The British are not generally known for drama or madness. Her favorite foods are a collection of cakes and potatoes, and her most famous monument is made up of some stacked stones. Not exactly boring, but anything but exciting. Same goes for British cars, especially older ones.
Before the McLaren F1 or the Jaguar XJ220, the most notable British sports car was probably a Lotus if they weren’t broken, or the Aston Martin Virage, whose taillights were from the old VW Sciroccos.
Enough with the stereotypes. The British are known for their sense of humor, as are their cars. Here’s a pretty exotic entry from 1970: front-mid engine, rear-wheel drive, two seats, wedge-shaped body, a canopy door, and THREE wheels. His name is Bond, the Bond Bug.
Let’s take a closer look at the Bond Bug.
What is this three-wheeled weirdness?
Via: Pinterest
The Bond Bug was a spin-off product from Reliant Motor Company. Reliant was founded in 1935 and was discontinued in 2002. From the 1970s to 1990s, it was the second largest UK car marketer of questionable quality like Austin, Rover and Morris, after the very large UK Leyland which owned Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini and a number of brands.
Reliant had a rather unusual product portfolio and produced small sports cars and mainly three-wheeled vehicles. Most importantly, the Reliant Robin, a three-wheeled hatchback with remarkable handling properties, as demonstrated by Jeremy Clarkson.
Via: YouTube
Despite their strange arrangement, the tricycles were somewhat popular. For example, half a million Reliants have been sold in the 20 years of their production. This was due to the UK’s licensing requirements. Until 2001, tricycles with an official mass under 450 kg could be registered and taxed as a motorcycle and driven by someone with only a motorcycle license. This made three-wheeled micro-vehicles an inexpensive alternative to conventional cars.
The Bond Bug was then Reliant’s attempt to rejuvenate its product line. The bow was designed in 1964 by the British design studio Ogle. Production was originally discontinued because Reliant feared that the unconventional wedge-shaped vehicle might not fit the brand’s image. After the takeover of Bond Cars Ltd. however, in 1969 Reliant decided to put a Bond badge on the bow and market it as a sporty, trendy sub-brand.
How does the Bond Bug drive?
Via: Wikipedia
First we need to go through the dimensions of the bug. The length is only 2794 mm, the width 1397 mm and the height 1270 mm (110 * 55 * 50 inches). Thanks to a fiberglass body, the weight was extremely low at 394 kg.
Behind each front wheel and between the knees of the driver and front passenger there was a 700 cc light metal 4-cylinder unit, which was upgraded to 750 cc in the later models. Good for 29hp or 31hp for the updated models. The power was transmitted to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual transmission.
Speed or thrill were qualities never associated with Reliant’s three-wheeled offerings until the introduction of the Bond Bug. The light, bright orange wedge, if you ever dared, was capable of 76 mph, comparable to the 72 mph on a Mini Cooper.
Has anyone actually bought it?
Via: Bond Owners Club UK
According to the British Bond Owners Club, a total of 2,270 bond bugs were produced. Compared to the Reliant Robin, which sold for half a million units, the Bond Bug wasn’t exactly a popular vehicle. A tricycle was supposed to be cheap personal transportation, but the Bond Bug sold for £ 629 when new, which was £ 9 more than the much safer, more comfortable, and more practical Mini Cooper. This made the Mini a much more sensible choice. Production of the Bond Bug ceased in 1974 to make way for the more commercially successful Robin.
Is the Bond Bug a future classic?
Via: Silodrome
Ironically, the only thing Mini couldn’t beat the Bond Bug was the go-kart-like handling that Mini has been proud of since day one. With its feather-light body, center of gravity, and sitting position as low as a worm, the Bond Bug did a magic trick to exaggerate the impression of speed. Even a time of 14.4 seconds between 0 and 60 mph would feel like activating the Millenium Falcon’s hyperdrive.
With its unconventional mechanics and unique design that screams the 1970s, the Bond Bug attracts some cult followers. Of course, most of the examples will be in the UK. Reliability problems with old British cars mean relatively few are left on the roads. Bond bugs with the best condition can fetch around $ 8,250. Those with minor flaws might request $ 6,800. If you’re looking for a major rebuilding project, you might get one from $ 1,300 to $ 2,700.
Via: engine exchange depot
This is actually a good idea. After all, the Bond Bug is an exotic bicycle-like vehicle with relatively simple mechanics. This means that there is great potential for engine swapping. Here’s a crazy makeover with a 600hp Hayabusa turbo engine or, if that’s too crazy for you, a 150hp drivetrain from a Yamaha YZF-R1.
Via: Flickr
If you’re a fan of the Clarkson, Hammond, and May trio, you will likely remember the “Pond Bug” from the Grand Tour Series 2. The presenters converted the tricycle to an amphibious vehicle and tried to break a British water speed record.
It turns out that the Bond Bug did not “create a new form of personal transportation” as Reliant executives expected. But the bold little tricycle caught the imagination.
About the author
Alex Lo
(18 articles published)
A car enthusiast from a very young age, Alex watches car news all day. He decided to grow in the automotive world when he left public relations to take on a marketing role at Volkswagen. Alex lives in England and was born in Hong Kong. He enjoys a wide range of auto cultures, especially classic cars and JDMs.
More from Alex Lo
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