James Bond Esprit Turbo

[Andyww]

Cant really see the decals much in the pictures although the stripes look too wide. No excuse as the Service Notes even have full measurement diagrams of them.

Putting those on does take real skill though. Surface and Design got mine spot on perfect but I forgot to give them the one for the nose. I put that on myself and its crap, need to get another one really.

[stephenwhyte]

The decals on the Copper Fire Turbo are too small for this model year - they should be the extra large Turbo Esprit ones........and the one on the nose is missing too. And yes the stripes look rubbish as they're too thick.

 

 

 

[Andyww]

OMG using the small logo on an early Turbo is a really basic mistake! Never noticed that picture.

[Stuart Monument]

Spoke to my father last night and he said they discussed the car and it was a back up car and not used. 

[PhilW]

So it seems only one car was used for the film in Copper Fire.  As it was apparently sprayed from White wouldn't it be interesting to look inside the battery compartment or above the rear wheel arches.  These areas always have a bit of over spray.  I would guess that a bit of white should still be visible somewhere on the car if that story is true.

[silverfrost]

Was this the same car that they used a normally aspirated engine for the film crew as they did not want them to use a dry sump turbo eengine due to reliability concerns ?

[PhilW]

So the story goes! 

 

[Sizona]

I am not an expert on what car for what film, the two reg numbers discussed on this thread do not seem to include OPW 678W which I have a photo of, recently signed by RM. Is this the original white one, repainted copper and with false plates? If so what was it's original reg number? Just wondered. Thanks

 

[silverfrost]

Would be nice to get an authenticated detailed description of all the bond cars and other lotus famous/ limited edtions from the factory as most information is hear say, saldly not much documented by lotus,   but then again why would they of documented it at the time, as they would not thought of us spotters in future years to come lol. 

 

[G_Reaper]

Hi Guys

MPW71V as it has been pictured recently has the wrong decals etc. due to a very poor restoration that was undertaken on behalf of the person I sold the car to, who I shall refer to as JB.  I offered to buy the car back requiring restoration following viewing the car after approx 17 years of neglect.  This appeared to stir J B into action and he then commissioned a restoration by people who clearly do not know the Esprit  model  very well (restoration was not carried out by UK sports cars).  From what I can see UK Sports Cars Bond re- creation work involved the 4 stud hub conversion. Split rim wheels and colouring the steering wheel the wrong colour to match the wrong colour restored magnolia interior. I have  been informed the correct decals and stripe have since been applied to the car.

There are a number of points raised on this thread I can help clear up. I researched this in depth when a lot of the staff involved with the Bond film and MPW71V were still working at Lotus and/or still in contact with Patrick Peal at Lotus.

MPW71V (Essex Pre Prod 3) was the first EVER Esprit to be painted Copper Fire and trimmed in this way. The film company gave the go ahead to the paint and trim scheme for filming on the basis of examining  MPW71V.

NCL458V (Essex Pre Prod 1 now wears false plates OPW678W) This is the LOTUS acknowledged Copper Fire Bond Car and was trimmed the same as MPW71V AFTER MPW71V. Hence MPW71V was not created as a spare it was the FIRST. Also the first EVER ESPRIT TO HAVE LOTUS EMBOSED IN THE REAR BUMPER .

With reference to the story about 1 car being used as a white car at the start of the film only to be returned to the factory and repainted Copper Fire and re-trimmed.  I noticed that where the paint was chipped on MPW71V the car was in fact Essex Blue White then Copper Fire this was what had triggered my whole investigation into the cars history while in my ownership. I was invited by Peter Nelson the owner of “Cars Of The Stars” and the then owner of NCL458V to have a close inspection of NCL458V and view the documents he held on the car, it became apparent immediately NCL458V was identical to MPW71V even down to being able to see the ghost Essex stipes under the Copper Fire and all the stone chips revealed the same Essex blue then white then Copper Fire. The only difference was NCL458V had a plaque proclaiming its Bond Film usage glued between the two seats.

When I asked Patrick Peal about the 1 car story regarding the same car being painted white then Copper Fire for the film this was dismissed and I was told the layer of paint between the Essex Blue and the Copper Fire was just a primer isolator layer on both the pre prod cars. I was also told a white ex press demo car was used at the start of the film.

The V8 Project started long after the Bond film was filmed.  As discussed with Patrick Peal back in the early 90s quote “MPW71V had finished its Esssex Prototype and Bond film work so it was available to be hauled back in from the car park for use  on V8 Development work”.

Recent statements by Roger Becker quoted by Bibs on this forum have brought me to question various Lotus employees accounts of the Bond cars as the company stance is to only officially recognise one car was used in the films, even though Roger Becker acknowledges there were actually in reality 2 white S1 cars used and he knows the identity of the other car but, he will not divulge the 2nd cars identity and states it was used for other purposes after the film. This fits the same story as MPW71V as its career after being painted Copper Fire meant it was used for further development work saving Lotus more money after the Bond film.

