Hi Steph, Nearly fifty years ago, when I was a poor student, I was the proud owner of a mkF Bond. It was great fun, every journey in it was an adventure. It was very reliable, it would turn on a sixpence and in the summer months I would remove the top - but with the top off the car would flex and the door gap would open and close! The brakes were very poor (I would keep my distance from the car in front) and it was incredibly noisy. I bought a new silencer at a Bond meeting and the difference was remarkable for about a week, but then all that fibre glass stuffing in the silencer was blown away! Summer ‘71 me and two friends took it to Wales (from B’ham) for a week. Unfortunately, in the middle of nowhere, on a quiet country lane, we had a puncture in one of the back tyres. I didn’t have a puncture repair kit so we took the split rim wheel apart and stuffed the tyre with grass, twigs and leaves and once fitted back on the car, we were very hopeful. It got us about a hundred yards down the road - there the wheel was spurting steaming, smelly, green sap! We ended up walking, returning the following day with new tyre and tube. I had a few repairs to carry out in the time I had the car- it kept jumping out of top gear at one stage and the complicated electrics needed some attention. But for a year and a half it was cheap motoring and great fun.
Just to mention I had one of these in 1962. The reason they were popular was nothing to do with the purchase tax. It could be driven on a motorcycle license. That was the reason I, like most people bought one. With my first child just born and only a bike license this was the best option. Few working class people had access to driving lessons but most had a bike so the 3 wheeler, Bond or Reliant was what you went for
Back in the day this would have been the only option for independence that many had. It's a great little car and the foresight to produce such a thing was really well thought out. Another excellent review Steph as they always are on your channel. All the best from Buenos Aires. 👍👍
I loved this video because from 1962 to 1965 I was a proud owner of a Bond Minicar Mk.F Estate with the optional Villiers 250 twin engine normally used in sports bikes, complete with straight through exhausts. I did drive it on motorways flat out at 70mph. I think your example needs some attention to the steering and exhaust. There should be no smoke in the cabin and you should not have to wrestle with the steering to keep in a straight line. Mine never broke down in that 3 years , and always started first time, but then I am a mechanic so I maintained mine properly. I perfected the art of cornering with one back wheel off the ground to get round corners quicker. In 1963 the law was changed to allow 3-wheelers to have reverse, hence the Bond was offered with a Siba reversing dynastart which could start the engine up backwards. I didn't have one, but it wasn't needed as the steering could be turned 90°, allowing it to drive out sideways, and turn a complete circle on the spot. Why didn't you demonstrate that quirk which is unique to the Bond? Mine was not unduly noisy except when accelerating hard. That single cylinder should be even quieter, and I suspect a hole in the exhaust which would cause the noise and the smoke.
I had a 1962 MK G as my first car in 1974. The previous owner had bought it for the engine to put in a scrambler. He'd replaced it with a 197cc which doubtless made it slower but had the big advantage for me in that one insurance company did much lower rates for cars under 200cc. I got the car for free. They'd tried to sell it but had no enquiries so they just wanted it gone. I drove it off road until I was 17 and passed my test. It was a heap really. The maroon paint was like sandpaper and polishing it just rubbed it off to the primer. The main problem was the chain kept coming off. It needed either new or different sprockets which when I was still at school I didn't have the money or knowledge to replace. I did get pretty good at putting it back on and driving very smoothly so it didn't come off! I was surprised that Steph didn't demonstrate the turning circle and I wonder if it had the dynastart for reverse which you pushed the ignition key in to activate. IIRC you could drive with a dynastart if you had a bike licence because it wasn't considered as a reverse; am I correct? Mine was pretty noisy but it certainly steered a lot better than this one appeared to do. I wonder if some of the smoke smell may have been from the nearby fire. It's interesting hearing and reading the comments from younger people relating to cars like this I think.
@@cornishhh Mine did not have a reversing dynastart, so I considered changing it, but the price was too high. Both dynastarts were identical except the reversing one had both positive and negative poles insulated so that it could be started up in reverse. Actually the law was changed in 1963 and allowed 3-wheelers to have a reverse gear. At the time I had an Isetta, which had a proper reverse gear blanked off by a pin in the gearbox. It was a 2 minute job to remove the pin. Even today there are Isetta owners who don't realise they already have a reverse gear or that it is now legal. I could not sell my Minicar in 1964 when I passed my car test, but I struck lucky. A local dealer who sold used cars and 3- wheelers agreed to take it in part exchange on a Vauxhall Victor.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE BOND MINICAR!!! It's one I really want to add to my collection, thanks Steph for giving this cute awesome mad little 60's car a great review, and some recognition this car deserves 👍
From the “beats walking” school of motoring. I imagine if I stepped up to one of these from a bicycle or motorbike, I’d feel pretty smug the first time it rained or snowed and I was able to drive along in relative comfort: “ahhhh, this is living!” Thanks for the video and the smiles, Steph.
@TheLCNW I drove mine in snow, and also my previous car, an Isetta. It's fine once you get moving, just like driving a motor boat, you go with the flow. Remember both cars have the weight of the engine on their driving wheels, so it's not hard to get traction. However, I once drove a Zephyr 4 miles in deep snow after a blizzard, with the roads lined with abandoned cars whose drivers gave up trying. I guess my training in 3-wheelers gave me an edge.
Before I was born, my dad had one of these he drove on a motorcycle licence (only my mum had a car licence back then). He always spoke very fondly of it. It was probably a huge step up in comfort from a BSA in the middle of a Derbyshire winter. PS Excellent video!
I apologise for not keeping up lately Steph but I have to say that you nailed this drive, courageous too. I have watched quite a few people drive Bond Minicars but I think even Ian Seabrook will agree that the warmth for the concept and the really interesting way you relayed a very detailed history, the best yet in my opinion, was excellent. Full marks for adapting to the motorcycle gearchange. Many micro cars or bubble cars were scaled up motorcycles with bodywork and seats. Well done.
I was given one of these when I was 17, by the deceased owner's widow; this was 1963. It was so loud, it was like being in a metal dustbin in the company of a motor mower.
I had one with a kick start also. Mine also had reverse gears (the same number of reverse as forward gears) by turning the ignition key to the left and getting the engine to turn over backwards.
Was your dad joking? I had mine 2 years during which I used it daily to get to work and for social use, and also spent a week in it touring the Lake District, and it never broke down. I did have a flat battery, when the kick start came into play, but I bought a new battery and cured that problem.
Our neighbour had the kick start model it was hilarious in the winter seeing him kicking it over and swearing as it was really unreliable. What was funnier he failed his driving test in it as he was driving too slow for the examiner. People used to blank off the reverse so you drive it on provisional unaccompanied as it was the classed the same as side car outfit.
@@Lee-70ish I think all Bond Minicars had electric starters. Early ones had a 6V car starter motor mounted on a bracket held on by the cylinder head nuts, with some kind of chain drive and freewheel mechanism going down to the crankshaft. These were unreliable and the battery would often go flat. Later ones had a Dynastart, which was a 12V combined generator and starter motor. This had a stator bolted to the crankcase with a rotor mounted on the end of the crankshaft. inside it had 2 sets of coils, one for charging the battery and the other to crank the engine over for starting. The Dynastart was a huge improvement being 12V and mechanically more efficient. The old 6V system belonged to the era when cars had starting handles because their starters too were unreliable. All Bonds had a kickstarter as the engines were standard Villiers motorcycle engines. Notice on this Bond the gear change lever was one up and 2 down as it was connected to the standard motorcycle gear change shaft, normally foot operated on a motorcycle.
Hey stef I recall seeing one of these at a little classic car show in Stalybridge a few years ago and I remember the strange front wheel drive set up - this is the only time I have ever seen one in action!!
The mark G was a redesign to resemble the current iteration of the Ford Anglia baby Saloon and yes Reliant did the same with the Regal. If you could afford the extra you bought the Reliant with its water cooled Austin 7 engine. Back in the day it was a common progression from motorcycle to car via a three wheeler. Especially so if you didn't pass your driving test first time. I moved from motorcycle to three wheeler and stayed with them through to the Robin until I got fed up with the bloody noise and bought a Nissan Micra. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Not only did it have a push button FM radio but you could actually hear it. Halcyon days nevertheless. 🙂
Great stuff. My cousin had a Bond minicar back in the early 1970s. Lots of memories of kickstarting it under the bonnet when the dynastart wouldn't work as well as the death defying rides. Just for info, the silver lever you used to start it is a decompressor valve, which allows the dynastart to spin the engine over up to speed easier than working against the compression. Thanks for a great video
I have been a Bond enthusiast for 53 years. I have my original Mark C I bought while at school plus another. I covered about 60,000 miles in my 20s in the Mark C and thought nothing of going on a 200 mile journey. I upgraded to 250cc. It was very well maintained, fairly quiet (having a much larger silencer, enabling the use of a radio and tape cassette player) with well adjusted steering (no wandering) and no fumes in the cab. My girlfriend and I (now wife) travelled all over the country and up and down motorways in the 1970s. The longest trip we made was 702 miles over a weekend to see the London to Brighton run.
