![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picture1-3-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nManufactured in Preston between 1949 and 1974 (if you include the Bond Bug, more on that later), these little beauties are three-wheeled microcars built for economy, and were amongst the first British cars to use fibreglass body panels. From the mind of Lawrence Bond, who was an aeronautical designer during the second world war, the initial prototype was unveiled to the press in early 1948. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He described the Bond minicar as a \u201cshort radius\nrunabout, for the purpose of shopping and calls within a 20-30mile radius\u201d, the\nprototype was said to have a cruising speed of 30mph and was expected to start\nproduction later that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cMark A\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picture2-1.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDuring that same year as the prototype, Lawrence Bond approached Sharp\u2019s\nCommercials with a view to renting their factory to build his car. At the time,\nSharp\u2019s contract with the Ministry of Supply<\/a> was coming to an end, so the Managing Director, Lt. Col. Charles\nReginald Gray, offered a deal that meant they would enter into an agreement and\nSharp\u2019s would manufacture the car. Once mass production was underway however,\nLawrence Bond sold the design and manufacturing rights to Sharp\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\nProduction began in January 1949 of the first\nincarnation of the Bond Minicar (the \u201cMark A\u201d tag was only added after the\narrival of the \u201cMark B\u201d in 1951). Advertised as the word\u2019s most economical car\nit was simple in design and was so light that one person could lift the entire\nrear end of the car off the ground unaided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It had a 3-speed gearbox and no reverse, with a\n122cc air-cooled engine capable of 0-30mph in 13.6 seconds. The integrity of\nthe main body of the vehicle was aided by the fact that it did not have any\ndoors, and it had a Perspex windscreen with a manually operated windscreen\nwiper (although when the \u201cDeluxe\u201d version was introduced late 1949 it included\nan electric windscreen wiper) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1951 \u2013 1966<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Over the next 15 years, Sharp\u2019s Commercials (who\nrenamed themselves Bond Cars Limited in 1964) produced 6 more versions of the\nBond Minicar (Mark B through to Mark G) developing the design whilst retaining\nthe aesthetic of the original Mark \u201cA\u201d. Unfortunately, due to changes in\npurchase tax in 1962 the price difference between the Bond Minicar and other\nsmall cars was much less significant and sales began to dwindle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In November of that year production was scaled\nback and although further development was carried out there was a continued\ndrop in sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Production finally ceased in 1966, and it was the\nend of the Bond Mini Car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1970, The Bond\nBug<\/h2>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picture3-2.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBond Cars Limited continued to produce the \u201cEquipe\u201d which was their first 4-wheeled vehicle and the \u201c875\u201d which was a three-wheeler with 4-speed manual gearbox. In 1969 the company was purchased by the Tamworth based Reliant Motor Company, who would find worldwide fame as the producer of the Reliant Robin from 1973. In fact, the shape of the Reliant Robin has many similarities with Bond Cars Limited\u2019s \u201c875\u201d. Reliant had been working on a new three-wheeler \u201cfun\u201d car concept for many years and felt that under the Bond name it may be palatable to the market. The Bond Bug was born, aimed at younger motorists, using a mixture of Reliant parts. It had a 700cc Reliant light-alloy four-cylinder engine, with the top of the range 700ES boasting ergonomic seats, mudflap, front bumper and even an ashtray!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being the 70\u2019s, the aesthetic was key, and the Bond Bug was deemed a head-turner. Bright orange, and wedge-shaped, it looked like nothing else on the road at the time (or since I would suggest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bond Bug was capable of 76mph and was marketed as being fun to drive, with a low seating position giving the impression of moving at a faster speed than you were actually achieving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, The Bond Bug was only in production from\n1970-1974, with 2,270 made in Preston and Tamworth by Reliant, who then went on\nthe conquer the world with the Reliant Robin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RO\/RO or\nTO\/TO?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
When we at Autoshippers were contacted by someone who had just purchased a 1960 Mark F Bond Mini car we knew exactly what we were dealing with. In this instance, the car was a \u201cnon-runner\u201d so we had to plan things a little differently, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.autoshippers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Picture4-3.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nWe have various options for shipping available to us, depending on our\ncustomer\u2019s own requirements. The different options come with different costs,\ntransit times and shipping ports, so there is plenty of choice to meet\neveryone\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this Bond Mini car our customer opted for our\nRo\/Ro<\/a> service, as it offered him the most economical way of transporting to\nhis preferred port in the USA. Ro\/Ro, or Roll On\/Roll Off, is a specialist\nservice for vehicles, using specially designed vessels. The vehicles are simply\ndriven on at the origin port, and then driven off at the destination port.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe difference here is that the Bond Mini Car was a non-runner, so was unable to be loaded onto the vessel under its own power. However, we were able to find a shipping line who would accept this booking and would tow the car on and off the vessel (the TO\/TO in the title of this section).