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bubble-shaped front and rear arches. Again more prototypes were produced; the chassis was redesigned once more with double-wishbone front suspension, and because the car was a 4-wheeler, the 850cc engine was redesigned to take fuel injection and a catalytic converter. Even though prototypes were promising, Reliant Motor
Company wouldn't pay for further development, and the project died.
312:'s newly designed chassis, and used a mixture of Reliant Regal parts, and running gear which had been designed for the Reliant Robin 750, which was due to be launched in 1974. The original concept was explored by chopping down a production Regal vehicle, the car's rear being shortened to end over the rear axle.
415:
front subframe welded in place. The moulds were also changed to have two large arches at the front. Different models were developed, including convertible versions that had no lift-up canopy with small screens, or a standard car which had fibreglass doors instead of the original vinyl doors, to keep
455:
More developments were made on the Sprint until 1998 when
Reliant would try to get it production-ready as a 4-wheeled sports car. Andy Plumb would redesign the car, now renamed/code named internally "the Clubman", in 2 different 4-wheeled models: a standard car and a convertible. These cars had huge
374:
The Bug was, however, no cheaper than more practical cars. It cost £629, while a basic 850 cc Mini, a four-seater much faster round corners but with considerably inferior acceleration, cost £620. The Bond Bug was often compared to a basic mini even though the vehicles were completely different.
387:
Even though the Bond Bug ended production with little fanfare, Reliant continued development into the 1970s; prototype 4-wheeled Bond Bugs were made before the launch of the
Reliant Kitten, as they thought a 4 wheeled version might have more appeal to the market. The code name FW9 was used for the
351:
cigarette promotion, registration AME191H through to AME196H– one of which was also used in an advertisement for Cape Fruit of which AME191H was used as the main vehicle, Only three
Rothmans Bugs are known to exist, and, according to the most recently available information, all three are registered
280:
Since 1962, when
Reliant Motor Company launched the Regal 3/25, the company had tried to make a more sporty version to appeal to younger buyers. Design sketches were done as early as 1964 by Ogle; these sketches are much more wedged-shaped with some rounded edges; the original name for this car was
395:
for the car too; this was a standard 850cc engine block with an overhead camshaft design; this engine would also gain twin SU carburettors and an electric fuel pump; the engine in standard tune would give 70hp. The engine was meant to be shared with a small production sports car that
Reliant never
443:
alloy wheels, a grey vinyl interior, and was bright yellow. The Sprint used, in effect, a
Reliant Robin chassis cut in half, with the rear half made to use the original suspension set up of the Bond Bug. Similarly, the interior used many of the current Robin switches and dials, to keep production
315:
The engine is the front-mounted 700 cc
Reliant light-alloy four-cylinder unit. At launch, 29 bhp (22 kW; 29 PS) was claimed for the less expensive 700 and 700E models. The more upmarket 700ES incorporates a redesigned cylinder head, which permitted the compression ratio to be
407:
They decided to produce 4-wheeled Bugs as a "Kit car", so you would build the vehicle yourself. The kit asked you to buy a
Reliant Robin or Rialto for the majority of donor parts, or the whole car could be supplied as one kit with a mixture of new and refurbished parts.
378:
Reliant launched the Bond Bug 750 in late 1973 but production ended after fewer than 200 Bug 750s were sold, as
Reliant ended all other production lines so more capacity could be made open to build more of the newly launched Reliant Robin 750 to keep up with demand.
327:
The car had an upbeat launch, at which Reliant's Ray Wiggin stated: "The fact it has three wheels is quite incidental. It's a new form of transport. So now, in fact, we think it's going to appeal to a much wider section of the market than we originally envisaged."
355:
In contrast to the image of three-wheeled Reliants as being slow, the Bond Bug was capable of 76 mph (122 km/h), in excess of the UK national speed limit (70 mph/112.6 km/h), and comparable to small saloon cars such as the basic 850 cc
438:
In 1994, Reliant unveiled the "Reliant Sprint"; this car was a complete redesign of the original Bond Bug. Tom Karen of Ogle design rounded off all the sharp edges of the Bug and added round headlights, giving the car a totally new look; the prototype had
451:
TV show, Reliant Management wouldn't allow Jonathan Haynes to put the Sprint into production, as they had little faith that, in the 1990s, it would sell in any large numbers, even though it would cost as little as £12,500 to start production.
