Makes › Dean Jeffries › Moon Buggy (Diamonds Are Forever film vehicle) · Historically significant · Film & TV · 1971
Dean Jeffries
Moon Buggy (Diamonds Are Forever film vehicle)
The only Moon Buggy built for Diamonds Are Forever, designed by Ken Adam and built by Dean Jeffries in California, rediscovered derelict in Kent and restored in 1993.
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 1 Built
- Years
- 1971
- Engine
- Not yet verified
- Power
- Not yet verified
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Ken Adam (concept); built by Dean Jeffries
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 1 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The Moon Buggy is one of the most recognisable studio-built vehicles of the Connery era, used in Bond's escape from Willard Whyte's Nevada desert laboratory. Unlike most Bond vehicles, only one was ever built. Its rediscovery as a derelict wreck and its restoration make it one of the best-known survivals of a 1970s Bond vehicle.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionthe single original, restored in 1993, survives in a private collection (sold 2019) | 12,3 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Total model productionMoon Buggies built for the film | 11 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Production designer Ken Adam drew the concept, and custom-car builder Dean Jeffries engineered and built the vehicle in his California workshop. It was not designed for desert terrain and broke down repeatedly during filming; its delicate suspension shed wheels, and in one shot a loose wheel can be seen rolling toward the camera. After promotional appearances in Munich in December 1971 and around England in 1972, including Brands Hatch, it was discarded.
In the early 1990s the decaying remains were found in a farmer's field in Kent and restored, running again by June 1993 and unveiled at a James Bond fan club event at Pinewood Studios on 12 December 1993. It was then displayed at Planet Hollywood in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. After failing to sell at several auctions, it was bought at Christie's 'Film and Entertainment' sale in December 2004, and in 2019 it sold at a Profiles in History auction for $500,000. It is now in a private collection.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Moon Buggy (Diamonds Are Forever film vehicle).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | Not yet verified |
| Displacement | Not yet verified |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | Not yet verified |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | Not yet verified |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Not yet verified |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | Not yet verified |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
- 1
- 2
-
3
MI6 explores the strange history of the Moonbuggy Level D MI6-HQ
- restored in 1993
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