James Bond `FYEO` Lotus may fetch $350,000 at auction

16-May-2006 • Collecting

James Bond's Lotus Esprit Turbo, driven by Roger Moore in the film, ``For Your Eyes Only,'' goes on sale for as much as $350,000 in a June 17 auction at Planet Hollywood in New York, London and Tokyo, Julien's Auctions told Bloomberg.

The car from the 1981 movie is a prototype, making it the rarest Lotus, the Los Angeles-based auction house said in a statement. The auction will be broadcast live on Treasure HD, a high-definition channel carried by U.S. satellite and cable operators, it said.

High prices for memorabilia are luring sellers. There will be 50 items from Bond's early films with Sean Connery to recent movies starring Pierce Brosnan. A ring worn by killer Odd Job (Harold Sakata) in 1964's ``Goldfinger'' will be offered by Sakata's estate for as much as $10,000, and his steel-brimmed Derby hat has a top value of $30,000, Julien's said.

``For Your Eyes Only'' was the 12th Bond movie, based on Ian Fleming's stories, with a budget of $28 million and inflation- adjusted box-office revenue by 2002 of $387 million. Agent 007 is assigned to hunt for a lost encryption device and keep it from falling into enemy hands. In the film, Moore drives white and bronze Lotus cars that go on land and sea, as well as a Citroen 2CV, the Web site said.

Planet Hollywood International Inc. of Orlando, Florida, runs themed restaurants from Honolulu to Bali and Dubai and is expanding into hotels and casinos, the company said last year.

Group Lotus Plc, based in Norfolk, England, makes luxury sports cars, including the Lotus 340R and the Lotus Elise series. It is controlled by Proton Holdings Bhd., Malaysia's biggest automaker.

Julien's specializes in high-priced celebrity memorabilia. Treasure HD, a channel for collectors, is managed by Cablevision Systems Corp.'s Rainbow Media Holdings LLC unit, according to the statement.

Bond fans can browse the catalog and enter pre-auction bids at http://www.juliensauctions.com , or bid online during the auction.