It was the world’s first stealth boat, a top secret experimental vessel built for the US Navy in the 1980s at a cost of $190million.

Now the Sea Shadow, which was the inspiration for the villain’s boat in the 1997 James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, could be yours for a fraction of that price after being put up for sale on an eBay-style website.

But don’t expect to sail off on any undercover missions – the 563-ton vessel is being sold for scrap.

Bidding for the Sea Shadow from salvage dealers had reached $100,420 (£61,000) yesterday, and the auction closes this coming Thursday.

Production on the vessel was completed in 1985, but the public weren’t aware of its existence until 1993.

Measuring 164ft by 70ft and capable of cruising at a maximum of 14 knots, it was developed for the US Navy by an agency of the US Defense Department and Lockheed Martin.

But the Navy never commissioned the ship and it was later used to evaluate new technologies in a realistic at-sea environment before languishing in dry dock in California.

The groundbreaking boat measures 164ft by 70ft, weighs 563 tons and was capable of cruising the seas at a maximum of 14 knots.

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