I had a Bond minicar in the 60s, mine was a called a MKG ranger van. 250cc & had the dynastart. The steering was perfect breaks were good & no smoke inside. But it was bloody cold in winter. I had mine 2 years only broke down once that was coming back from Manchester over the Woodhead at night & the engine seized, i was giving it some stick so it was my fault. I let it cool down used the kick starter & it freed so carried on with my journey. Great little car, loved it.
Hi, What a lovely video thanks for sharing it. It takes me back to when I owned one of these delightful mini cars they being such fun. I also owned a Bond Bug in John Player colours which surprised many as it shot away from traffic lights and I also owned a Bond 875 with the Imp engine but this never held the same appeal. A handful of spanners and an hammer were all that were needed to do repairs and no electronics to fail; just good cheap basic transport; they had street presence unlike many modern cars just clones of each other; pity cars are so complicated these days. Kindest regards, Colin.
The Bond Minicar fitted in really well in the 60's, but not by todays standards, well done Steph in driving it, and thanks for making these excellent videos...
Great video. I was chatting to a driver of one of these in a Lidl car park last year and he was planning to do a trip, with some others, to Croatia (I think). I love them, especially when you lift the bonnet and see mostly road. Brilliant fun.
My Dad had more than one of these in Oldham - he learned to drive in one and I remember as a 4 year old being a passenger in it. i remember it was cold and draughty and the windscreen wipers didn't didn't work, so he had one hand out of the window with a cloth. The one I rode in was just like this one, red with a white roof. Eventually he upgraded...to a Reliant Robin...
Back in the early 1960s we had three Bond Minicars in the family - my uncle first had a convertible and then, after two years of Borgward 6-cylinder ownership in Germany, a hardtop - can you imagine that variety of motoring?! My mother had a convertible some time afterwards. My uncle would refer to his as The James Bond. I fully agree with the lady owner interviewed - they were characterful machines, loved by kids, and very prone to breaking down! There was a feeling, especially in the convertible, of flying in a vintage light aeroplane (think Auster Alpha, or DH Tiger Moth), with the loud engine and vibrating aluminium panels. My uncle, being ex-RAF, used to drive off down the road, pull back on the steering wheel and utter 'rotate'! I see below the mention of a kickstart and I noticed that the car tested had one - useful, I imagine. The gearchange is actually quite logical and certainly any motorcyclist would feel at home with it. The turn in its own length turning circle was a notable feature - even tighter than that of a Triumph Herald! There was an active Bond Club back in those days and my mother and father joined up, making a number of good friends. The club had an annual expedition to Clacton - on - Sea. Google tells us this is a distance of just over 90 miles from our then home in Greenford, West London/Middlesex - quite a jaunt! This event was renowned for frequent breakdowns, with plenty of opportunity for the club experts to get their hands dirty. One of our neighbours, directly across the road, had a Reliant three-wheeler, which seemed considerably more civilized than our Bond. Laurie Bond went on to higher things a little later, producing the Bond Equipe GT, based on the Triumph Herald/Spitfire/Vitesse. Reliant, of course, produced the excellent Scimitar and Scimitar GTE coupes. Thanks for the most entertaining and nostalgia-evoking video, Steph.
Everything makes sense such as the lack of reverse , the gear change and the starting when you realise that they basically bolted the rear end of a 2 stroke villiers motorbike under the bonnet - Thanks Steph, awesome as always
My Uncle John &Aunty Joyce in late 1950s bought one of these supercars they lived in Blackpool and drove to Leeds and returned home 5 days later.!! Their previous mode of transport was a Bond motor scooter so naturally "of course" they knew the company and with The Lords assistance they knew the 3 wheeler could deal with the 85mile journey each way without getting drenched so that was a major . And the trip to Leeds city market's was the "Icing" ,(of course). THANKYOU STEPH😊
Going through some old photos, we found one of my wife’s Grandparents in a cabriolet version of one of these. We’ve been trying to find out more about them. Your film came at just the right time! Excellent, entertaining and above all, informative. Thanks for another superb film Steph.
I had one in the late sixties when I was an apprentice - great little car although did have a tendency to fall over if you around roundabouts to quickly - three of us went Rugby to Ramsgate a couple of times - a real motoring experience never to be be repeated !
@John Finnis. I never tipped mine over, but I perfected the art of cornering on two wheels. If you feel it start to go, you just turn the wheel back a touch and it sits down again.
Hello from Hotrods in Horsetown USA.. If those were here in the US, we would be putting an engine like the one my old klunker has in it. Love seeing all the weird cars from the other side of the pond, thanks for doing these videos. Good job.
Wonderful review, young lady. We had some oddities on this side of the pond as well, but I don't remember any three wheelers. I remember 1962 quite well, but 1952 is a bit hazy.
Brillant I remember them as a kid I saw one in a local filling station and the owner was standing in the engine compartment kicking it over to start it
Brilliant review and piloting Steph, your funniest yet.The 2- stroke Villiers engine of course was more in home in a motorcycle and many firms used it , such as Francis Barnett . Interesting how Bond adapted the car for the same sequential gear change. The rear end resembles a shortened version of the boot of the contemporary 105E Ford Anglia .Love the more quirky reviews like this !.
The greatest memories, my Dad had two of these, the first was a kick start model and the second with the luxurious key start. We went on all kinds of family outings in them, 2 children and 2 adults, and I remember a time when we all had to get out so Dad could get it up a hill in Otterburn. At the time it seemed perfectly normal! Thanks for bringing back some great memories. One thing you didn’t show is the Bond’s party trick of being able to drive around the back wheels in a perfect circle thanks to the motorcycle type steering. That’s why reverse gear was not that important.
This was fun. Takes me back to 1971/2 when I had a Mark F - reg 7912MK. It had a Villiers 250cc single cylinder engine. It had electric start but also a kickstart. Unfortunately the large aluminium plate which bolted to the bulkhead and carried the engine and steering cracked across the top left hand corner between the worm and sector of the steering. So that when you pulled away ... you lost the steering! I replaced this but when the new one also cracked, I gave up. Also, the original bonnet catch was a flimsy affair and I once had the bonnet fly up, blocking my view, as I was driving along. The brakes were also very poor! Great fun though for a 17 year old. Great nostalgia.
Interesting take on the three wheeler. I imagine some of the straight line instability is caused by the engine being fixed to the steering mechanism and not the car's body, so it actually moves with the front wheel. That's a lot of weight to shift. Not only that, but the engine is ahead of the drive wheel, hence the long snout with lots of empty space inside the bonnet. That's a terrible design. Bonkers, but fun! 😁
Excellent episode, Steph! It’s so important to put cars like this into their proper historical context, and you did it very well. Driving my MG Midget here in the USA is certainly an exercise in contrasts, and occasionally I get to explain why “Little British Cars” are so little. By the way, Mr. Bond looks a bit like a grown-up Invacar. HubNut would feel right at home in a Bond! ;-)
Nice video! It took me me back to my youth when I had a Mk F as my first "car" after moving on from motorbikes. You're right, they weren't half noisy litle beggars but well worth putting up with to keep you dry (which my girlfriend appreciated). The usual breakdown problem was a sooty spark plug if you got the 2 stroke mix wrong or a failing battery, but you could kick start it into life by getting into the engine compartment (much to the amusement of onlookers). I used it as one would a bike, and me and my future missus often went off to Blackpool in it (not too far from Preston where I'm from), or for longer trips into the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District. I had it lift a wheel now and again by cornering too fast, but it was predictable and easily rectified. But no serious issues apart from my own fault, when I failed to secure the bonnet properly and it blew back and snapped both hinges (but the parts were readily available from the Bond factory in Preston). So thanks again for a great little trip down nostalgia lane, you're doing a fine job with your channel!
I’m 67 when I was in my younger years we put a twin cylinder Villiers engine with auto mag start and it was so quick The only problem was stopingit you could stand on the brakes,you did need to kickstart it this has brought back so many memories watching you do this video on the air
The F and G models were available with the Villiers 4T 249cc twin with high compression heads and straight through exhausts. I had the F model version. It was very loud on full throttle, and generated enough heat to burn the paint off the underside of the bonnet. It was fast though, and the Girling hydraulic brakes had no problem bringing such a light vehicle to a halt.
