Captain Nemo’s (Naseeruddin Shah) hero Nautilus car from Stephen Norrington’s fantasy adventure The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. This car was used throughout the film as the League hunted down Moriarty (Richard Roxburgh) and was also featured extensively on the film’s posters.
The massive car was one of only two custom made especially for the production. This particular vehicle was the complete running version and was designed by production designer Carol Spier. The other unit was designed for insert shots and featured an attached scaffold for filming close-ups of the actors.
The car is based on the chassis for a Land Rover fire tender, onto which a steel frame was fitted along with a Rover V8 engine, six wheels measuring 72 cm (28½”) in diameter and a massive fibreglass body. Hydraulics are mounted within the wheel arches to allow greater clearance during driving. Detailing applied to the body includes headlights and embellishments representing the Hindu god Ganesha at the vehicle’s front. Within the cabin, custom trim styled after flora and fauna line the doors and control panel, which has the donor vehicle’s functional dials fitted. A faux leather interior is capped off with a ̔silver̛ band running around the tops of the seats. The car’s body and panels are finished in an ivory colour, with the mouldings and detailing showing a worn ̔gold’ finish.
The car retains most of its original functionality and shows signs of wear and evidence of running repairs from on-set use. In spite of this wear, the car is in running condition. This vehicle is not legal for use on UK roads and is not suitable for conventional road driving.