CAFÉ RACER 76

Iron Geek Garage - ‘Beyond Iron’

R.M. Prisig's ‘Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance’. Che Guevara's ‘Motorcycle Diaries’. T.E. Lawrence's ‘The Mint’. All literary classics in their own right, but also important books when considered as milestones in man's efforts to understand the spirituality that comes from riding a motorcycle. For mortals like you and I, the sublime beauty is more likely to manifest itself as a knowing smile between friends after a Sunday afternoon blast along a country road. Or the telling ‘it's hard to describe’ phrase offered up after a non-biker asks you what riding is reallylike. Mario from Miami's IronGeek Garage is a mortal just like you and I, yet his ability to speak to the heart of the matter when it comes to bikes is pretty damn impressive. It moved us, and we hope it does the same for you.
Beyond Iron from W A N O on Vimeo.

Bond’s ‘Submarine’ Lotus surfaces – and goes on sale with RM Auctions

Imagine putting in a modest bid on the unknown contents of a simple storage unit, unopened for 10 years (since the storage rental was last paid). Your ‘blind’ bid wins, the unit is opened, and inside you find… the famous Lotus Esprit ‘Submarine’ car from the Bond film, 'The Spy Who Loved Me'...

Believe it or not, this is what happened to a couple from Long Island, NY, in 1989. After Bond’s (in this case Roger Moore) Submarine car had been used for underwater filming in the Bahamas, it was shipped to Long Island and a 10-year storage rental paid upfront. When that expired, and no one stepped forward to renew it, the contents of the unit were put up for ‘blind’ auction.

This is surely the most outlandish of all Bond cars, a fully operational, self-propelled, underwater Lotus Esprit Series 1. While six Esprit bodyshells were used in the making of the film, this one – according to RM Auctions – was the only fully functioning underwater version, and hence was used in the 1977 film’s famous underwater sequences. On set, it was known by the less-than-elegant name of ‘Wet Nellie’.

It’s now up for sale by RM, at its 8-9 September Battersea Park auction in London. RM Auctions reported (from a top-secret location) that they “wouldn’t want it to fall into enemy hands” – so pay attention, 007 fans, this is your chance to support Her Majesty’s Secret Service and avert a potential crisis.