I enjoy your channel very much. You do great reviews/test drives and you give thoughtful appraisals that consider the historical circumstances of the times when the vehicles were new. I went from a motorbike to a Reliant Supervan, for the reasons that you mentioned in your comments about this Bond car. You are doing a great job, thank you.
My brother owned one of these funny little cars back in the 1960's I laughed my head off when he had had to open the bonnet to kick start it by standing inside the bonnet. It smoked like crazy and had no reverse gear and no electric starter. I think he had a basic model unless his was broken.
@@jackcro8825 I was 14 at the time and I must admit it reminded me of Fred Flintstones car. My brother was trying to persuade me to buy his Royal Enfield Crusader sport.
Scary things, three wheelers. I borrowed a Reliant Robin many years ago, it was a very windy day, it was impossible to keep it in a straight line. Never again. There was a Bond bug (different company) in the seventies that looked like a big orange wedge of cheese, see if you can find one of those. The Bond club could probably help.
A neighbours son had a Bond Bug he bought brand new in the 70's. Very collectable now. During my years of "fiddling around" with cars i long hankered after a bubble car which have now become extremely desirable and command pretty serious money.
Its funny - I once drove a Regal van and felt it was a bit odd on corners but that was because I knew there was no wheel there - in actual fact at the speeds I was doing it wasn't unstable nor dangerous
They were luxery compared to the Bond 3 wheelers. much more like a car to drive with a4 cylander 4 stroke engine they were fairly reliable. The Bond bug was much better and had a sporty feel about it. only made in Orange though.
Love this review, the car is mad 😄 I think this is the first of your videos that I've commented on Steph, you're superb. Great style presenting & lovely smile 😊
Brilliant introductory description. Really gives a very good idea of the rationale behind this car, especially for someone who has never seen or heard of this car before.
I remember living near to a lady who owned one of these in the 1950s. I even remember her name. Beryl Holloway. I am sure that had she not owned the Bond, I would not have remarked upon her existence.
Loved it Steph. You did a great job driving that. What a touching story attached to it as well. We never got these in Australia. I have no idea why????? 👍👏😀
That does look great fun to drive, if a little scary! Cant get over how long the bonnet is compared to the rest of the car. Glad you had a good laugh doing the video Steph. We all need that at the moment 😊👍
A now long deceased gent who lived just down the road from me owned one of these cars. It was amazing that he could fit into it - he was 6ft 9 ins tall ! His legs were splayed out on either side of the steering wheel.
My first car back in 1980 was a MK G estate which I spent a year getting on the road, (Ah, the joy of not getting soaked and freezing on my Bonneville during the winter!) The steering worm was quite worn in the middle section, as is the one shown here, the depth of engagement is adjustable but if you tighten it too much to take up the play in the middle where it`s suffered most of the wear, then you don`t get the full 180 degree steering lock which enables you to go full throttle round and round in circles in a screaming 2 stroke cloud of blue smoke in a pub car park after kicking out time on a Saturday night, which got me banned for more than one establishment. So I had the steering worm and sector engineered to engage better and all was good. It was pretty loud under "acceleration" but once up to speed around 50MPH on the flat was quiet enough to hold a conversation, although I never considered fitting a radio. I take issue with what you said about reliability though, and long distance journeys, mine never broke down, and I did use it hard for about 4 years, we even did a 200 mile round trip to the national micro car rally and did treasure hunts and driving competitions while we were there. I eventually sold it because I came out one morning to find a bunch of drunks had picked it up and placed it at a jaunty angle across the middle of a quite busy road causing chaos, which I found pretty funny to be honest because it`s the sort of thing I would have done back then, but, I had my car licence by then, so, I sold it and bought a VW camper. Oh dear...
Yep, as you say just totally bonkers, I remember them from being a kid in the sixties, I remember that sound and the exhaust smoke coming from underneath the car. What a brilliant little video, couldn't stop smiling..
Used to own a Bond Equipé Mk 1 2 Litre (a Triumph Vitesse with a fibreglass body on a steel tub. I know it's not a Mini Car but it was also hilarious due to the reactions it caused… 1. What on earth is it? 2. Teenagers found it quite funny, you could hear them laughing. 3. I love your car. It's so cool! or my favourite one 4. A very rude hand gesture from an owner of a BMW 8 Series Coupé. Still don't know if it was due to my brother being a passenger. He couldn't understand why I was laughing my head off. Happy days! Great video. Mr L Bond was a genius before his time.
Loved This Video.! Brilliant Fun To Watch.! My Dad Had 2 Bond Mini Cars! Both With Removable Roof To Make Them Convertibles.! They Were Earlier Models To This Mark G.! They Were The Mark D If I Recall.! The Reg Of One Was SAL 741.! I Wonder What Happened To Her.! She Might Still Be On The Road.! Wonderfully Entertaining Video.!
Back in the early 1970s, one of my school masters, Mr Brown, had one of these Bond Minicars. The astonishing thing was that he was 6ft 7 inches tall. He had removed the driver's seat, and drove it from the back seat. We used to take the hickey dreadfully, but he was a fun teacher.
I had a much later Bond, just before Reliant took them over and used the name for the 700ES or the Bond Bug which was a 2 seater with vinyl doors and looked like an orange cheese wedge. The trike I had was the Bond 875 which was based on the Hillman Imp 875cc van engine. Stability was much better than the equivalent Reliant saloons as the Bond was rear engined, and it lay flat as in the Imp, giving the car a lower centre of gravity. Being careful you could get the car to drift around bends rather than lifting a rear wheel. Acceleration was also astonishing due to it's low weight and I remember the look of an astonished driver in a 2.0L Ford Capri as he was well beten from a traffic light start. It was great fun but let down with poor ventilation which caused the rear and side windows that were perspex going an opaque white in the cold weather. There was also the issue of the fuel tank in the front over the wheel which as it emptied made driving the car like trying to throw a dart backwards when you were travelling at speed. The other learnt observation was that with all three wheelers particularly one wheel at the front, suffered the dead cat problem, you couldn't drive straight over an obstacle in your path as you could with a car with wheels at each corner but cornering in the wet and hitting a shiny manhole cover with the one front wheel would be disastrous and send the car on a different trajectory.
wow...what a funky car.....the paint looks in excellent condition.....a really cool look from the front....but .those tiny doors.....ouch...!!!!......love how much you had to move the steering wheel to keep him in a straight line.....😊😊😊.....amazing how such a small engine can make so much noise....😀😀😀
Hi Steph, just caught this review and your appraisal of the Bond Minicar is excellent save for one thing. One has to judge these classic cars in their period. My father purchased a new mark F in 1961. At that time people were highly enthusiastic about them and there was a great cammeraderie on the road involving a lot of horn pushing and waving when two passed. Many people were devoted enthusiasts in Bond clubs which held occasional rallies. I never heard of anyone actually getting killed in a Bond but all cars of that time left a lot to be desired in the way of safety, some still had rod and drum brakes, heaters were considered for softees and women drivers, and safety belts were unheard of. Every year we would spend a week's holiday in Cornwall or Devon. We would usually drive down in an old banger. They used to be called 'Ten Pound Bangers' because that is exactly what you could pick them up for (no MOTs then of course!) . The Bond was mum and dad's first new car. We drove down to Perranporth from Preston, Lancs, (just under 400 miles) and broke the journey with one stop at a B&B. I remember getting a numb bum from sitting in the back on that awful rear bench seat which was basically a pipe-cot with no padding. Despite the rudimentary construction the Bond did the job and that 197cc Villiers engine just went on and on. We passed other Bonds on the way down and back with the usual fanfare. The Bond may have been marketed as a cheap to run commuter car which would do 80mpg, but it was expected that people could would and did go anywhere in them, just as you would a regular car. There is something wrong with the exhaust system on the one you drove. They did bang and pop a bit, it was powered by a 2 stroke motorbike engine of course, but I don't remember it being as intrusive as the one in your review. Sounds like a new exhaust box would improve things there. We loved our Bond minicar and I think they are very underrated in motoring history. Later on I owned another mini car, a BMW Isetta, and have the eponymous privilege of being the only man who has ever run himself over with it! A story for another time perhaps. Keep up the good work.
Thank you. My late grandad had one of these. I've seen it on old silent Super 8 cine film where he turned it around in its own length but I've never heard one before. My goodness what a scary little beast. To think my Gran and Grandad went all over Pembrokeshire in a cloud of blue smoke sounding like a swarm of angry bees is quite something.
