Want to Own a Star Car From Two Very Famous Movies?

For those car aficionados among you, and/or movie fans, you know that some cars that made appearances in movies, have an almost cult-like status nowadays.  For example, the Audi S8 from Ronin, the Jeep or Ford Explorer from Jurassic Park, the Aston Martin DB5 from Thunderball and Goldfinger, the #46 City Chevrolet Lumina from Days of Thunder, the 2003 Mini Coopers from The Italian Job, the 2008 Audi R8 from Iron Man, the 1970 Porsche 911S from Le Mans, the 1970 Dodge Challenger from Vanishing Point.  The list could go on for a few paragraphs, but, okay, I’ll stop now and get to the point.  All of the cars mentioned above have people who literally kiss the ground these cars drove over.  I’m not kidding.  But, two very iconic cars are going up for sale.

The submersible Lotus Esprit from The Spy Who Loved Me went up for sale, and was bought for $966,560 at an RM Auctions auction block.  Here’s the interesting history of the car after the movie:  After the movie was over, the filming company put the car under wraps, and shoved into a storage unit in Long Island for about 10 years.  When the storage contract expired, the filming company decided to put it up for “blind sale.”  At a public auction, a local couple paid a small fee for the car, not knowing that they would soon own one of the most iconic cars in history.  The couple ran the VIN of the car, hired a private automotive detective, and positively identified the car.  It was occasionally shown, but it was mostly kept under wraps.  The couple had the car restored by the same company that originally built it, and it can still function as a submarine.

The replica Ferrari 250 GT Spyder from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off also went up for auction.  It sold for a steep price of $230,000.  Three cars were built for the movie, but one was wrecked (no spoiler alert here), and the other knocked off about half of the engine block in the joyride scene with the valets.  Its last owner was Neil Glassmoyer, one of the men who built the car.  It is powered by a Ford 427 V8 that makes somewhere around 500 horsepower, and it is probably a hoot to drive, as it only weighs 2,650 pounds.  While it’s not an actual Ferrari, it is faster than any Ferrari of the 1980s, and more iconic than any.  It was lovingly restored in 1997 by Glassmoyer and his son to Concours-levels of restoration.

Here are some pictures of a stock Esprit and the movie car:  

Here are some pictures of the Ferrari replica from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and a stock Ferrari 250 GT:

I’ve also been kind enough to include the iconic movie cars mentioned in the first paragraph.

Ronin Audi S8:

Jurassic Park Jeep and Ford Explorer:

Thunderball and Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5:

Days of Thunder #46 City Chevrolet Lumina:

The Italian Job 2003 Mini Coopers:

Iron Man 2008 Audi R8:

Le Mans 1970 Porsche 911S:

Vanishing Point 1970 Dodge Challenger:

And, just for the heck of it, the 1970 Porsche 917 from Le Mans, which is now owned by Jerry Seinfeld:

Note to my faithful, car-obsessed readers:  I will do a post soon on famous movie cars, complete with a brief description of each car, and pictures of them.  Stay tuned.