Prepare to bid for Land Rover Defender SVX Concept from 007 movie at RM Sotheby’s auction

Did you know that Spectre, the 24th movie instalment based on Ian Fleming’s novel, had ten Land Rover Defenders to use back in 2015? Well, that is because the producers asked Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations to build ten heavily customized crew cab 110s especially for James Bond’s villains.

All ten vehicles were then taken to Bowler, Land Rover’s British racing partner for a wide range of upgrades including an uprated 180hp over the standard 120hp engine output. Included in the upgrades as well were Recaro racing bucket seats, harnesses, a full- roll cage, a new set of 37-inch tyres plus a warn winch with rope at the front. For complete control during an action-packed sequence, Bowler had also equipped the entire fleet with Bilstein rally shock absorbers.

But since some of the vehicles got ruined while filming the movie, only a few have remained intact to this day. One of them is the Land Rover Defender SVX Concept that was sold to a private client immediately after the minor footages have been completed. This particular vehicle had only been used for drive-by scenes and it was unscathed throughout the movie. The owner has now consigned the massive off-roader to RM Sotheby’s for the annual London event this coming September 6. The auction house will offer the vehicle to registered bidders. The bidding will run for approximately four to five hours.

Aside from the 10 Land Rover Defender crew cabs, Spectre has also featured a Range Rover Sport SVR, a Jaguar C-X75 and an Aston Martin DB10 during the movie’s most gripping car chasing scenes. Certainly, the production of 10 specially made Land Rover Defenders not only provided the Special Operations a great opportunity to showcase their incredible talent as a team but has also made an exciting collaboration between the film producers and Jaguar Land Rover.

It wasn’t the first time though for a Bond movie to build a partnership with the most iconic car brands in history. Over the years, all actors portraying the role of agent 007 gets to drive the hottest, most advanced Aston Martins especially made for James Bond. Likewise, Land Rover pickups have made several recurring roles in the series with its most recent one -- the Defender 110 Double Cab driven by actress Naomie Harris during Skyfall’s opening sequence back in 2012.

Sotheby’s will hold the auction at Battersea Evolution Chelsea Bridge Entrance, Battersea Park in London. Interested buyers may check out RM Sotheby’s website for more details.