Nice video. The steering may need adjustment but to be fair, Linconshire roads are flat but extremely bumpy ! The large steering wheel was fitted on the slant to make entry into the car easier. The little chrome lever was a decompressor ( normally fitted on the floor and operated by foot) which helped the engine spin easier for starting, and of course the engine and front wheel could be turned at 90 degrees, hence the large engine bay, enabling the car to turn in it's own length. Well done for choosing the Bond !
I do remember seeing quite a few of these in southern England as a kid in the 60s, not that you could fail to see or hear them, like the equally basic small engined 'bubble cars' of that time. Sometimes the Bond Minicars were fully laden with passengers and camping equipment as well, so I guess some of them did very long trips too, despite being slow, noisy and even a bit smoky sometimes. The car is certainly a curiousity, though other reviews are also as much amazed by how primitive the handling is, as to how cute and quirky it looks. The 360 degree turning circle is pretty unique too. It is surprising to me that this car sold for so long in seven different incarnations - I'd have thought the Reliant three-wheeler offerings of the time were rather more sophisticated and comfortable, though probably a bit dearer, I'd guess. Reliant did, at least, survive another three decades after the tax changes you mention, and ended up buying up Bond.
What a beautiful example. I remember them on the road - at the time they provided cheap mobility with low tax, insurance and good (for the day) fuel economy, plus the whole motorbike license/L-plate thing was a big incentive. These little gems need to be kept in perspective, though - they were very much of their time. Although they might look like deathtraps to modern eyes, it's important to remember that back in the mid sixties there were still some pre war cars trundling about and no comparable cars offered anything remotely approaching today's levels of safety, performance and comfort. The condition of older vehicles on the roads was often dire - in the village where I lived as a child there was a family who had an ancient black car that would only run if the driver's side of the bonnet was raised and their son sat wedged behind the headlight on the front wing, half inside the engine bay, holding onto something mechanically vital. Many people had no car and motorbikes and sidecars were much more common - the little Minicar was not exactly cutting edge (the Mini would soon render the likes of the Minicar and the various bubbles completely obsolete), but in her day she did have an appeal. A workmate of my Dad's bought one new and absolutely loved it - I remember Dad telling me how impressed he'd been when shown it. At the time our family car was a chronically clapped out, slow and rusting split screen Minor van that stank of petrol and exhaust fumes, had no rear seat and was like a deep freeze in winter. I remember the one and only occasion we got the thing up to sixty on the Powick "Three Lanes", by which time the back axle would have been audible on the moon. By comparison a shiny little Bond didn't seem such a bad deal.
Great video, not sure if want to drive it in today's traffic, looks like hard concentration is needed just to keep it going on a straight line, just love your videos, keep em coming and thanks for sharing.
So glad I found this chanel, Been a Brit living on a Canadian Pacific island you definitely don't get them here! But would love to have in my collection, You see that's where the fun is right ? This chanel is the Brit equivalent to Jay Leno's cars , only better funnier and a very happy good feel vibe . Made my day. Thank-you Michael
My brother in law had one back in the sixties, he used to lift the bonnet, put his leg into the engine compartment and kick start the engine! Happy days!
The Bond was ingenious and insane at the same time. A car of its time, bridging the gap between motorcycle and car. Maybe a motorcycle but you don't get wet when it rains. Nice one! Love and peace.
Back in the mid 1970s a good friend bought one and we drove around looking for girls to chat up, we thought they would be impressed. The “car” had Dynastart with a reverse capability which involved stopping the engine and making some adjustment followed by starting the engine running in reverse. Once reversed, we had to stop the engine again. One great memory was leaving a group of friends and whilst waiting for my friend to open the drivers door and lean across to open the passenger side, I leant on the rear wing and the door opened by itself! Great times.
Definitely the maddest car I have seen you drive! Even madder than the Plymouth Fury. I remember these being around in the 60s, though I don't think I ever met an owner. Very brave of you to take it out on the road.
We had a teacher with one of these back in the '70s,kickstart model.He'd come out at hometime to find on its side on a few occasions. Very mysterious,strong gust of wind I suppose.😂
I owned a '48/'49 Bond . Purchased it from the original owners Son in the '70s in Huntington beach California , he drove it to high school . I believe it was badged MK-V . It was a LHD , sporting 4 full fenders , single door , single Villiers, the spare bracketed on the rear panel with a license plate bracket holding the single rear combination lamp . The front bumper was integral to the body and the hood held the grill . A tapered square , tee handled key unlocked 2 individual hood locks . I believe that the dark blue paint was lead based as only kerosene could make it shine ! The convertible top was a breeze to operate and while devoid of a reverse gear , the power unit could almost turn 170 degrees towards the rear . The motor was fitted with a marvelous freewheeling disk just outside the flywheel enabling the Starter Belt to park when the 6V RoosaMaster? starter bendix, having a belt drive pulley affixed , retracted . A pull knob , electric starter switch was mounted on the dashboard and , Yes , there was a manual start pull handle mounted on the "tunnel" pulling a cable to the "kick starter". The original tires were still affixed , Michelin with red rubber tubes AND the single electric wiper motor worked . I sold this to a man in San Diego county in a state of arrested decay (The car , not the man) . Today I would describe the only luxury as sporting a "Keyless Entry". Thanks for sharing !
I have actually seen one of these local to me in Scotland, similar to this but maybe an earlier Mark F. Noisy little thing, but full of character and I'd love a go at driving one. Glad you enjoyed! That engine note reminds me of an 80 mile trip at the wheel of a Trabant.
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Hi Steph,
Nearly fifty years ago, when I was a poor student, I was the proud owner of a mkF Bond. It was great fun, every journey in it was an adventure. It was very reliable, it would turn on a sixpence and in the summer months I would remove the top - but with the top off the car would flex and the door gap would open and close! The brakes were very poor (I would keep my distance from the car in front) and it was incredibly noisy. I bought a new silencer at a Bond meeting and the difference was remarkable for about a week, but then all that fibre glass stuffing in the silencer was blown away! Summer ‘71 me and two friends took it to Wales (from B’ham) for a week. Unfortunately, in the middle of nowhere, on a quiet country lane, we had a puncture in one of the back tyres. I didn’t have a puncture repair kit so we took the split rim wheel apart and stuffed the tyre with grass, twigs and leaves and once fitted back on the car, we were very hopeful. It got us about a hundred yards down the road - there the wheel was spurting steaming, smelly, green sap! We ended up walking, returning the following day with new tyre and tube.
I had a few repairs to carry out in the time I had the car- it kept jumping out of top gear at one stage and the complicated electrics needed some attention. But for a year and a half it was cheap motoring and great fun.
Touch and hold a clip to pin it. Unpinned clips will be deleted after 1 hour.
Just to mention I had one of these in 1962. The reason they were popular was nothing to do with the purchase tax.
It could be driven on a motorcycle license. That was the reason I, like most people bought one. With my first child just born and only a bike license this was the best option. Few working class people had access to driving lessons but most had a bike so the 3 wheeler, Bond or Reliant was what you went for
Back in the day this would have been the only option for independence that many had. It's a great little car and the foresight to produce such a thing was really well thought out. Another excellent review Steph as they always are on your channel. All the best from Buenos Aires. 👍👍
I loved this video because from 1962 to 1965 I was a proud owner of a Bond Minicar Mk.F Estate with the optional Villiers 250 twin engine normally used in sports bikes, complete with straight through exhausts. I did drive it on motorways flat out at 70mph. I think your example needs some attention to the steering and exhaust. There should be no smoke in the cabin and you should not have to wrestle with the steering to keep in a straight line. Mine never broke down in that 3 years , and always started first time, but then I am a mechanic so I maintained mine properly. I perfected the art of cornering with one back wheel off the ground to get round corners quicker. In 1963 the law was changed to allow 3-wheelers to have reverse, hence the Bond was offered with a Siba reversing dynastart which could start the engine up backwards. I didn't have one, but it wasn't needed as the steering could be turned 90°, allowing it to drive out sideways, and turn a complete circle on the spot. Why didn't you demonstrate that quirk which is unique to the Bond? Mine was not unduly noisy except when accelerating hard. That single cylinder should be even quieter, and I suspect a hole in the exhaust which would cause the noise and the smoke.
