Bond Minicar
Encyclopedia
Bond Minicar is the name given to a series of economical
three-wheeled cars manufactured by Sharp's Commercials Limited
(The company was renamed Bond Cars Limited in 1964), in Preston, Lancashire between 1949 and 1966.
The car was invented by Lawrence "Lawrie" Bond an engineer
from Preston. During the war, Bond had worked as an aeronautical designer for the Blackburn Aircraft Company before setting up a small engineering business in Blackpool, manufacturing aircraft and vehicle components for the government. After the war he moved his company to Longridge
where he built a series of small racing cars with a modest amount of success. In the early part of 1948, he revealed what was described as a new minicar to the press.
Described as a "short radius runabout, for the purpose of shopping and calls within a 20-30-mile radius", the prototype was demonstrated climbing a 25% gradient with driver and passenger on board. It was reported to have a 125 cc Villiers
two-stroke
engine, a weight of under 200 pounds (90.7 kg) and a cruising speed of around 30 mph (13 m/s). At the time of the report (May 1948), production was described as "expected to start in three months' time". The prototype was built at Bond's premises in Berry Lane, Longridge
where it is now commemorated with a blue plaque
.
Sharp's Commercials were a company contracted by the Ministry of Supply
to rebuild military vehicles. Knowing that the Ministry were ending their contract in 1948, Bond approached the Managing Director of Sharp's, Lt Col C.R. Gray, to ask if he could rent the factory to build his car. Gray refused, but said that instead, Sharp's could manufacture the car for Bond and the two entered into an agreement on this basis.
The car proved popular in the UK market where it's three-wheel configuration meant that it qualified for lower Purchase Tax
, lower vehicle excise duty
and lower insurance. The three-wheel configuration, low weight and lack of a reverse gear also meant that it could be driven on a motor cycle license.
The prototype and early cars utilised stressed skin
aluminium
bodywork, though later models incorporated chassis members of steel. The Minicar was amongst the first British cars to use fibreglass body panels.
Though retaining much of Lawrie Bonds original concept of a simple, lightweight, economical vehicle, the Minicar was gradually developed by Sharps through several different incarnations, Convertible
s were offered, as were van
and estate
versions. The cars were powered initially by a single-cylinder
two-stroke
Villiers
engine of 122 cc: in 1950 the engine size was increased to 197 cc. The engine was further upgraded in 1958, first to a single-cylinder 247 cc and then to a 247 cc twin-cylinder Villiers 4T. The engines were developed principally as motorcycle units and therefore had no reverse gear. However, this was a minimal inconvenience, because the engine, gearbox and front wheel were mounted as a single unit and could be turned by the steering wheel up to 90 degrees either side of the straight-ahead position, enabling the car to turn within its own length.
A way to reverse was offered on later models by stopping the engine and starting it backwards. This was done by reversing the Dynastart unit, which doubled as both starter motor and alternator
via a built in reversing solenoid switch.
In April 1962, the purchase tax rate of 55% which had been applied to all four wheeled cars since the war was reduced to 45%. In November 1962, it was reduced by another 20% to 25% - the same rate as three wheelers. This rapid change meant that some three wheelers became more expensive than four wheeled cars like the Mini
. In response, Thomas Gratrix, head of Sharps sent a telegram to the Chancellor
warning that unless a similar tax cut were given to three-wheelers, there would be 300 redundancies and possibly the closure of the Sharps factory. Sales of Minicars declined rapidly from this point.
At the end of production 24,482 had been made.
As with the prototype, a large proportion of the Minicar is made from aluminium alloy
s. The main body is a very simple construction of 18SWG
sheet with a 14SWG main bulkhead. The integrity of the main stressed skin
structure is enhanced by the absence of doors, the bodysides being deemed low enough to stepped over without major inconvenience unless you were wearing a skirt
. Most of the bodywork panels are flat or very simple curves and the compound curves of the bonnet and rear mudguard arches being pressed out as separate panels. The windscreen is made from Perspex. The car was said to weigh only 308 pounds (139.7 kg) “all-in” and it's light weight was regularly demonstrated by one person lifting the entire rear end of the car off the ground unaided.
