MI6 explores the strange history of the Moonbuggy from "Diamonds Are Forever", both on and off the screen.

Bond History - The Moonbuggy
21st December 2004

One of the strangest vehicles to come out of the movie series is the Moonbuggy from "Diamonds Are Forever", and the lunar contraption has an even stranger history. When Sean Connery wrapped up his official run of films in 1971 with "Diamonds Are Forever", 007 found himself in Willard Whyte's Techtronic labs in the Nevada desert - and what better escape vehicle than an experimental moon buggy?

Above: Vintage Italian "Diamonds Are Forever" poster featuring the Moonbuggy (left)

Chased by huge-tired trikes, the Moonbuggy seemed well suited to the Nevada terrain, although it did suffer one of the best known bloopers in Bond-lore. During the filming of the chase, the buggy would often lose its wheels due to its delicate suspension setup, and in one of the shots in the movie they can be clearly seen rolling towards the camera. The buggy was based on a concept sketch by production designer Ken Adam, and was designed and built by Dean Jeffries' automotive workshop in California.

Above: The Moonbuggy at Planet Hollywood in 2001.

Thirty-three years since the buggy made its big screen debut, the restored vehicle has finally found a permanent home - and ironically it's returning to where it once resided. The Las Vegas location of Planet Hollywood has purchased the Moonbuggy at Christie's recent auction for £23,000 (approximately $44,000 USD). The vehicle had been residing there for many years as part of a lease deal with the British-based James Bond International Fan Club.

The Club removed the vehicle a few years ago and placed it for auction in England on several occasions in the past. The best known event was at Planet Hollywood London on Tuesday 31st July 31 2001 where auctioneers Fleetwood Owen had it under the hammer with a "conservative" estimate that it would be sold for at least £150,000 (approximately $210,000 USD in 2001), but nobody came up with a bid to beat the high reserve price.

The Moonbuggy had failed to sell at previous auctions and recently was offered unsuccessfully on Ebay. The Club's estimated value of the Moonbuggy had doubtlessly given potential buyers sticker-shock with reserves sometimes reportedly falling near the £90,000 mark. The sale to Christie's on December 14th 2004 week represents a coup for the restaurant chain, as they were able to acquire the vehicle for a relatively low price and will be returning it to their Las Vegas location.

Above: The 1971 version of Corgi's Moonbuggy

The James Bond International Fan Club had discovered the remains of the rotting and rusting Moonbuggy many years ago in a farmers field in Kent in the early 1990s and undertook a substantial restoration of the vehicle in 1993. The refurbished vehicle was unveiled at a Fan Club convention at Pinewood Studios on December 12th 1993 before embarking on its journey to Las Vegas.

Above: The 1998 version of Corgi's Moonbuggy

In recent years however, its failure to sell at several high profile auctions as well as the bizarre offering on Ebay had undermined the Moonbuggy's perceived value. Leading up to the Christie's auction, there were also denials by the Club that Sean Connery was interested in bidding. The rumours were equally bizarre because Connery has publicly stated that he has never kept any souvenirs from his films so few would have thought it feasible that he would have had the urge to buy a full size Moonbuggy.

Whilst the restoration of the vehicle earned the gratitude of Bond fans everywhere, its value was also negated by allegations that very little of the original vehicle was still intact and that most of the buggy was a replica - a necessity given the sorry condition it was found it. However, affluent collectors of classic film vehicles are less-inclined to be enthused about major such restorations.

Despite the relatively low selling price, Bond fans will be able to benefit by continuing to see the Moonbuggy on display at the Las Vegas Planet Hollywood, where it resides in a place of honour.

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Poster image courtesy MovieMarket.