Wet Nellie

Wet Nellie
Wet Nellie
History
NameWet Nellie
NamesakeLittle Nellie
OwnerElon Musk (since 2013)
Ordered1976
BuilderPerry Oceanographic, Inc.[1]
Cost$100,000
Laid down1976
Launched1976
Sponsored byEon Productions
Completed1976
Acquired2013
Commissioned1976
Maiden voyage1976
In service1976
General characteristics
Class and typeCustomized Lotus Esprit
TypeWet sub
Length14 feet (4.3 m)
Beam6 feet (1.8 m)
Height4 feet (1.2 m)
Propulsion4 electric motors
Capacity2
Crew2

"Wet Nellie"[2] is the behind-the-scenes name given to a custom-built submarine, created for the 1977 James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me in the shape of a Lotus Esprit S1 sports car.[3] The Esprit was chosen to give James Bond a glamorous car to drive. "Wet Nellie" is named in reference to Little Nellie, an autogyro featured in the James Bond film You Only Live Twice,[4] which was itself named after actress and comedian Nellie Wallace.[5]

  1. ^ "History Overview of Perry Baromedical". Perry Baromedical. Archived from the original on 24 April 2010.
  2. ^ "James Bond's 'Spy Who Loved me' submarine car sold in London". Reuters. 9 September 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  3. ^ Oagana, Alex (9 May 2011). "Wet Nellie: The Second Most Famous Bond Car". Autoevolution. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  4. ^ Wilkinson, Leo (12 August 2013). "Inside James Bond's Lotus supersub". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  5. ^ Mallion, Tony (May 2010). "The Name's Wallis, Ken Wallis". Places & Faces. No. 2. pp. 8–9. Archived from the original on 6 November 2010. Retrieved 12 December 2013.