed. They sent the real bike off the cliff, sadly...
@@chrispalmer9838 thats a shame but when you think about it the cost of that Z900 back in 1977 probably would have been a tiny fraction of the movies budget
Brilliant buddy
Thanks!
Amazing story about the storage blind bid! Thanks for the video! Maybe I'll check out Dezerland Park in Orlando, I live an hour away.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I supplied (working for someone else) T-shirts to some film studios back in the late 70s. And I was told of 7 cars sitting around the studios back during the filming.
If it’s been used to make the cyber truck then I’d say lotus is a great car , both designs was very radical for their times , the cyber truck is a change of metal which many of us have wanted for many yrs as no more shopping trolley dents or car door
Very interesting thanks
Glad you enjoyed it
I used to go regularly to the Silverstone historic festival and was there that weekend in '98, even at the time I couldn't believe how cheap the Esprit went for, also the FYEO Turbo Esprit sold at the same time for similar money. Sounded a great museum in Keswick, wish could have visited, least got to see the Bond cars when the exhibition came to London a few years back.
Thanks for sharing!
I remember seeing a sub-car at Beaulieu museum about 15 years ago. Pretty sure it was full sub mode one side and retracting wheels the other. Happy to be corrected as my memory is a bit...........
I believe the only one configured like that has only been on display in America (Dezerland). But they have moved about so much over the years you may be correct...
Edit - found a picture of it in 2011 at Beaulieu and it has fins on both sides... commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1976_Lotus_Esprit_submarine_car_-_James_Bond_%285963034679%29.jpg
@@oscarsgarage447 that's brilliant thanks for the info and yes that's 100% what I saw as I remember it being a low roof - alley way kind of room . Not sure where I got the folding wheel from .
Notice how the wing mirrors are round, not the production ones you'd get on all other Esprits.
I hadn't. You are awarded 10 Oscar Nerd points. Well done.
I took part in the Queen’s Jubilee Pageant a couple of years ago. They had one of these Lotus cars as part of a line up of Bond vehicles, but the Lotus was not one that appeared in the film. The others, Aston Martins with machine guns fitted, were real Bond cars. I met a Bond Girl, but I’m not sure which one! Thanks for great video.
Great story. We have a video coming up of a TV car that was in the jubilee parade
@@oscarsgarage447 Look forward to the vid!
I have a photo of submarine car #3 at the Dezer Hollywood Cars museum in Las Vegas in 2018. They had a 2nd "fin" one that looked like it was getting bodywork done in a workshop area visible through a window.
Very interesting. 👍
Glad you think so!
I’m pretty sure I saw one of the road ones at Beaulie in the late ‘70s. It was beside Bluebird.
Fun video...thanks for sharing all your research!
I always LOVED the esprit design, but I've read it was not at all dependable mechanically.
Loads Of Trouble Usually Serious was the rumour... Glad you enjoyed it.
@@oscarsgarage447 Lol...never heard that one.
Here's a couple...
BMW...bring my wallet.
FIAT...fix it again, Ted.
I had the the toy version that turned in to the submarine. I loved that bond vehicle.
How long before you lost the missiles?
Well researched… thanks.
You're welcome
Submarine car #5 was at the Peterson museum in Los Angeles in 2022.
You could see the rails the fins traveled along as they were pushed out of the body.
I saw the submarine version at a Bloomingdales in Garden City NY while I was in High School around 1981
Back in the late 90s I worked at a haulage company in Hampshire and one of these turned up at our yard and was stored for a couple of days. It was one of the underwater versions and I remember being somewhat disappointed when I saw that the slats on the windows were made from a really cheap cut of wood painted black. Had the trims where the wheels should have been. I’m assuming it was genuinely one of the mock ups from the film .
Sounds like an original.
Damn.. I was hoping it was in my garage.. :)
Sorry I disappointed!
Well done Oscar, you seemed to have done your homework on this one!
Thanks!