The submarine car driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me has sold as part of RM Auctions' anticipated London sale, held on September 8-9.
The white Lotus Esprit transformed into an aquatic vehicle during a notable scene in the 1977 movie, making it an irresistible purchase for Bond fans and car collectors alike. It sold for £550,000 ($861,767).
The car, one of six Lotus Esprit bodies used in the film, was the only example to be converted into a submarine. It was discovered by a fortunate couple in a "blind" storage unit auction in Long Island, New York in 1989.
 The car is what is known as a 'wet' submarine, meaning that it is actually full of water while being operated |
"Bearing in mind it is not a car that can be driven on the road, the price just goes to prove the draw that all Bond-related memorabilia has," commented the auction house's Peter Haynes.
During filming, the car had been known as "Wet Nellie".
 Bond automobiles tend to fare well at auction, combining movie memorabilia with classic cars |
RM Auctions was also responsible for the sale of James Bond's famous Aston Martin DB5 - as seen in Goldfinger and Thunderball - for £2.6m ($4.1m) in 2010.
 The value of cars linked to the great Carroll Shelby has soared since his death in May 2012 |
Bringing the highest bids of the present sale was a 1957 Maserati 250S with coachwork by Fantuzzi, which was one of seven racers offered by Lord Laidlaw, a British peer and businessman.
The Maserati, one of just four of its kind, was previously raced by legendary motorist Carroll Shelby, boosting its final sale price to £2.1m ($3.2m).
In the first day of the London sale, one of the finest and largest collections of Mercedes-Benz cars was topped by a superb 1956 300SL Gullwing at £739,000 ($1.1m).
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