In 1989, a couple from Long Island took a chance on an unclaimed storage unit for just $100, as reported by a CNBC article. They didn't expect to find a piece of movie history tucked away under some old blankets – a 1976 Lotus Esprit, used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.
The couple, who had no clue what they stumbled upon, initially planned to fix the car's roof and do some minor work. But while hauling it home, truckers on the road started radioing them, letting them know they had something much more valuable – a James Bond car. After hearing this, the husband rented the movie and realized they were sitting on a treasure.
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Ironically, the couple had reportedly never even seen a Bond film.
Years later, after some cosmetic touch-ups, they auctioned the car in 2013. That's when Elon Musk entered the picture, paying nearly $1 million for the Lotus – $997,000. Musk, who grew up watching the Bond movie, said, "It was amazing as a little kid to watch James Bond drive the Lotus Esprit off a pier and have it transform into a submarine."
In a statement to auto blog Jalopnik, Musk said, "I was disappointed to learn that it can’t transform. What I’m going to do is upgrade it with a Tesla electric powertrain and try to make it transform for real."
Interestingly, the car, nicknamed "Wet Nellie," was originally converted into a functional submarine for the movie, costing over $100,000. While it couldn't drive on land, it was fully capable of underwater action with propellers and ballast tanks. Instead of wheels, it had "articulated fins.”
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Musk's fascination with the Lotus Esprit didn't end at its purchase. He stated that the car significantly shaped the futuristic design of Tesla's Cybertruck, unveiled in 2019.
Musk posted on X that the Cybertruck's sharp, angular design was "influenced partly" by the iconic Bond car, writing: "Cybertruck design influenced partly by The Spy Who Loved Me." He attached a YouTube clip of the movie.
Musk's desire to combine cutting-edge electric vehicle technology with a design inspired by his childhood memories of James Bond highlights the seamless blend of nostalgia and innovation at the heart of Tesla's boldest creations.
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