Lotus
Esprit S1 "Wet Nellie" submarine car (The Spy Who Loved Me)

Why it matters

Wet Nellie is the submarine version of Bond's Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me and one of the most famous gadget vehicles in film. Unlike the other shells built for the film, it was a genuinely working submersible, built by a marine engineering firm. It is the only such car.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

For the film Lotus supplied two production road cars and seven Esprit glass-fibre body shells. Under the guidance of special-effects supervisor Derek Meddings, one fully enclosed shell was turned into a working submarine by Perry Oceanographics of Riviera Beach, Florida, at a cost of over $100,000; the other shells served as props for individual effects and only some survive.

After filming the car was put into storage in Holbrook, New York. In 1989 the unit's rent was unpaid and its contents were auctioned unseen; the winning bidders found the Esprit inside, its roof damaged but otherwise intact. Once authenticated it was cosmetically restored and shown occasionally, including at the Petersen Automotive Museum. RM Sotheby's sold it in London in 2013 for £616,000 in its first public sale; it is in a private collection.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   RM Sotheby's London 2013, lot 243: 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 'Wet Nellie' Level C

   • 1 fully functioning submarine car built (Lotus also supplied two road cars and seven body shells for the film)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   1977 Lotus Esprit S1 'Wet Nellie' (London 2013, lot 243) Level C RM Sotheby's

   • restored, museum display quality exterior
   • electric motors powered by batteries in a water-tight compartment

   Accessed 2026-11-12