The car has a single bench seat with a small open compartment behind suitable for luggage. There is also a removable fold-down hood with detachable sidescreens. Headlights are separate units mounted on stalks at the side of the car, whilst at the rear there is a tiny, single centrally mounted lamp.
The air-cooled Villiers 10D 122 cc engine has a unit three-speed manual gearbox without reverse. The engine has a claimed output is 5 bhp at 4,400 rpm which the manufacturers claimed gave a power-to-weight ratio of 49 bhp per ton
unladen. The engine unit sits in an alloy cradle ahead of the front wheel, together forming part of its support. Both front wheel and engine are sprung as part of the trailing link front suspension system, which is fitted with a single coil spring and an Hartford friction shock absorber. The rear wheels are rigidly mounted to the body on stub axles with all rear suspension provided by low pressure "balloon" type tyres. The engine is started by a pull handle under the dash, connected by cable to a modified kick-start lever. The steering system comprises a system of pulleys and a cable usually referred to as a "bobbin and cable" system, connecting a conventional steering wheel to the front steering unit. The bobbin and cable steering system was replaced by a rack and pinion in October 1950. Brakes are only provided on the rear wheels, these are conventional drum brake
s operated by a system of cables and rods.
Early on, Sharps adopted a policy of continual gradual upgrading of the Minicars, either to simplify or reduce maintenance, to redress noted failings or to improve some aspect of performance. Such changes were usually made available as kits to enable existing owners to retrospectively upgrade their own cars.
In December 1949, a De-luxe version was added to the range. This has a Villiers 6E 197 cc engine along with a number of modest refinements including a spare wheel and a single wing mirror
. The manually operated windscreen wiper fitted on the standard car was upgraded to an electric one. This was found to damage the original perspex windscreen and subsequently in October 1950 the perspex windscreen on the De-luxe models was replaced by a Triplex glass windscreen.
A De-luxe version tested by The Motor
magazine in 1949 and carrying only the driver had a top speed of 43.3 mph (69.7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-30 mph (48.3 km/h) in 13.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 72 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £262 including taxes.
Towards the end of 1950 an optional mechanical device was introduced which comprised a long lever with a ratchet on the end which fitted onto the drivers side rear wheel hub. This device could be operated from the driving seat and allowed the car to be cranked backwards by hand by the driver to assist with maneuvering.
for the car in the early part of 1951. This provided an ideal opportunity to relaunch the car as the Bond Minicar (Mark B). Externally, the difference between the Mark A and Mark B was very subtle, the rear mudguards were slightly wider to accommodate the wheel movement and the storage area behind the rear seats was enlarged, increasing the cars overall length slightly. Beneath the bodywork, there were improvements to electrics, the front suspension and to the braking system. The hood was also redesigned. Also of note was the adoption of the Villiers 6E engine and triplex windscreen throughout the range.
As well as the open car, a commercial Minivan and Minitruck versions appeared in 1952. The Sharps Minitruck had a further extension of the bodywork behind the rear wheel and replaced the bench seat with a single seat for the driver providing a claimed load capacity of 3 long cwt (152.4 kg) and 24 cu ft (0.679604328 m³). The hood had a roll-up flap at the back of the car to assist loading.
The steering lock was increased and a worm and sector mechanism fitted replacing the rack and pinion and this allowed the engine to turn through 180 degrees allowing the car to turn in its own length so reducing the handicap of not having a reverse gear. These were the models best years, with production rising to 100 cars per week in 1955 and a total of 9,786 Mark A, Mark B and Mark C models produced by 1956.
The Mark D was an upgrade over the mark C, gaining a Villiers 9E 197 cc engine and a 12-volt electrical system.
The Family version had small hammock type rear seats.
The body was offered in two/three seater Saloon Coupe and Tourer (convertible) versions.
The maximum speed was now around 50 mph (80 km/h).
Similar to the Mark E, this model had an engine upgraded to 250 cc and 55 mph (89 km/h) top speed and optional reverse gear. Initially, three body options were available: two / three seater Saloon Coupe, two / three seater Tourer and a four seater Family Saloon. In March 1960, the Ranger Van version was introduced.
