Captain Nemo's Nautilus Car goes under the hammer

Captain Nemo's six-wheeled Nautilus car from Sean Connery’s adventure movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is up for sale.

The car will be sold by Coys at its Blenheim Palace auction on 11 July and could fetch between between £18,000 and £25,000.

Designed by art director Carol Spier and one of only two made, it is fully functional and complete – although not road legal. 

Chris Routledge, Coys managing partner, said: ‘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.’

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 glassfibre 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 72cm, 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.

Stephen Lane, founder of Prop Store, said bought the Nautilus from the film company after The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came.

Lane said, ‘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 it’s time to let somebody else own it and enjoy it.’