All about Bond
Born: 1949
Nationality: British
Designer Laurie Bond launched his first car in Preston as an aluminium-bodied three-wheeler without doors. With power from a 125cc Villiers engine, the Mark A was crude and uncomfortable, lacking any rear suspension. But it had an intriguing bull-nosed design with headlights sticking out from the wingless front end. For a little more money, a deluxe variant with a 197cc engine, also from Villiers, could be ordered.
The Mark B in 1951 was a signifcant step up, with adjustable coil spring rear suspension and optional electric starter. It was built in a number of formats as a 2- or 3-seater, a van, a truck, and a sedan billed as the "family safety saloon". The B used the 197cc engine that had powered the deluxe version of the A.
Two years later the Mark C (above) came with improved steering and a more stylish look that included wings on the front. The car no reverse gear because it was designed to be driven on a motorcycle licence, but it could turn in its own length. During its life the C developed steel rear wings.
The Mark D in 1956 and the Mark E in 1957 evolved the concept further, and by the time the Mark F arrived in 1958 the Bond 3-wheeler was good enough to maintain sales without further change until 1961, when the Mark G came along.
A curiousity about the D was its optional "reversible" engine - the 2-stroke unit could be made to run either forwards or backwards, with all three gears available in either direction. The G had a 250cc engine, still from Villiers, and could reach 60mph.
Bond was also producing speedboats and scooters which used some of the mechanical parts of the 3-wheelers. It also produced the Equipe, a 4-wheel sports car launched in 1963. Laurie Bond had joined a sports car enterprise with caravan builder Charles Panter between 1957 and 1960, producing the Berkeley Twosome as well as a 3-wheeler powered first by an Excelsior motorcycle engine and later by a Ford Anglia unit - but the business didn't succeed.
1964 saw a quantum leap in engine capacity for Bond when the 875 was launched. This car had an 875cc engine sourced from the Commer van and the Hillman Imp - now the Bond could belt along at 90mph, roads and nerves permitting.
At this time, though Bond had only 10 per cent of the sales of Reliant's 3-wheel Regal, Reliant figured it was wise to buy Bond outright, which it did in 1969. The strategy was to "buy and bust" its little competitor, which it did a year later when Bond production in the original Preston factory ceased.
Before Bond died, however, Reliant produced a special 3-wheeler for the youth market, designed by its own consultants, Ogle. The Bond Bug was underpinned by the 700cc engine and other mechanical gear of the Regal, though it had more sophisticated coil spring suspension and was built in an interesting wedge shape in glass fibre. All were bright orange, with black seats and trim. Over 2,200 were built before production stopped in 1974.
BEST CAR: Most would say the Mark F
WORST CAR: Really, the A - Bond was still learning
WEIRDEST CAR: For my money, any of them, but the choice would probably he Ogle-designed Bug, also the most interesting in style