A letter written by James Bond author Ian Fleming to a young fan is one of the highlights in RR Auction's latest online sale, which closes on July 16.

Fleming gifted a signed copy of one of his books to the 12-year-old

The letter, written on June 21, 1962, is a response to Terry Wing, who wrote to Fleming aged "12 and a bit". It is currently selling at $7,259.

It reads in part: "You are right in thinking that Dr. No is the sequel to From Russia With Love…Certainly I do a lot of travelling as one can't really write truthfully about places one hasn't seen for one's self, having been in Naval Intelligence during the war, I do know something about spies and spying.

"I am at present driving a Ford Thunderbird which I have had for two years, but I am in the process of changing to a very new model, the Studebaker Avanti, with a top speed of 174 and acceleration from 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds.

"So far as your future is concerned [you] shouldn't bother to try and emulate James Bond. You are already an adventurous chap with plenty of guts or you wouldn't be writing to authors out of the blue at the age of 12 and a bit! As a prize for your enterprise (bad English that!) I am sending you an autographed copy of my last but one book, which you don't seem to have read."

The first Bond film, Dr. No, debuted just four month after the letter.

Paul Fraser Collectibles is currently offering the only signed photograph of Ian Fleming available to collectors - make it yours today.