Economy car
An economy car is an automobile that is designed for low cost operation. Typical economy cars are small, light weight, and inexpensive to buy. Economy car designers are forced by stringent design constraints to be inventive...
three-wheeled cars manufactured by Sharp's Commercials Limited
Bond Cars Ltd
Bond Cars Ltd was a British car maker. Initially called Sharps Commercials Ltd, it changed its name to Bond Cars Ltd in 1963. The company was taken over by the Reliant Motor Co Ltd of Tamworth, Staffs in 1970 who quickly closed the Preston factory, transferring the spare parts business for the...
(The company was renamed Bond Cars Limited in 1964), in Preston, Lancashire between 1949 and 1966.
The car was invented by Lawrence "Lawrie" Bond an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
from Preston. During the war, Bond had worked as an aeronautical designer for the Blackburn Aircraft Company before setting up a small engineering business in Blackpool, manufacturing aircraft and vehicle components for the government. After the war he moved his company to Longridge
Longridge
Longridge is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is situated north-east of the city of Preston, at the western end of Longridge Fell, a long ridge above the River Ribble. Its nearest neighbours are Grimsargh and the Roman town of Ribchester , ...
where he built a series of small racing cars with a modest amount of success. In the early part of 1948, he revealed what was described as a new minicar to the press.
Described as a "short radius runabout, for the purpose of shopping and calls within a 20-30-mile radius", the prototype was demonstrated climbing a 25% gradient with driver and passenger on board. It was reported to have a 125 cc Villiers
Villiers Engineering
Villiers Engineering was a manufacturer of motorcycles and cycle parts, and an engineering company based in Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, England....
two-stroke
Two-stroke cycle
A two-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the process cycle in one revolution of the crankshaft...
engine, a weight of under 200 pounds (90.7 kg) and a cruising speed of around 30 mph (13 m/s). At the time of the report (May 1948), production was described as "expected to start in three months' time". The prototype was built at Bond's premises in Berry Lane, Longridge
Longridge
Longridge is a small town and civil parish in the borough of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, England. It is situated north-east of the city of Preston, at the western end of Longridge Fell, a long ridge above the River Ribble. Its nearest neighbours are Grimsargh and the Roman town of Ribchester , ...
where it is now commemorated with a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
.
Sharp's Commercials were a company contracted by the Ministry of Supply
Ministry of Supply
The Ministry of Supply was a department of the UK Government formed in 1939 to co-ordinate the supply of equipment to all three British armed forces, headed by the Minister of Supply. There was, however, a separate ministry responsible for aircraft production and the Admiralty retained...
to rebuild military vehicles. Knowing that the Ministry were ending their contract in 1948, Bond approached the Managing Director of Sharp's, Lt Col C.R. Gray, to ask if he could rent the factory to build his car. Gray refused, but said that instead, Sharp's could manufacture the car for Bond and the two entered into an agreement on this basis.
The car proved popular in the UK market where it's three-wheel configuration meant that it qualified for lower Purchase Tax
Consumption tax
A consumption tax is a tax on spending on goods and services. The tax base of such a tax is the money spent on consumption. Consumption taxes are usually indirect, such as a sales tax or a value added tax...
, lower vehicle excise duty
Vehicle excise duty
Vehicle Excise Duty is a vehicle road use tax levied as an excise duty which must be paid for most types of vehicle which are to be used on the public roads in the United Kingdom...
and lower insurance. The three-wheel configuration, low weight and lack of a reverse gear also meant that it could be driven on a motor cycle license.
Stressed skin
In mechanical engineering, stressed skin is a type of rigid construction, intermediate between monocoque and a rigid frame with a non-loaded covering:...
aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
bodywork, though later models incorporated chassis members of steel. The Minicar was amongst the first British cars to use fibreglass body panels.
Though retaining much of Lawrie Bonds original concept of a simple, lightweight, economical vehicle, the Minicar was gradually developed by Sharps through several different incarnations, Convertible
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
s were offered, as were van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
and estate
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
versions. The cars were powered initially by a single-cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
two-stroke
Two-stroke cycle
A two-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the process cycle in one revolution of the crankshaft...