I will find out the filming dates and try to find out if Lotus supplied 2 cars for the film shoot. If they did and MPW71V was sent as a spare then quite simply common sense would suggest as both cars would be wearing the false number OPW678W who would be able to 100% state which car was used  MPW71V or NCL458V in any of the particular filming shots? I suspect there were a lot more shots on the cutting room floor than in the film.

I will start my quest for more info in the coming weeks and months.

Cheers Mike

[silverfrost]

I can sort of understand the factory decision to only authenticate one car per film, yes i know more would of been used for different shots but it saves the hassle of too many people saying their car was officially used I would think.

Mike awesome write up on your old cars history  gutted  it could not be returned to your ownership.

Very sad it got a poor restoration and was not given to a lotus purist or specialist to do.  

[Andyww]

Although there are several sources which mention the white car and the copper car were the same car repainted including the Jeremy Walton book, I have never personally thought that made any sense. That was a story presumably to put forward the "One Bond Car" policy.

Why would Lotus have done that? They would have used the well-known press car OPW 654W which appears on the front of the Walton book for the very short sequence showing the white car, then sold it rather than go to all the trouble of painting the car copper. The copper car being repainted from Essex does make sense as they had various Essex cars floating around as development cars which they would not have wanted to sell on as brand new Essex as part of the numbered sequence presumably.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Totally agree Andy, I suspect the white car sits amongst us possibly unknown. What was the interior colour and what year was the filming done? I am guessing we are looking for a 1980 car in Essex spec with red interior? I know for filming they often use a prefix to suit film release rather than actual filming dates.

So MPW is the second bond bronze car and agree with Mike about the possibility of the car being used in some scenes? 

Time to watch the movie again to see what it shows...

Dave  

[Lotusfab]

Thanks Mike, very interesting. As you owned this car and it was identical to the other one, do you remember why the trim was like? Was the armrest beige leather and beige vinyl around the gearstick? Better still do you have any pictures of the inside? Did it have a cockpit stereo? Thanks.

[Andyww]

On the subject of the white cars the Walton book mentions two were sent for use. Not sure this is correct either. Maybe he means the blown-up bodyshell.

But on the other hand there were two identical press cars. OPW 654W and OPW667W both of which were white with brown interior so it is plausible both were used or the second was a spare.

 

[LOTUSMAN33]

Just been watching the movie, white car has a roof stereo and what certainly appears chocolate brown interior, mind in the film the White S1 interior appears grey rather than green so perhaps the brown is actually red? 

Dave  

[Lotusfab]

I have this picture.

[LOTUSMAN33]

Good photo, I like the brown carpets with cream edging. I bet it had a roof stereo as well.

[Andyww]

Not sure they would have fitted the expensive roof stereo knowing it would not have been visible in the movie but presumably Mike G_Reaper would know that?

[Sweatow]

MPW was originally the Essex prototype originally blue and then repainted in copper for the film but was never used in any of the scenes as it was replaced with OPW

[stephenwhyte]

It was a Tobacco interior in the white car.......the same as in Baukes Silver Turbo.

This is a damn interesting topic and Mike's history stories are fascinating.......keep them coming with pics too if possible.

[Sweatow]

OPW was sold at Juliens auctions NY in 2006,  ." Among the most sought-after lots on the block is the Lotus Esprit Turbo driven by Roger Moore in For Your Eyes Only. The car carries double importance to collectors: not only was it one of two featured in the film, but--also known as the original Essex car — it is a prototype of the model, acknowledged as the rarest and most famous Lotus of all time. Estimated at $250,000-$350,000 the car is fitted with a plaque that states: "This Lotus Esprit Turbo chassis number is the actual car used in the film For Your Eyes Only". However MPW was sold at Silverstone auctions a few years later 

[G_Reaper]

Matt???? What are you talking about?

OPW678W was not the real registration of the car used in FYEO It was a false plate used to hide the age of NCL458V as it was an older prototype painted for the film (It did not need a real reg on it as it was on a film set). The car in America is the car that was on display at "Cars of The Stars" Keswick during the late 80s onwards until Peter Nelson decided to sell the full collection to the states that car is Pre Prod1 NCL458V. How do you know 100% MPW71V was not used? please share your information?

Photo of MPW71V when I owned it. See the 4 exhaust exits on the rear valence for the V8 exhausts. Note interior is NOT magnolia, Carpets were also a copper fire colour all the gators on the gear lever etc were leather. 

No roof stereo and NCL458V did not have a roof stereo in Bond spec either when I had access to it at Keswick CoTS museum.

 

Cheers Mike

[LOTUSMAN33]

Definitely a match on the interior and carpet to the photo Fabian posted apart from the steering wheel. The flash has made the photo with the lady look more like magnolia only.

Watching a video of the white car you can see the roof stereo and tobacco interior so certainly appears to be a different car as thought.

MPW was a good clean looking car when you owned it Mike.

Dave  

[Sweatow]

Mike

As I own a copper one I did as much research as I could on the film and this is where I got my information from  https://www.juliensauctions.com/press/2006/james-bond.html