Sharp S Commercials · 1970–1974

Bond Bug

The Bond Bug is a small British two-seat, three-wheeled automobile which was designed by Tom Karen of Ogle Design for Bond Cars, who built it from 1970 to 1974, initially at Bond Cars Ltd factory, but subsequently at Reliant's Tamworth factory. It is a wedge-shaped microcar, with a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of conventional doors.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Bond 875

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History

=== Early beginnings === Since 1962, when Reliant Motor Company launched the Regal 3/25, the company had tried to make a more sporty version to appeal to younger buyers. Design sketches were done as early as 1964 by Ogle; these sketches are much more wedged-shaped with some rounded edges; the original name for this car was the Reliant Rogue. The car was never put into production, as management thought that such a strange-looking vehicle might hurt the Reliant brand identity. Bond cars buy out. Following the purchase of Bond Cars Ltd. in 1969, Reliant commissioned Tom Karen of Ogle Design to alter the Reliant Rogue design; the car would now become a Bond vehicle. The Bond Bug was based on chief engineer John Crosthwaite's newly designed chassis, and used a mixture of Reliant Regal parts, and running gear which had been designed for the Reliant Robin 750, which was due to be launched in 1974. The original concept was explored by chopping down a production Regal vehicle, the car's rear being shortened to end over the rear axle. The engine is the front-mounted 700 cc Reliant light-alloy four-cylinder unit. At launch, 29 bhp (22 kW; 29 PS) was claimed for the less expensive 700 and 700E models. The more upmarket 700ES incorporates a redesigned cylinder head, which permitted the compression ratio to be increased from 7.35:1 to 8.4:1. This provided a power increase to 31 bhp (23 kW; 31 PS) as well as improved torque for the then range-topping 700ES. The Bond Bug 700ES also offers more ergonomic seats, as well as more padding over the engine cowl, twin mudflaps, an ashtray, a rubber front bumper and a spare wheel. Launch and production run. The car had an upbeat launch, at which Reliant's Ray Wiggin stated: "The fact it has three wheels is quite incidental. It's a new form of

Popular culture

Tom Karen oversaw the design and production of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder from Star Wars (1977): one of the models was built upon the chassis of a Bond Bug – the wheels hidden by mirrors angled slightly to the ground. In the television series The Grand Tour, presenters Richard Hammond and James May transformed a Bond Bug into an amphibious vehicle, dubbing it the "Pond Bug"; driven by Jeremy Clarkson, the car broke the UK water speed record in the "experimental amphibious unlimited class", reaching a speed of 47.81 mph at Coniston Water. The Ibishu Wigeon, a model available in the driving simulation video game BeamNG.drive, is based on the Bond Bug.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Bond Bug
Manufacturer: Bond Cars Ltd / Reliant
Production: 1970–1974, 2,270 made
Assembly: United Kingdom: Preston, England, United Kingdom: Tamworth, England
Class: Microcar
Body style: 1-door coupé
Engine: Reliant 700 cc I4, later 750 cc I4
Transmission: 4-speed manual
Length: 9 ft
Width: 4 ft
Height: 4 ft
Kerb weight: 822 lb
Wheelbase: 6 ft
Predecessor: Bond 875
Designer: Tom Karen (Ogle Design)
sp: uk
Top speed: 122 km/h

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q488286CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bond_BugCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1370825514 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BondBug700ES.jpgCC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Mikel Ortega · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.