I had a 1962 MK G as my first car in 1974. The previous owner had bought it for the engine to put in a scrambler. He'd replaced it with a 197cc which doubtless made it slower but had the big advantage for me in that one insurance company did much lower rates for cars under 200cc. I got the car for free. They'd tried to sell it but had no enquiries so they just wanted it gone. I drove it off road until I was 17 and passed my test. It was a heap really. The maroon paint was like sandpaper and polishing it just rubbed it off to the primer. The main problem was the chain kept coming off. It needed either new or different sprockets which when I was still at school I didn't have the money or knowledge to replace. I did get pretty good at putting it back on and driving very smoothly so it didn't come off!
I was surprised that Steph didn't demonstrate the turning circle and I wonder if it had the dynastart for reverse which you pushed the ignition key in to activate. IIRC you could drive with a dynastart if you had a bike licence because it wasn't considered as a reverse; am I correct? Mine was pretty noisy but it certainly steered a lot better than this one appeared to do. I wonder if some of the smoke smell may have been from the nearby fire.
It's interesting hearing and reading the comments from younger people relating to cars like this I think.
I agree about the turning. No need for reverse. Did the dynastart make the engine run backwards? My memory is not what it was..
@@pureboxofscartcables Yes it did.
The terribly rutted and crowned road left on place for the tires/tyres to track .. she did fine , eh ?
@@cornishhh Mine did not have a reversing dynastart, so I considered changing it, but the price was too high. Both dynastarts were identical except the reversing one had both positive and negative poles insulated so that it could be started up in reverse. Actually the law was changed in 1963 and allowed 3-wheelers to have a reverse gear. At the time I had an Isetta, which had a proper reverse gear blanked off by a pin in the gearbox. It was a 2 minute job to remove the pin. Even today there are Isetta owners who don't realise they already have a reverse gear or that it is now legal. I could not sell my Minicar in 1964 when I passed my car test, but I struck lucky. A local dealer who sold used cars and 3- wheelers agreed to take it in part exchange on a Vauxhall Victor.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE BOND MINICAR!!! It's one I really want to add to my collection, thanks Steph for giving this cute awesome mad little 60's car a great review, and some recognition this car deserves 👍
Aww thanks for the lovely comment Steve x
From the “beats walking” school of motoring. I imagine if I stepped up to one of these from a bicycle or motorbike, I’d feel pretty smug the first time it rained or snowed and I was able to drive along in relative comfort: “ahhhh, this is living!” Thanks for the video and the smiles, Steph.
Thanks so much for watching lovely!
Ideal for taking your 13 year-old daughter to school I would say!
@TheLCNW I drove mine in snow, and also my previous car, an Isetta. It's fine once you get moving, just like driving a motor boat, you go with the flow. Remember both cars have the weight of the engine on their driving wheels, so it's not hard to get traction. However, I once drove a Zephyr 4 miles in deep snow after a blizzard, with the roads lined with abandoned cars whose drivers gave up trying. I guess my training in 3-wheelers gave me an edge.
You've got it in one!
Before I was born, my dad had one of these he drove on a motorcycle licence (only my mum had a car licence back then). He always spoke very fondly of it. It was probably a huge step up in comfort from a BSA in the middle of a Derbyshire winter. PS Excellent video!
Oh thanks so much Chris x
I apologise for not keeping up lately Steph but I have to say that you nailed this drive, courageous too. I have watched quite a few people drive Bond Minicars but I think even Ian Seabrook will agree that the warmth for the concept and the really interesting way you relayed a very detailed history, the best yet in my opinion, was excellent. Full marks for adapting to the motorcycle gearchange. Many micro cars or bubble cars were scaled up motorcycles with bodywork and seats. Well done.
I was given one of these when I was 17, by the deceased owner's widow; this was 1963. It was so loud, it was like being in a metal dustbin in the company of a motor mower.
My dad had one of those with a kick start! Someone asked him how much it did to the gallon he replied it’s never used a gallon without breaking down!
I had one with a kick start also. Mine also had reverse gears (the same number of reverse as forward gears) by turning the ignition key to the left and getting the engine to turn over backwards.
Was your dad joking? I had mine 2 years during which I used it daily to get to work and for social use, and also spent a week in it touring the Lake District, and it never broke down. I did have a flat battery, when the kick start came into play, but I bought a new battery and cured that problem.
She's cruising in that car. Looks like fun.
Our neighbour had the kick start model it was hilarious in the winter seeing him kicking it over and swearing as it was really unreliable.
What was funnier he failed his driving test in it as he was driving too slow for the examiner.
People used to blank off the reverse so you drive it on provisional unaccompanied as it was the classed the same as side car outfit.
@@Lee-70ish I think all Bond Minicars had electric starters. Early ones had a 6V car starter motor mounted on a bracket held on by the cylinder head nuts, with some kind of chain drive and freewheel mechanism going down to the crankshaft. These were unreliable and the battery would often go flat. Later ones had a Dynastart, which was a 12V combined generator and starter motor. This had a stator bolted to the crankcase with a rotor mounted on the end of the crankshaft. inside it had 2 sets of coils, one for charging the battery and the other to crank the engine over for starting. The Dynastart was a huge improvement being 12V and mechanically more efficient. The old 6V system belonged to the era when cars had starting handles because their starters too were unreliable. All Bonds had a kickstarter as the engines were standard Villiers motorcycle engines. Notice on this Bond the gear change lever was one up and 2 down as it was connected to the standard motorcycle gear change shaft, normally foot operated on a motorcycle.
The back windscreen almost reminded me of a Ford Anglia 105E
Reminds me of the Reliant Regal😊
Hey stef I recall seeing one of these at a little classic car show in Stalybridge a few years ago and I remember the strange front wheel drive set up - this is the only time I have ever seen one in action!!
The mark G was a redesign to resemble the current iteration of the Ford Anglia baby Saloon and yes Reliant did the same with the Regal. If you could afford the extra you bought the Reliant with its water cooled Austin 7 engine. Back in the day it was a common progression from motorcycle to car via a three wheeler. Especially so if you didn't pass your driving test first time. I moved from motorcycle to three wheeler and stayed with them through to the Robin until I got fed up with the bloody noise and bought a Nissan Micra. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Not only did it have a push button FM radio but you could actually hear it. Halcyon days nevertheless. 🙂
@@nigeldavey1043 Marvellous.
@@chillired5389 most likely were the regal got the back end look from
Steph, what a cracking little channel! You bring back memories of my younger days, refresh my soul, and you always make me smile. Thank you.
What a crazy little car, I would love to drive it you could see the huge smile on your face in the rear view mirror, great video 👍
WHAT A JOY TO WATCH and listen to the engine and your Excellent commentary . Thankyou and Take Care
Great stuff. My cousin had a Bond minicar back in the early 1970s. Lots of memories of kickstarting it under the bonnet when the dynastart wouldn't work as well as the death defying rides.
Just for info, the silver lever you used to start it is a decompressor valve, which allows the dynastart to spin the engine over up to speed easier than working against the compression.
Thanks for a great video
Great choice, huge fun. Everyone needs to be terrified occasionally!
Hahaha. Putting a potential strain on the NHS. ‘Sorry I tipped over in a micro car’
I have been a Bond enthusiast for 53 years. I have my original Mark C I bought while at school plus another. I covered about 60,000 miles in my 20s in the Mark C and thought nothing of going on a 200 mile journey. I upgraded to 250cc. It was very well maintained, fairly quiet (having a much larger silencer, enabling the use of a radio and tape cassette player) with well adjusted steering (no wandering) and no fumes in the cab. My girlfriend and I (now wife) travelled all over the country and up and down motorways in the 1970s. The longest trip we made was 702 miles over a weekend to see the London to Brighton run.
I had a Bond minicar in the 60s, mine was a called a MKG ranger van. 250cc & had the dynastart. The steering was perfect breaks were good & no smoke inside. But it was bloody cold in winter. I had mine 2 years only broke down once that was coming back from Manchester over the Woodhead at night & the engine seized, i was giving it some stick so it was my fault. I let it cool down used the kick starter & it freed so carried on with my journey. Great little car, loved it.
OMG....... I can smell this test drive. Good old Two Stoke engines.........
Fun therapy , could see you smiling and laughing all way through the drive . Brilliant , what more can you ask for 😊
When the front wheel goes flat you nose.dive into the ground
Where are the.rear.view mirrors?.
Hi,
What a lovely video thanks for sharing it. It takes me back to when I owned one of these delightful mini cars they being such fun. I also owned a Bond Bug in John Player colours which surprised many as it shot away from traffic lights and I also owned a Bond 875 with the Imp engine but this never held the same appeal. A handful of spanners and an hammer were all that were needed to do repairs and no electronics to fail; just good cheap basic transport; they had street presence unlike many modern cars just clones of each other; pity cars are so complicated these days.
