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In 1963 Tom Karen,
the Bond Bugs designer, started working with the Reliant
Motor Company and his own early ideas and project from 1955
were revived to produce two scale model cars, one in 1963
and another in 1964 for a car to replace the popular Regal
Range. Reliant felt that the design was too adventurous for
the time and the project was shelved.
By 1967, the climate had changed in favour of a sporty three-wheeler
and it was felt that the project could be re-commissioned
with new ideas being generated by Ogle Design. First designs
had a very steeply cut of rear to the car, with much of the
mechanics left exposed.
Reliant liked the proposal and a mock up was made and married
to a newly designed chassis. Externally recognisable as what
we now know as the Bond Bug the mock up was completed during
1968. On its completion attention was then turned away from
the exterior design and turned to the interior of the vehicle
with seating positions and entry and exit problems solved.
By the middle of 1968 Reliant had commissioned Ogle to build
a full prototype of the vehicle.
By early 1969 the prototype was completed and the project
was named TWII (Three Wheeler). The upward opening canopy
was the main feature introduced during the prototype stage,
helping to avoid drivers and passengers scrambling out of
large openings on either side of the car. Many other design
features were tried and rejected at this prototype stage
such as adjustable steering wheels and retractable headlamps.
In 1969 Reliant bought the Bond car company, giving it increased
manufacturing capacity and a dominating position in Britain
of three-wheeler production market. It was at the same time
that TWII underwent intensive development resulting in a
second prototype being built. With a wider stance and higher
roof improving interior space and comfort along with modifications
and refinement to many design details such as the introduction
of the fixed headlamps and the air vent in the cars nose.
At this time the rear window was moved back, creating a large
parcel shelf and introducing the practicality of a boot.
This second prototype was not the final design, minor changes
were made to the boot to allow for the storage of side screens
and accommodate better quality rear lights and before the
end of 1969 the design stages had been completed.
Details such as the cars graphics with its large letters
were introduced to give it a sponsored racing car image.
The final colour of tangerine was selected rather than lime
because it maintains its brightness even when the car is
dirty and the models name were then decided along with the
specification levels of the car that would finally be launched.
A quote made by Mr Ray Wiggin, the then Managing Director
of the Reliant Motor Group might explain one of the strangest
questions surrounding the Bond Bug "The Bug is the
first vehicle we have launched since Bond Cars Limited joined
the
group early last year".
And the rest as they say is history and is reflected in the
production figures of the Bond Bug.
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