388:
4-wheeled Bond Bug design studies, later leading to a prototype of a strange coupe that looked very different from the Bond Bug. All this design was done by Ogle, but Reliant management never took it any further.
404:
Mike and Gary Webster between them managed to acquire the original Bug moulds from Reliant Motor Company in 1990 with a licence for the design, and formed the "Webster Motor Company".
430:
319:
The Bond Bug 700ES also offers more ergonomic seats, as well as more padding over the engine cowl, twin mudflaps, an ashtray, a rubber front bumper and a spare wheel.
316:
increased from 7.35:1 to 8.4:1. This provided a power increase to 31 bhp (23 kW; 31 PS) as well as improved torque for the then range-topping 700ES.
364:(80 mph/128 km/h). For this, the Bond Bug would get an altered Regal Regal speedo with a top speed of 100mphj on the regal it only went up to 80mph.
577:
545:
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The car was never put into production, as management thought that such a strange-looking vehicle might hurt the Reliant brand identity.
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The Bond Bug was sold as being fun to drive, with the low seating position giving a similar exaggerated impression of speed as in a
784:
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478:(1977): one of the models was built upon the chassis of a Bond Bug – the wheels hidden by mirrors angled slightly to the ground.
153:
645:
503:, the car broke the UK water speed record in the "experimental amphibious unlimited class", reaching a speed of 47.81 mph at
683:
601:
30:
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to alter the Reliant Rogue design; the car would now become a Bond vehicle. The Bond Bug was based on chief engineer
331:
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as the Ibishu Wigeon. A four-wheeled version based on the Webster Bug called the Wigeon Sprint is also in-game.
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To allow the Bug to have 4 wheels, the ladder chassis was cut down at the front, with a
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785:"Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder In Star Wars Was Based On This Strange Little Car"
469:
361:
305:
244:
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128:
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855:"Jeremy Clarkson just broke a water speed record while filming The Grand Tour"
236:
515:
A fictionalized version of the Bond Bug with minor visual changes appears in
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Bond Bug on the Reliant Stand at the 2011 NEC Classic Car Show in
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392:
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They also produced a small number of 3-wheeled Webster Bugs
889:
803:"Star Wars Databank: X-34 Landspeeder (Behind the Scenes)"
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colour, although six white Bugs were produced for a
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267:and side screens instead of conventional doors.
464:Tom Karen oversaw the design and production of
251:, who built it from 1970 to 1974, initially at
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391:A larger engine was also in development with
8:
652:. The Bond Owners Club. 2001. Archived from
912:
898:
890:
766:Harold Hastings (6 June 1970). "The Bug".
29:
20:
646:"Vehicle Modifications By Chassis Number"
539:Bond Bug side view with the canopy closed
875:Bond Bugs: The Official Bug Club Website
853:Westbrook, Caroline (3 November 2017).
637:
567:Bond Bug 40th Anniversary gathering at
529:
499:, dubbing it the "Pond Bug"; driven by
335:Bond Bug (interior), with the original
259:Tamworth factory. It is a wedge-shaped
825:"V-35 landspeeder (Behind the Scenes)"
422:Under 30 kits were known to be sold.
7:
360:(72 mph/116 km/h) and the
679:A brief history of the Bond Company
197:4 ft 2 in (1,270 mm)
189:4 ft 7 in (1,397 mm)
181:9 ft 2 in (2,794 mm)
173:6 ft 5 in (1,956 mm)
709:Complete Catalogue of British Cars
551:Bond Bug with the canopy open and
148:Reliant 700 cc I4, later 750 cc I4
14:
600:
588:
576:
560:
544:
532:
734:magazine 4 June 1970 (Bond Bug)
495:transformed a Bond Bug into an
783:Corn, Peter (22 August 2023).
1:
255:factory, but subsequently at
232:is a small British two-seat,
1078:Three-wheeled motor vehicles
748:. November 1970. p. 36.
