Heritage Auction Galleries is hosting their annual “Heritage for the Holidays” catalog on their HA.com website. The catalog includes “rare and appealing treasures” of fixed price (non auction) collectible items including stamps, comic books, sports memorabilia, art, book first editions, currency, historical artifacts.
While last year’s catalog included an F-16 Fighting Falcon attributed to X-Men 2 and Independence Day, this year they list an original submarine from the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, for $10,000 (though the sub pictured appears to differ from the one seen in the accompanying screencapture):
Admit it. You’ve always wanted your own submarine. This functional “wet sub” was used in the 1977 James Bond thriller The Spy Who Loved Me. A prototype for the Shark Hunter II series produced by Perry Oceanographics, this mini-sub was designed for transporting personnel, conducting underwater surveys, and to serve as a recreational vehicle. Representatives from Pinewood Studios visited the builder to negotiate the propulsion and ballast for the submersible Lotus Esprit used in the movie, when they caught a glimpse of the Shark Hunter hull. So enamored were they with it, that the script was rewritten to include the sub in an astounding underwater chase scene. Wet subs are, by definition, not sealed, so a Bond-worthy wet suit and oxygen tanks are required to achieve your underwater quantum of solace. Features include an aluminum and fiberglass hull, brushless electric motor, and stainless steel aircraft control cables. Maximum depth: 450 feet. Top speed: 3.5 kts. Battery duration: 5-6 hours. Range: 18-20 miles. Torpedoes: none (sorry). The 15 foot yellow sub seats two and includes a wheeled transport trailer, a history of the sub from designer Richard Brown, and a list of operational guidelines from previous owner Tom Kolodner. From Heritage, with love.
The full catalog can be found at HA.com:
Though the movie prop-related memorabilia is scarce (this year limited to just one movie prop or costume), it is an interesting catalog to browse.
Jason De Bord