Kindest regards, Colin.
The Bond Minicar fitted in really well in the 60's, but not by todays standards, well done Steph in driving it, and thanks for making these excellent videos...
Another great video . Some interestong micro cars from the 60s. Evèrthing comes round full cycle again. Micro cars are maybe the future again
I’d say yes if people in SUVs didn’t drive like animals
The perfect car to drive during lockdown. . We are definitely back the normall madness on the roads again
@@idriveaclassic SUV's are for animals with no taste.
Great video. I was chatting to a driver of one of these in a Lidl car park last year and he was planning to do a trip, with some others, to Croatia (I think). I love them, especially when you lift the bonnet and see mostly road. Brilliant fun.
My Dad had more than one of these in Oldham - he learned to drive in one and I remember as a 4 year old being a passenger in it. i remember it was cold and draughty and the windscreen wipers didn't didn't work, so he had one hand out of the window with a cloth. The one I rode in was just like this one, red with a white roof. Eventually he upgraded...to a Reliant Robin...
Back in the early 1960s we had three Bond Minicars in the family - my uncle first had a convertible and then, after two years of Borgward 6-cylinder ownership in Germany, a hardtop - can you imagine that variety of motoring?! My mother had a convertible some time afterwards. My uncle would refer to his as The James Bond. I fully agree with the lady owner interviewed - they were characterful machines, loved by kids, and very prone to breaking down! There was a feeling, especially in the convertible, of flying in a vintage light aeroplane (think Auster Alpha, or DH Tiger Moth), with the loud engine and vibrating aluminium panels. My uncle, being ex-RAF, used to drive off down the road, pull back on the steering wheel and utter 'rotate'!
I see below the mention of a kickstart and I noticed that the car tested had one - useful, I imagine. The gearchange is actually quite logical and certainly any motorcyclist would feel at home with it. The turn in its own length turning circle was a notable feature - even tighter than that of a Triumph Herald!
There was an active Bond Club back in those days and my mother and father joined up, making a number of good friends. The club had an annual expedition to Clacton - on - Sea. Google tells us this is a distance of just over 90 miles from our then home in Greenford, West London/Middlesex - quite a jaunt! This event was renowned for frequent breakdowns, with plenty of opportunity for the club experts to get their hands dirty.
One of our neighbours, directly across the road, had a Reliant three-wheeler, which seemed considerably more civilized than our Bond.
Laurie Bond went on to higher things a little later, producing the Bond Equipe GT, based on the Triumph Herald/Spitfire/Vitesse. Reliant, of course, produced the excellent Scimitar and Scimitar GTE coupes.
Thanks for the most entertaining and nostalgia-evoking video, Steph.
Everything makes sense such as the lack of reverse , the gear change and the starting when you realise that they basically bolted the rear end of a 2 stroke villiers motorbike under the bonnet - Thanks Steph, awesome as always
My Uncle John &Aunty Joyce in late 1950s bought one of these supercars they lived in Blackpool and drove to Leeds and returned home 5 days later.!!
Their previous mode of transport was a Bond motor scooter so naturally "of course" they knew
the company and with The Lords assistance they knew the 3 wheeler could deal with the 85mile journey each way without getting drenched so that was a major . And the trip to Leeds city market's was the "Icing" ,(of course). THANKYOU STEPH😊
Going through some old photos, we found one of my wife’s Grandparents in a cabriolet version of one of these. We’ve been trying to find out more about them. Your film came at just the right time! Excellent, entertaining and above all, informative. Thanks for another superb film Steph.
I love that you were smiling so much as you drove. Can't wait to find one to tow my caravan.
I had one in the late sixties when I was an apprentice - great little car although did have a tendency to fall over if you around roundabouts to quickly - three of us went Rugby to Ramsgate a couple of times - a real motoring experience never to be be repeated !
@John Finnis. I never tipped mine over, but I perfected the art of cornering on two wheels. If you feel it start to go, you just turn the wheel back a touch and it sits down again.
Blimey, now that's really motoring; you must have been mutton jeff when you got back.
Hello from Hotrods in Horsetown USA..
If those were here in the US, we would be putting an engine like the one my old klunker has in it.
Love seeing all the weird cars from the other side of the pond, thanks for doing these videos.
Good job.
Wonderful review, young lady. We had some oddities on this side of the pond as well, but I don't remember any three wheelers. I remember 1962 quite well, but 1952 is a bit hazy.
Another gorgeous example of this model. Great review. Thank you.
I love these. Villiers 2 stroke (some had kick start) 😂😂. And such a long bonnet! You could get a V12 in there 🤪
They all had a kick start, (Villiers 9E) but only some had the dynastart.
Insane. Any car that has a steering wheel bigger than the road wheels just has to be investigated!
you can literally drive anything - I'm impressed. what a fun channel, love it.
Brillant I remember them as a kid I saw one in a local filling station and the owner was standing in the engine compartment kicking it over to start it
Brilliant review and piloting Steph, your funniest yet.The 2- stroke Villiers engine of course was more in home in a motorcycle and many firms used it , such as Francis Barnett . Interesting how Bond adapted the car for the same sequential gear change. The rear end resembles a shortened version of the boot of the contemporary 105E Ford Anglia .Love the more quirky reviews like this !.
Hahaha. That was my aim ❤️
What a blast from the past & lovely old name ... Francis Barnett. Nicknamed 'Fanny-Bs'.
Seen a few of these as an enthusiast used to live near me but this one is absolutely beautiful a credit to its owner.
Absolutely. Annie has done a brill job
The greatest memories, my Dad had two of these, the first was a kick start model and the second with the luxurious key start. We went on all kinds of family outings in them, 2 children and 2 adults, and I remember a time when we all had to get out so Dad could get it up a hill in Otterburn. At the time it seemed perfectly normal! Thanks for bringing back some great memories. One thing you didn’t show is the Bond’s party trick of being able to drive around the back wheels in a perfect circle thanks to the motorcycle type steering. That’s why reverse gear was not that important.
This was fun. Takes me back to 1971/2 when I had a Mark F - reg 7912MK. It had a Villiers 250cc single cylinder engine. It had electric start but also a kickstart. Unfortunately the large aluminium plate which bolted to the bulkhead and carried the engine and steering cracked across the top left hand corner between the worm and sector of the steering. So that when you pulled away ... you lost the steering! I replaced this but when the new one also cracked, I gave up. Also, the original bonnet catch was a flimsy affair and I once had the bonnet fly up, blocking my view, as I was driving along. The brakes were also very poor! Great fun though for a 17 year old. Great nostalgia.
That's the stuff i subscribed for. I mean, so far, i liked most of your reviews, but this crazy and bonkers cars are always the best... 🤣
It cracks me up how much people have enjoyed this x
Interesting take on the three wheeler. I imagine some of the straight line instability is caused by the engine being fixed to the steering mechanism and not the car's body, so it actually moves with the front wheel. That's a lot of weight to shift. Not only that, but the engine is ahead of the drive wheel, hence the long snout with lots of empty space inside the bonnet. That's a terrible design. Bonkers, but fun! 😁
Excellent episode, Steph! It’s so important to put cars like this into their proper historical context, and you did it very well. Driving my MG Midget here in the USA is certainly an exercise in contrasts, and occasionally I get to explain why “Little British Cars” are so little. By the way, Mr. Bond looks a bit like a grown-up Invacar. HubNut would feel right at home in a Bond! ;-)
Thank you very much. You showed us the lot. Very interesting, from good times but we did not know it. THANKS!
A friend of my Dads had one of these when I was a kid, I used to love going for a ride in it. I remember him Starting it with The Kick start 😊.
Nice video! It took me me back to my youth when I had a Mk F as my first "car" after moving on from motorbikes. You're right, they weren't half noisy litle beggars but well worth putting up with to keep you dry (which my girlfriend appreciated). The usual breakdown problem was a sooty spark plug if you got the 2 stroke mix wrong or a failing battery, but you could kick start it into life by getting into the engine compartment (much to the amusement of onlookers). I used it as one would a bike, and me and my future missus often went off to Blackpool in it (not too far from Preston where I'm from), or for longer trips into the Yorkshire Dales or the Lake District. I had it lift a wheel now and again by cornering too fast, but it was predictable and easily rectified. But no serious issues apart from my own fault, when I failed to secure the bonnet properly and it blew back and snapped both hinges (but the parts were readily available from the Bond factory in Preston). So thanks again for a great little trip down nostalgia lane, you're doing a fine job with your channel!