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This was perfect for this particular vehicle\nexport, as the steering and brakes were fully functional meaning that the car\ncould be manoeuvred into position and secured for transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can accept other non-runners on some of our other service options, so please contact us<\/a> here or call us on 0800 389 0784<\/a> \/ 0117 982 8123<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nDuring that same year as the prototype, Lawrence Bond approached Sharp\u2019s\nCommercials with a view to renting their factory to build his car. At the time,\nSharp\u2019s contract with the Ministry of Supply<\/a> was coming to an end, so the Managing Director, Lt. Col. Charles\nReginald Gray, offered a deal that meant they would enter into an agreement and\nSharp\u2019s would manufacture the car. Once mass production was underway however,\nLawrence Bond sold the design and manufacturing rights to Sharp\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Production began in January 1949 of the first\nincarnation of the Bond Minicar (the \u201cMark A\u201d tag was only added after the\narrival of the \u201cMark B\u201d in 1951). Advertised as the word\u2019s most economical car\nit was simple in design and was so light that one person could lift the entire\nrear end of the car off the ground unaided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It had a 3-speed gearbox and no reverse, with a\n122cc air-cooled engine capable of 0-30mph in 13.6 seconds. The integrity of\nthe main body of the vehicle was aided by the fact that it did not have any\ndoors, and it had a Perspex windscreen with a manually operated windscreen\nwiper (although when the \u201cDeluxe\u201d version was introduced late 1949 it included\nan electric windscreen wiper) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the next 15 years, Sharp\u2019s Commercials (who\nrenamed themselves Bond Cars Limited in 1964) produced 6 more versions of the\nBond Minicar (Mark B through to Mark G) developing the design whilst retaining\nthe aesthetic of the original Mark \u201cA\u201d. Unfortunately, due to changes in\npurchase tax in 1962 the price difference between the Bond Minicar and other\nsmall cars was much less significant and sales began to dwindle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of that year production was scaled\nback and although further development was carried out there was a continued\ndrop in sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Production finally ceased in 1966, and it was the\nend of the Bond Mini Car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bond Cars Limited continued to produce the \u201cEquipe\u201d which was their first 4-wheeled vehicle and the \u201c875\u201d which was a three-wheeler with 4-speed manual gearbox. In 1969 the company was purchased by the Tamworth based Reliant Motor Company, who would find worldwide fame as the producer of the Reliant Robin from 1973. In fact, the shape of the Reliant Robin has many similarities with Bond Cars Limited\u2019s \u201c875\u201d. Reliant had been working on a new three-wheeler \u201cfun\u201d car concept for many years and felt that under the Bond name it may be palatable to the market. The Bond Bug was born, aimed at younger motorists, using a mixture of Reliant parts. It had a 700cc Reliant light-alloy four-cylinder engine, with the top of the range 700ES boasting ergonomic seats, mudflap, front bumper and even an ashtray!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Being the 70\u2019s, the aesthetic was key, and the Bond Bug was deemed a head-turner. Bright orange, and wedge-shaped, it looked like nothing else on the road at the time (or since I would suggest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bond Bug was capable of 76mph and was marketed as being fun to drive, with a low seating position giving the impression of moving at a faster speed than you were actually achieving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadly, The Bond Bug was only in production from\n1970-1974, with 2,270 made in Preston and Tamworth by Reliant, who then went on\nthe conquer the world with the Reliant Robin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When we at Autoshippers were contacted by someone who had just purchased a 1960 Mark F Bond Mini car we knew exactly what we were dealing with. In this instance, the car was a \u201cnon-runner\u201d so we had to plan things a little differently, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We have various options for shipping available to us, depending on our\ncustomer\u2019s own requirements. The different options come with different costs,\ntransit times and shipping ports, so there is plenty of choice to meet\neveryone\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For this Bond Mini car our customer opted for our\nRo\/Ro<\/a> service, as it offered him the most economical way of transporting to\nhis preferred port in the USA. Ro\/Ro, or Roll On\/Roll Off, is a specialist\nservice for vehicles, using specially designed vessels. The vehicles are simply\ndriven on at the origin port, and then driven off at the destination port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The difference here is that the Bond Mini Car was a non-runner, so was unable to be loaded onto the vessel under its own power. However, we were able to find a shipping line who would accept this booking and would tow the car on and off the vessel (the TO\/TO in the title of this section).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was perfect for this particular vehicle\nexport, as the steering and brakes were fully functional meaning that the car\ncould be manoeuvred into position and secured for transport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can accept other non-runners on some of our other service options, so please contact us<\/a> here or call us on 0800 389 0784<\/a> \/ 0117 982 8123<\/a> for more details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1951 \u2013 1966<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1970, The Bond\nBug<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nRO\/RO or\nTO\/TO?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n