607:Bond Bug 4 wheeler side view
343:The Bug was available in a
1104:
707:Culshaw; Horrobin (1974).
681:, www.bondownersclub.co.uk
292:Following the purchase of
1088:Cars discontinued in 1974
1068:Rear-wheel-drive vehicles
481:In the television series
416:the driver warm and dry.
323:Launch and production run
207:822 lb (373 kg)
28:
746:dune buggies and hot VWs
686:23 December 2018 at the
627:List of motorized trikes
434:Reliant Sprint prototype
1083:Cars introduced in 1970
1037:Raleigh Bicycle Company
345:bright orange tangerine
337:bright orange tangerine
435:
340:
239:which was designed by
711:. London: Macmillan.
690:Retrieved 4 July 2015
433:
396:finished developing.
352:in South Yorkshire.
334:
249:Reliant Motor Company
650:The Bond Owners Club
511:Appearances in games
880:Reliant Owners Club
656:on 25 December 2018
383:Further development
281:the Reliant Rogue.
829:Star Wars Databank
595:Bond Bug 4 wheeler
497:amphibious vehicle
449:Trouble At The Top
436:
341:
339:colour on exterior
1045:
1044:
772:. pp. 28–38.
288:Bond cars buy out
226:
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1073:Reliant vehicles
1000:Scimitar SS1/SST
970:Scimitar GTE/GTC
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447:As shown in the
310:John Crosthwaite
276:Early beginnings
203:Kerb weight
106:Body and chassis
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501:Jeremy Clarkson
489:Richard Hammond
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460:Popular culture
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124:Body style
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885:Bond Bug Forum
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869:External links
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805:. Starwars.com
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484:The Grand Tour
466:Luke Skywalker
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426:Reliant Sprint
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294:Bond Cars Ltd.
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265:lift-up canopy
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553:Honister Pass
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300:commissioned
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253:Bond Cars Ltd
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47:Bond Cars Ltd
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18:Motor vehicle
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836:. Retrieved
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819:
807:. Retrieved
797:
788:
778:
767:
745:
744:"Bond Bug".
739:
731:
727:
708:
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660:27 September
658:. Retrieved
654:the original
649:
640:
569:Woburn Abbey
517:BeamNG.drive
514:
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229:
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154:Transmission
43:Manufacturer
15:
950:Scimitar GT
859:Metro.co.uk
470:landspeeder
444:costs low.
400:Webster Bug
362:Hillman Imp
306:Ogle Design
245:Ogle Design
217:Predecessor
129:canopy door
99:Ogle Design
1052:Categories
838:14 October
633:References
237:automobile
212:Chronology
163:Dimensions
138:Powertrain
61:2,270 made
56:Production
1063:Microcars
833:Lucasfilm
809:26 August
493:James May
475:Star Wars
302:Tom Karen
296:in 1969,
263:, with a
257:Reliant's
241:Tom Karen
169:Wheelbase
95:Tom Karen
81:, England
75:, England
59:1970–1974
1021:Bond Bug
684:Archived
616:See also
441:Minilite
349:Rothmans
261:microcar
230:Bond Bug
221:Bond 875
117:Microcar
90:Designer
79:Tamworth
66:Assembly
50:/Reliant
38:Overview
24:Bond Bug
921:Reliant
732:Autocar
555:in View
523:Gallery
369:go-kart
298:Reliant
271:History
73:Preston
1014:Others
990:Rialto
980:Kitten
935:Regent
715:
571:, 2010
194:Height
178:Length
144:Engine
1030:Other
975:Robin
955:Rebel
945:Sabre
940:Regal
769:Motor
472:from
186:Width
132:coupé
112:Class
985:FW11
840:2007
811:2007
713:ISBN
662:2012
491:and
413:Mini
358:Mini
247:for
228:The
995:Fox
965:TW9
960:FW5
468:'s
393:BRM
304:of
243:of
1054::
857:.
831:.
827:.
787:.
754:^
695:^
670:^
648:.
507:.
371:.
913:e
906:t
899:v
861:.
842:.
813:.
791:.
721:.
664:.
101:)
97:(
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