| Bond 875 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Manufacturer | Bond Cars Ltd |
| Production | 1970-1974 2270 made[1] |
| Assembly | Tamworth, UK |
| Predecessor | Bond 875 |
| Class | microcar |
| Body style(s) | 1-door coupé |
| Engine(s) | Reliant 700 cc |
| Transmission(s) | 4-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 77 inches (1956 mm)[2] |
| Length | 110 inches (2794 mm)[2] |
| Width | 55 inches (1397 mm)[2] |
| Designer | Ogle Design |
The Bond Bug was a small British 2-seat, 3-wheeled fun sports car of the 1970s. It was built by Reliant, first in Preston, then Tamworth, in Staffordshire, and was designed by Tom Karen of Ogle Design. It was a wedge-shaped microcar, with a lift-up canopy, instead of conventional doors. It was originally designed for Reliant and used a modified version of the Reliant Regal chassis, but was sold under the Bond Cars Ltd name after Reliant acquired them. The engine was front mounted and was the 700 cc Reliant four cylinder unit. The Bug was only available in a bright orange tangerine colour although 4 white Bugs were produced for a Rothmans cigarette promotion. Its fame was helped along by a distinctive Corgi Toys die-cast toy car. Although it had a fairly short production run (1970-1974), it has a fanatical following today, is much sought after by collectors, and has an active and enthusiastic club. In contrast to the stereotypical image of three-wheeled Reliants as being ridiculously slow, the Bond Bug was capable of some 85 mph (136 km/h). This compared favourably with a number of four wheeled performance cars of the same era. The car was, however, not cheap. At £629 it cost more than a basic 850 cc Mini which was at the time £620.[1]
Bug Trivia: Tom Karen also oversaw the design and production of Luke Skywalker's Sand Speeder from Star Wars: one of the models was built upon the chassis of a Bond Bug - the wheels hidden by mirrors at 45° to the ground.
References
- ^ a b Robson, Graham (2000). A to Z of British Cars 1945-1980. Devon, UK: Herridge. ISBN 0-9541063-9-3.
- ^ a b c Culshaw; Horrobin (1974). Complete Catalogue of British Cars. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-16689-2.