Villiers
Villiers Engineering
Villiers Engineering was a manufacturer of motorcycles and cycle parts, and an engineering company based in Villiers Street, Wolverhampton, England....
engine of 122 cc: in 1950 the engine size was increased to 197 cc. The engine was further upgraded in 1958, first to a single-cylinder 247 cc and then to a 247 cc twin-cylinder Villiers 4T. The engines were developed principally as motorcycle units and therefore had no reverse gear. However, this was a minimal inconvenience, because the engine, gearbox and front wheel were mounted as a single unit and could be turned by the steering wheel up to 90 degrees either side of the straight-ahead position, enabling the car to turn within its own length.
A way to reverse was offered on later models by stopping the engine and starting it backwards. This was done by reversing the Dynastart unit, which doubled as both starter motor and alternator
Alternator
An alternator is an electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current.Most alternators use a rotating magnetic field but linear alternators are occasionally used...
via a built in reversing solenoid switch.
In April 1962, the purchase tax rate of 55% which had been applied to all four wheeled cars since the war was reduced to 45%. In November 1962, it was reduced by another 20% to 25% - the same rate as three wheelers. This rapid change meant that some three wheelers became more expensive than four wheeled cars like the Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
. In response, Thomas Gratrix, head of Sharps sent a telegram to the Chancellor
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
warning that unless a similar tax cut were given to three-wheelers, there would be 300 redundancies and possibly the closure of the Sharps factory. Sales of Minicars declined rapidly from this point.
At the end of production 24,482 had been made.
Minicar Mark A 1949–1951
Sold as The Bond Minicar (the Mark A epithet being added only after the Mark B was introduced), the car was advertised as the world's most economical car. Austere and simple in design without luxuries. Production began in January 1949, although 90% of initial production was said to be allocated to the overseas market.As with the prototype, a large proportion of the Minicar is made from aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloys are alloys in which aluminium is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc. There are two principal classifications, namely casting alloys and wrought alloys, both of which are further subdivided into the categories...
s. The main body is a very simple construction of 18SWG
Standard wire gauge
British Standard Wire Gauge is a set of wire sizes given by BS 3737:1964 , and is generally abbreviated to SWG. It is also known as: Imperial Wire Gauge or British Standard Gauge. Use of SWG sizes has fallen greatly in popularity, but is still used as a measure of thickness in guitar strings and...
sheet with a 14SWG main bulkhead. The integrity of the main stressed skin
Stressed skin
In mechanical engineering, stressed skin is a type of rigid construction, intermediate between monocoque and a rigid frame with a non-loaded covering:...
structure is enhanced by the absence of doors, the bodysides being deemed low enough to stepped over without major inconvenience unless you were wearing a skirt
Skirt
A skirt is a tube- or cone-shaped garment that hangs from the waist and covers all or part of the legs.In the western world, skirts are usually considered women's clothing. However, there are exceptions...
. Most of the bodywork panels are flat or very simple curves and the compound curves of the bonnet and rear mudguard arches being pressed out as separate panels. The windscreen is made from Perspex. The car was said to weigh only 308 pounds (139.7 kg) “all-in” and it's light weight was regularly demonstrated by one person lifting the entire rear end of the car off the ground unaided.
The car has a single bench seat with a small open compartment behind suitable for luggage. There is also a removable fold-down hood with detachable sidescreens. Headlights are separate units mounted on stalks at the side of the car, whilst at the rear there is a tiny, single centrally mounted lamp.
The air-cooled Villiers 10D 122 cc engine has a unit three-speed manual gearbox without reverse. The engine has a claimed output is 5 bhp at 4,400 rpm which the manufacturers claimed gave a power-to-weight ratio of 49 bhp per ton
Long ton
Long ton is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois or Imperial system of measurements, as used in the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries. It has been mostly replaced by the tonne, and in the United States by the short ton...
unladen. The engine unit sits in an alloy cradle ahead of the front wheel, together forming part of its support. Both front wheel and engine are sprung as part of the trailing link front suspension system, which is fitted with a single coil spring and an Hartford friction shock absorber. The rear wheels are rigidly mounted to the body on stub axles with all rear suspension provided by low pressure "balloon" type tyres. The engine is started by a pull handle under the dash, connected by cable to a modified kick-start lever. The steering system comprises a system of pulleys and a cable usually referred to as a "bobbin and cable" system, connecting a conventional steering wheel to the front steering unit. The bobbin and cable steering system was replaced by a rack and pinion in October 1950. Brakes are only provided on the rear wheels, these are conventional drum brake
Drum brake
A drum brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of shoes or pads that press against a rotating drum-shaped part called a brake drum....
s operated by a system of cables and rods.
