We all know the Messerschmitts, BMW Isettas and the Goggomobils but the best of them is probably the Bond Bug.
The Bond Bug was the brain child of Tom Karen from Ogle design who also designed the Raleigh Chopper and Luke Skywalker's Landspeeder from Star Wars (which was actually designed and built on a Bond Bug chassis)! Karen designed the car in the mid 1960's and his dream became reality as Reliant bought out the Bond car company in 1969. The Bond Bug entered production in 1970 and in total 2,268 cars were built before production ceased in May 1974.
The car offered for sale is a later model Bond Bug 700ES which was the top of the range model and featured optional extras such as alloy rear wheels, wing mirrors, sports tyres, upgraded interior and a 'formula-1' style steering wheel.
This car was purchased in in the UK by Oldtimer Australia and imported in to Australia. The car was in very good condition having been repainted and 90% mechanically sorted by the person we purchased the car from. It was purchased with the knowledge there were a few jobs to be completed to finish it off. When the car arrived in Australia it has had the canvas doors finished off, a replacement gearbox fitted, various 'miscellaneous jobs' competed and the car was serviced. The Bond Bug was sold to its current owner by Oldtimer Australia in August 2015. He has used the car as a runabout on his property and for some charity events and it has travelled the whole sum of 64 miles in his ownership.
Today this car presents really well. The traditional orange paint work is fresh with a strong depth of colour. All of the decals, exterior trim and glass remain in good order. To get in the car you twist the handle on top of the roof and the entire canopy rises from its pivot point at the front - how very Star Wars! The cockpit is also very 'space age' with its sculptured seats, centred instrument binnacle and the oh so cool steering wheel.
The only defect we have identified is a small crack in the fibreglass on the left hand side of the engine bay, which can be easily repaired.
Like many Bugs it has had an engine upgrade and now runs a 850cc Reliant engine. It weighs less than 500kg (unladen) so it really gets along! The car drives really well and everything works as it should. The car has no problem keeping up with modern traffic and it has to be the best fun you can have on three wheels and it's guaranteed to turn more heads than a Lamborghini Countach! This was also make a fantastic promotional vehicle.
Rare in Australia and good ones are hard to find anywhere. Surely great value at $19,950.