Fantastic and hilarious!! How could you not smile every time you started it up ? Love it!
When it didn’t start I wasn’t so smiley
idriveaclassic any idea what that silver thing is Steph ?
@@idriveaclassic Sure you were, it was just and upside-down smiley :)
@@FETISHEST Decompressor I think.
I’m 67 when I was in my younger years we put a twin cylinder Villiers engine with auto mag start and it was so quick The only problem was stopingit you could stand on the brakes,you did need to kickstart it this has brought back so many memories watching you do this video on the air
The F and G models were available with the Villiers 4T 249cc twin with high compression heads and straight through exhausts. I had the F model version. It was very loud on full throttle, and generated enough heat to burn the paint off the underside of the bonnet. It was fast though, and the Girling hydraulic brakes had no problem bringing such a light vehicle to a halt.
I enjoy your channel very much. You do great reviews/test drives and you give thoughtful appraisals that consider the historical circumstances of the times when the vehicles were new. I went from a motorbike to a Reliant Supervan, for the reasons that you mentioned in your comments about this Bond car. You are doing a great job, thank you.
I absolutely love your videos, really unbiased and Impartial, and some of the cars are just every day cars seen back then. Well ✔ 👍
Ahhh ...
You are such a lovely person !!!
....
Its always a please to see and hear you !!!
Job well done. Loving this channel. And also the approach and variety of cars being driven
Absolutely great bit of history.
My brother owned one of these funny little cars back in the 1960's
I laughed my head off when he had had to open the bonnet to kick start it by standing inside the bonnet.
It smoked like crazy and had no reverse gear and no electric starter. I think he had a basic model unless his was broken.
Hahaha brilliant!
Jeremy Travis he must have had one of the first ones, later they went to rope start from inside the front dash, then later to electric start.
@@jackcro8825 I was 14 at the time and I must admit it reminded me of Fred Flintstones car. My brother was trying to persuade me to buy his Royal Enfield Crusader sport.
@@Tolpuddle581 It was the fault of those Villiers engines basically crap.
@@jackcro8825 Rope start on the dash sounds even more bonkers than kick start under the bonnet! I'd LOVE to see that!
Scary things, three wheelers. I borrowed a Reliant Robin many years ago, it was a very windy day, it was impossible to keep it in a straight line. Never again. There was a Bond bug (different company) in the seventies that looked like a big orange wedge of cheese, see if you can find one of those. The Bond club could probably help.
A neighbours son had a Bond Bug he bought brand new in the 70's. Very collectable now. During my years of "fiddling around" with cars i long hankered after a bubble car which have now become extremely desirable and command pretty serious money.
Its funny - I once drove a Regal van and felt it was a bit odd on corners but that was because I knew there was no wheel there - in actual fact at the speeds I was doing it wasn't unstable nor dangerous
They were luxery compared to the Bond 3 wheelers. much more like a car to drive with a4 cylander 4 stroke engine they were fairly reliable. The Bond bug was much better and had a sporty feel about it. only made in Orange though.
Reliant bought out Bond, the Bond Bug was built at the former Bond factory.
@@fluffybadger9832 Correct and on Reliant underpinnings.
Love this review, the car is mad 😄
I think this is the first of your videos that I've commented on Steph, you're superb. Great style presenting & lovely smile 😊
I secretly love the Bond minicars,an old chap had one for sale at a car show near me a while back and I was SO tempted! Nice little video.
That's hilarious, quirky & fun, LOVE IT! Quickly, becoming a fan of the channel :)
Brilliant introductory description. Really gives a very good idea of the rationale behind this car, especially for someone who has never seen or heard of this car before.
I remember living near to a lady who owned one of these in the 1950s. I even remember her name. Beryl Holloway. I am sure that had she not owned the Bond, I would not have remarked upon her existence.
Loved it Steph. You did a great job driving that. What a touching story attached to it as well. We never got these in Australia. I have no idea why????? 👍👏😀
That does look great fun to drive, if a little scary! Cant get over how long the bonnet is compared to the rest of the car. Glad you had a good laugh doing the video Steph. We all need that at the moment 😊👍
Thanks for this review. I have a 1958 MkD family. Greetings from South Africa.
A now long deceased gent who lived just down the road from me owned one of these cars. It was amazing that he could fit into it - he was 6ft 9 ins tall ! His legs were splayed out on either side of the steering wheel.
My first car back in 1980 was a MK G estate which I spent a year getting on the road, (Ah, the joy of not getting soaked and freezing on my Bonneville during the winter!) The steering worm was quite worn in the middle section, as is the one shown here, the depth of engagement is adjustable but if you tighten it too much to take up the play in the middle where it`s suffered most of the wear, then you don`t get the full 180 degree steering lock which enables you to go full throttle round and round in circles in a screaming 2 stroke cloud of blue smoke in a pub car park after kicking out time on a Saturday night, which got me banned for more than one establishment. So I had the steering worm and sector engineered to engage better and all was good. It was pretty loud under "acceleration" but once up to speed around 50MPH on the flat was quiet enough to hold a conversation, although I never considered fitting a radio. I take issue with what you said about reliability though, and long distance journeys, mine never broke down, and I did use it hard for about 4 years, we even did a 200 mile round trip to the national micro car rally and did treasure hunts and driving competitions while we were there. I eventually sold it because I came out one morning to find a bunch of drunks had picked it up and placed it at a jaunty angle across the middle of a quite busy road causing chaos, which I found pretty funny to be honest because it`s the sort of thing I would have done back then, but, I had my car licence by then, so, I sold it and bought a VW camper. Oh dear...
Yep, as you say just totally bonkers, I remember them from being a kid in the sixties, I remember that sound and the exhaust smoke coming from underneath the car. What a brilliant little video, couldn't stop smiling..
Used to own a Bond Equipé Mk 1 2 Litre (a Triumph Vitesse with a fibreglass body on a steel tub. I know it's not a Mini Car but it was also hilarious due to the reactions it caused… 1. What on earth is it? 2. Teenagers found it quite funny, you could hear them laughing. 3. I love your car. It's so cool! or my favourite one 4. A very rude hand gesture from an owner of a BMW 8 Series Coupé. Still don't know if it was due to my brother being a passenger. He couldn't understand why I was laughing my head off. Happy days! Great video. Mr L Bond was a genius before his time.
I can remember opening the capacious bonnet of one of these and finding a tiny two-stroke motorbike engine with a kickstart. It was a scary ride.
Fair play you took your life in your hands very funny. Great to see unusual cars love your car's.
Loved This Video.! Brilliant Fun To Watch.! My Dad Had 2 Bond Mini Cars! Both With Removable Roof To Make Them Convertibles.! They Were Earlier Models To This Mark G.! They Were The Mark D If I Recall.! The Reg Of One Was SAL 741.! I Wonder What Happened To Her.! She Might Still Be On The Road.! Wonderfully Entertaining Video.!
Back in the early 1970s, one of my school masters, Mr Brown, had one of these Bond Minicars. The astonishing thing was that he was 6ft 7 inches tall. He had removed the driver's seat, and drove it from the back seat. We used to take the hickey dreadfully, but he was a fun teacher.
I had a much later Bond, just before Reliant took them over and used the name for the 700ES or the Bond Bug which was a 2 seater with vinyl doors and looked like an orange cheese wedge.
The trike I had was the Bond 875 which was based on the Hillman Imp 875cc van engine. Stability was much better than the equivalent Reliant saloons as the Bond was rear engined, and it lay flat as in the Imp, giving the car a lower centre of gravity. Being careful you could get the car to drift around bends rather than lifting a rear wheel. Acceleration was also astonishing due to it's low weight and I remember the look of an astonished driver in a 2.0L Ford Capri as he was well beten from a traffic light start.
It was great fun but let down with poor ventilation which caused the rear and side windows that were perspex going an opaque white in the cold weather. There was also the issue of the fuel tank in the front over the wheel which as it emptied made driving the car like trying to throw a dart backwards when you were travelling at speed. The other learnt observation was that with all three wheelers particularly one wheel at the front, suffered the dead cat problem, you couldn't drive straight over an obstacle in your path as you could with a car with wheels at each corner but cornering in the wet and hitting a shiny manhole cover with the one front wheel would be disastrous and send the car on a different trajectory.
No Mister Bond. I expect you to drive.
My mum and dad had one of these when I was a baby in the seventies.
No way really!
Yes way really.
wow...what a funky car.....the paint looks in excellent condition.....a really cool look from the front....but .those tiny doors.....ouch...!!!!......love how much you had to move the steering wheel to keep him in a straight line.....😊😊😊.....amazing how such a small engine can make so much noise....😀😀😀
Hahaha it was mad.
