Nautilus in a league of its own

One of film’s most celebrated movie vehicles, Captain Nemo’s six-wheeled Nautilus car from Sean Connery’s adventure movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is to go under the hammer.

The car, which is neither legal for UK roads nor suitable for conventional road driving, will be sold by international auctioneers Coys at their Blenheim Palace auction on July 11 and is expected to fetch between £18,000 and £25,000.

One of only two made, the six-wheeler was used throughout the film and features heavily on the promotional posters while its twin was rigged with scaffolding for filming the Connery close-ups.

Nautilus started out 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 fibreglass shell and features elaborate embellishments in an aged gold effect both inside and out.

Inspiration for the decoration was taken from the Hindu god Ganesha and the interior is trimmed with faux leather and features the original Land Rover dials.

The Nautilus’s decoration was inspired by Ganesha, a Hindu God

The wheels each measure 72cm and hidden within the arches are hydraulics to adjust the ride height.

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.

Prop Store founder Stephen Lane said: “I bought the Nautilus from the film company after The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen came out because 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.”