Early on, Sharps adopted a policy of continual gradual upgrading of the Minicars, either to simplify or reduce maintenance, to redress noted failings or to improve some aspect of performance. Such changes were usually made available as kits to enable existing owners to retrospectively upgrade their own cars.
In December 1949, a De-luxe version was added to the range. This has a Villiers 6E 197 cc engine along with a number of modest refinements including a spare wheel and a single wing mirror
Wing mirror
A wing mirror is a mirror found on the exterior of motor vehicles for the purposes of helping the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle, outside of the driver's peripheral vision .Although almost all modern cars mount their side mirrors on the doors, normally at the "A" pillar,...
. The manually operated windscreen wiper fitted on the standard car was upgraded to an electric one. This was found to damage the original perspex windscreen and subsequently in October 1950 the perspex windscreen on the De-luxe models was replaced by a Triplex glass windscreen.
A De-luxe version tested by The Motor
The Motor (magazine)
The Motor was a British weekly car magazine founded on 28 January 1903....
magazine in 1949 and carrying only the driver had a top speed of 43.3 mph (69.7 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-30 mph (48.3 km/h) in 13.6 seconds. A fuel consumption of 72 mpgimp was recorded. The test car cost £262 including taxes.
Towards the end of 1950 an optional mechanical device was introduced which comprised a long lever with a ratchet on the end which fitted onto the drivers side rear wheel hub. This device could be operated from the driving seat and allowed the car to be cranked backwards by hand by the driver to assist with maneuvering.
Minicar Mark B 1951–1952
Progressive development of the Minicar and Minicar De-luxe continued until the more major introduction of coil sprung independent rear suspensionIndependent suspension
Independent suspension is a broad term for any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of each other. This is contrasted with a beam axle, live axle or deDion axle system in which the wheels are linked – movement on one side affects...
for the car in the early part of 1951. This provided an ideal opportunity to relaunch the car as the Bond Minicar (Mark B). Externally, the difference between the Mark A and Mark B was very subtle, the rear mudguards were slightly wider to accommodate the wheel movement and the storage area behind the rear seats was enlarged, increasing the cars overall length slightly. Beneath the bodywork, there were improvements to electrics, the front suspension and to the braking system. The hood was also redesigned. Also of note was the adoption of the Villiers 6E engine and triplex windscreen throughout the range.
As well as the open car, a commercial Minivan and Minitruck versions appeared in 1952. The Sharps Minitruck had a further extension of the bodywork behind the rear wheel and replaced the bench seat with a single seat for the driver providing a claimed load capacity of 3 long cwt (152.4 kg) and 24 cu ft (0.679604328 m³). The hood had a roll-up flap at the back of the car to assist loading.
Minicar Mark C 1952–1956
The Mark C saw a completely new body style. The headlights were now in the wings and a door was fitted but only on the passenger side of the car. An electric starter became an option on the 197 cc villiers 8E engine.The steering lock was increased and a worm and sector mechanism fitted replacing the rack and pinion and this allowed the engine to turn through 180 degrees allowing the car to turn in its own length so reducing the handicap of not having a reverse gear. These were the models best years, with production rising to 100 cars per week in 1955 and a total of 9,786 Mark A, Mark B and Mark C models produced by 1956.
Minicar Mark D 1956–1958
The Family version had small hammock type rear seats.
Minicar Mark E 1957–1958
The final versions of the Minicar were a completely new design. The body, still in aluminium, was mounted onto a steel chassis. Doors were now fitted to both sides of the body and the gearbox became a four-speed.The body was offered in two/three seater Saloon Coupe and Tourer (convertible) versions.
The maximum speed was now around 50 mph (80 km/h).
Minicar Mark F 1958–1963