Captain Nemo's six-wheeled Nautilus Car goes under the hammer

Captain Nemo's six-wheeled Nautilus car from Sean Connery's adventure movie 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' will be sold by international auctioneers Coys at their Blenheim Palace auction on July 11, 2015.

Designed by production designer and art director
Carol Spier and one of only two made, this fully functional and complete vehicle was used throughout the film and features heavily on the promotional posters. Its twin was rigged with scaffolding for filming the actor's close-ups.

"We have a long tradition of selling film, television and celebrity cars, and having such a cool car from such a cool film is really exciting. We are offering an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire one of the cars that actually appeared in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and which will undoubtedly increase in value in years to come," said Chris Routledge, Managing Partner of Coys.

The vehicle started life as a Land Rover fire tender, adapted via a steel frame with the addition of a Rover V8 engine. The chassis is covered in an intricate ivory coloured fibre glass shell and features a wealth of elaborate embellishments in an aged gold effect on both the exterior and interior. Inspiration for the decoration was taken from the Hindu god Ganesha and assorted flora and fauna. The interior is trimmed with faux leather and even features the original Land Rover dials.

The wheels each measure 72 cm and hidden within the arches are hydraulics to adjust the ride height. The car retains most of its original functionality and shows signs of wear and evidence of running repairs from on-set use. In spite of this wear, the car is in running condition.

For the last few years, the car has been part of a large collection of movie props and costumes at Prop Store's UK facility. It is estimated at £18,000 to £25,000.

Stephen Lane, Founder, Prop Store, added, "I bought the Nautilus from the film company after The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came out because I loved the car, loved the design and felt it was one of the most emotive vehicles I have ever seen, a true design icon. I have taken it to Essen, driven it at the Lord Mayor's Show and now feel its time to let somebody else own it and enjoy it."

Posted in: Auction,COYS,Europe