Hi Steph, just caught this review and your appraisal of the Bond Minicar is excellent save for one thing. One has to judge these classic cars in their period. My father purchased a new mark F in 1961. At that time people were highly enthusiastic about them and there was a great cammeraderie on the road involving a lot of horn pushing and waving when two passed. Many people were devoted enthusiasts in Bond clubs which held occasional rallies. I never heard of anyone actually getting killed in a Bond but all cars of that time left a lot to be desired in the way of safety, some still had rod and drum brakes, heaters were considered for softees and women drivers, and safety belts were unheard of. Every year we would spend a week's holiday in Cornwall or Devon. We would usually drive down in an old banger. They used to be called 'Ten Pound Bangers' because that is exactly what you could pick them up for (no MOTs then of course!) . The Bond was mum and dad's first new car. We drove down to Perranporth from Preston, Lancs, (just under 400 miles) and broke the journey with one stop at a B&B. I remember getting a numb bum from sitting in the back on that awful rear bench seat which was basically a pipe-cot with no padding. Despite the rudimentary construction the Bond did the job and that 197cc Villiers engine just went on and on. We passed other Bonds on the way down and back with the usual fanfare. The Bond may have been marketed as a cheap to run commuter car which would do 80mpg, but it was expected that people could would and did go anywhere in them, just as you would a regular car. There is something wrong with the exhaust system on the one you drove. They did bang and pop a bit, it was powered by a 2 stroke motorbike engine of course, but I don't remember it being as intrusive as the one in your review. Sounds like a new exhaust box would improve things there. We loved our Bond minicar and I think they are very underrated in motoring history. Later on I owned another mini car, a BMW Isetta, and have the eponymous privilege of being the only man who has ever run himself over with it! A story for another time perhaps. Keep up the good work.
Thank you. My late grandad had one of these. I've seen it on old silent Super 8 cine film where he turned it around in its own length but I've never heard one before. My goodness what a scary little beast. To think my Gran and Grandad went all over Pembrokeshire in a cloud of blue smoke sounding like a swarm of angry bees is quite something.
Nice video. The steering may need adjustment but to be fair, Linconshire roads are flat but extremely bumpy ! The large steering wheel was fitted on the slant to make entry into the car easier. The little chrome lever was a decompressor ( normally fitted on the floor and operated by foot) which helped the engine spin easier for starting, and of course the engine and front wheel could be turned at 90 degrees, hence the large engine bay, enabling the car to turn in it's own length. Well done for choosing the Bond !
I do remember seeing quite a few of these in southern England as a kid in the 60s, not that you could fail to see or hear them, like the equally basic small engined 'bubble cars' of that time. Sometimes the Bond Minicars were fully laden with passengers and camping equipment as well, so I guess some of them did very long trips too, despite being slow, noisy and even a bit smoky sometimes.
The car is certainly a curiousity, though other reviews are also as much amazed by how primitive the handling is, as to how cute and quirky it looks. The 360 degree turning circle is pretty unique too. It is surprising to me that this car sold for so long in seven different incarnations - I'd have thought the Reliant three-wheeler offerings of the time were rather more sophisticated and comfortable, though probably a bit dearer, I'd guess. Reliant did, at least, survive another three decades after the tax changes you mention, and ended up buying up Bond.
Yes I can imagine them doing reasonably long trips, the 2 stroke smokey engine gives the impression of being clapped out when in fact it isn't at all.
I would quite happily run around in that all day(if it keeps running all day that is)😄
What a great little car! Thanks for sharing it with us Steph.
What a beautiful example. I remember them on the road - at the time they provided cheap mobility with low tax, insurance and good (for the day) fuel economy, plus the whole motorbike license/L-plate thing was a big incentive.
These little gems need to be kept in perspective, though - they were very much of their time. Although they might look like deathtraps to modern eyes, it's important to remember that back in the mid sixties there were still some pre war cars trundling about and no comparable cars offered anything remotely approaching today's levels of safety, performance and comfort. The condition of older vehicles on the roads was often dire - in the village where I lived as a child there was a family who had an ancient black car that would only run if the driver's side of the bonnet was raised and their son sat wedged behind the headlight on the front wing, half inside the engine bay, holding onto something mechanically vital. Many people had no car and motorbikes and sidecars were much more common - the little Minicar was not exactly cutting edge (the Mini would soon render the likes of the Minicar and the various bubbles completely obsolete), but in her day she did have an appeal.
A workmate of my Dad's bought one new and absolutely loved it - I remember Dad telling me how impressed he'd been when shown it. At the time our family car was a chronically clapped out, slow and rusting split screen Minor van that stank of petrol and exhaust fumes, had no rear seat and was like a deep freeze in winter. I remember the one and only occasion we got the thing up to sixty on the Powick "Three Lanes", by which time the back axle would have been audible on the moon. By comparison a shiny little Bond didn't seem such a bad deal.
Great video, not sure if want to drive it in today's traffic, looks like hard concentration is needed just to keep it going on a straight line, just love your videos, keep em coming and thanks for sharing.
So glad I found this chanel,
Been a Brit living on a Canadian Pacific island you definitely don't get them here!
But would love to have in my collection, You see that's where the fun is right ?
This chanel is the Brit equivalent to Jay Leno's cars , only better funnier and a very happy good feel vibe .
Made my day.
Thank-you Michael
They don’t make cars with such character today. A fascinating video
The shift pattern works like a motorcycle.
Motorized TOY car.
I recall in the 60’s watching a man open the bonnet, putting his foot inside and kick starting one. Incredible.
We had the green version in 1967 . My dad drove it on a motorbike licence. Absolutely superb
This is far better than the last video you did, love these villiers powered vehicles 😎
Nobody outside of the world of IDAC and Hubnut would say that 😂
I've always been a car nut but had never heard of this one. What a shock to see that engine!!
My brother in law had one back in the sixties, he used to lift the bonnet, put his leg into the engine compartment and kick start the engine! Happy days!
The Bond was ingenious and insane at the same time. A car of its time, bridging the gap between motorcycle and car. Maybe a motorcycle but you don't get wet when it rains. Nice one! Love and peace.
Back in the mid 1970s a good friend bought one and we drove around looking for girls to chat up, we thought they would be impressed. The “car” had Dynastart with a reverse capability which involved stopping the engine and making some adjustment followed by starting the engine running in reverse. Once reversed, we had to stop the engine again. One great memory was leaving a group of friends and whilst waiting for my friend to open the drivers door and lean across to open the passenger side, I leant on the rear wing and the door opened by itself! Great times.
We have just bought one the same colour but with the twin engine. We love it and I was suprised that it goes in a straight line
Definitely the maddest car I have seen you drive! Even madder than the Plymouth Fury. I remember these being around in the 60s, though I don't think I ever met an owner. Very brave of you to take it out on the road.
We had a teacher with one of these back in the '70s,kickstart model.He'd come out at hometime to find on its side on a few occasions. Very mysterious,strong gust of wind I suppose.😂
I owned a '48/'49 Bond . Purchased it from the original owners Son in the '70s in Huntington beach California , he drove it to high school . I believe it was badged MK-V .
It was a LHD , sporting 4 full fenders , single door , single Villiers, the spare bracketed on the rear panel with a license plate bracket holding the single rear combination lamp . The front bumper was integral to the body and the hood held the grill . A tapered square , tee handled key unlocked 2 individual hood locks . I believe that the dark blue paint was lead based as only kerosene could make it shine ! The convertible top was a breeze to operate and while devoid of a reverse gear , the power unit could almost turn 170 degrees towards the rear .
The motor was fitted with a marvelous freewheeling disk just outside the flywheel enabling the Starter Belt to park when the 6V RoosaMaster? starter bendix, having a belt drive pulley affixed , retracted . A pull knob , electric starter switch was mounted on the dashboard and , Yes , there was a manual start pull handle mounted on the "tunnel" pulling a cable to the "kick starter". The original tires were still affixed , Michelin with red rubber tubes AND the single electric wiper motor worked . I sold this to a man in San Diego county in a state of arrested decay (The car , not the man) .
Today I would describe the only luxury as sporting a "Keyless Entry".
Thanks for sharing !
I have actually seen one of these local to me in Scotland, similar to this but maybe an earlier Mark F. Noisy little thing, but full of character and I'd love a go at driving one. Glad you enjoyed! That engine note reminds me of an 80 mile trip at the wheel of a Trabant.
Lockdown HAS been hard, and thank you for making ME smile!