As nice as the Lamborghini, Ferrari and McLaren cars that come to Cars and
Coffee are, not everybody is fortunate enough to have the budget for these
exotica's. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a fantastic and affordable substitute
out there.
Among this month’s top three picks is Simon Gillimore’s Bond Bug. Remember these bright
orange tangerine 3-wheeler, small British two-seat, which was built from 1970 to 1974, initially
by Bond Cars Ltd, but subsequently by the Reliant Motor Company. It is a wedge-shaped
microcar, with a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of conventional doors.
The Bond Bug was sold as being fun to drive, with the low seating position giving a similar
exaggerated impression of speed as in a go-kart, while the actual speed was similar to that
reached by high performance cars only a few years earlier (indeed, earlier versions of the
Lotus 7 had a top speed of 76 mph/122 km/h right up until 1968, and their trim level, e.g. side
curtains instead of windows, was also similar).
The Bug was, however, no cheaper than more practical cars. It cost £629, while a basic 850 cc
Mini, a four-seater much faster round corners but with considerably inferior acceleration, cost
£620.
Bit of pop culture and trivia - Tom Karen the designer of the Bond Bug 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 at 45° to the
ground to give the illusion of levitation.
On the other spectrum, was Tom Owen’s 1926 AC Royal barnfind. This AC Royal, from
Britain’s oldest car maker, has been restored in a way that conserves and maintains the character
and patina of a barn find and a car that has lived. It’s a story of the marque and follows the
restoration by a young enthusiast and the plan to retain the patina of the car whilst making it
roadworthy for trips to local car meetings. All its life, it has been in the North West of England,
someone’s runabout on The Wirral and around Flintshire. 1.5 litre British Anzani engine.
Matching numbers. There are only 40 on the AC register in the world. This car was a new find,
making it 41. It is believed to be the only AC Royal in this preserved condition, with most
having had multiple restorations. AC made approximately 800-900 of these cars. Back in 1926
it would have cost £200 more than a Morris Cowley. Ash framed, ally skinned. Iron chassis.
Not this car, but a 4 cylinder engined AC Royal ‘special’ was the first car to do over 100 miles in
1 hour, and all from Britian’s oldest motor car manufacturer. It was difficult to choose the third
and final car of our choice due to the staggering number of vehicles that came out this for the
long awaited dry September day.
So last but not least, the final stand out vehicle was Alan Houghton’s vibrant red De Tomaso
Pantera GT5 driven by his son Greg, an Italian mid-engined supercar, again designed by the
legendary Marcello Gandini mentioned in previous issues, the man behind Lamborghini
Countach and Muira and so on.
According to De Tomaso the chassis was completely revised in 1980, beginning with chassis
number 9000. From May 1980 the lineup included the GT5, which had bonded and riveted-on
fibreglass wheelarch extensions and from November 1984 the GT5S model which had blended
arches and a distinctive wide-body look. The GT5 also incorporated better brakes, a more
luxurious interior, much larger wheels and tires and the fiberglass body kit also included an
air dam and side skirts.
We’re very honoured to present one of these rare 1-14 RHD models here at Cars and Coffee
Liverpool, gracing the front of the Chung Ku Restaurant. At first glance you probably thought
Cosa Nostra and the Sicilian family have come to town! With Paul’s Lamborghini Espada, Mr
Pilkington’s Ferrari 250 GTE and the muscular De Tomaso.
As you know from our UK automobile community and years of trust and friendship, we are
frequently asked to find and sell cars. We have decided to form a new, fresh, exciting, user
friendly platform for this community. A place where people can put a car up for sale or buy
collectable cars, on our automotive online auction site. Where cars are driven by community
price pitching rather than the false escalated dealer markets. A newly launched website called
‘Norman’s Pond’ www.normanspond.com will be heavily media backed and making its debut
at the NEC Classic car show at the Main Hall 1 (Stand 1-246).
If you have a collectable car you’d like to sell - whether it’s a classic, quirky, retro, sports or
modern classic of interest, please contact us at [email protected]
Or speak to us on your next visit to Cars and Coffee Liverpool.
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