The Spencer Family Web

My First Car

Most people own a number of cars during their lifetime but always remember their first. Well I certainly remember mine as it was rather special. Not officially a car at all because it only had 3 wheels. Now most three wheelers were 'Bubble Cars' but this was more like the real thing with 4 seats provided two of your friends were midgets.

It was a Bond Minicar Mk. F and because it only had 3 wheels you could drive it on a motorbike license even if you weren't 18. Well I wasn't and I certainly didn't have a driving licence for a car in fact all I had was a provisional learners licence for a motorbike and had never driven a car and had even fallen off of the motorbike several times. This was a bit of a problem as I had bought the Bond from a dealer in South London, which meant driving it through central London and 30 miles out the other side to Brentwood. So I borrowed ( and read ) a book 'Learning to drive' and off I went with my dad to pick it up. Unfortunately he was a bit like the 5th wheel or is that the 4th as he couldn't drive either. I drove it all the way home and we arrived without hitting anything though dad's hair did turn grey not so long afterwards..... I was an enthusiastic member of the Bond Minicar Owners club and still have the badge to prove it.... In fact the club still exists....

So what was special about the Bond Minicar, I hear you ask, well under that bonnet was a 250CC motorcycle engine mounted above the single front wheel which with the 'Go faster stripe' would get the whole thing up to 55MPH with a following wind.... Sterling Moss eat your heart out. It did nearly 70 miles to the gallon and as the front wheel could be turned through 90 degrees, parking was no problem, it could rotate on the spot. Did it have any other 'special' features. Well yes, one or two. To go in reverse you stopped the engine and then restarted it backwards. This meant the Bond had 4 gears in reverse, yes as you've guessed it could do 55MPH in reverse. Well I had it up into second once and did I look at the speedo.... well no I was paralized with fear as bits of the world rushed by the windows..... It had all mod cons including a heater with temperature control. This was a pipe from the back of the engine with a cap over it and when you moved the cap hot air rushing past the engine was blasted into the car.. Didn't work well at traffic lights so it was warmer to keep on the move and if anyone complained they were cold you just drove faster. It had an electric starter but the battery was rather small so if you lifted up the bonnet and put your leg in, you could kick over the 250cc motor rather as on a motorbike. I nearly caused several accidents to people who, driving past, would see me with my leg in the engine compartment, kicking for all I was worth.... Now the bonnet was a special Bond (no not 007) design. It locked at the front....sometimes.... and if you were travelling at 50MPH plus and were unlucky it would become unlocked, swing back blocking your view through the front windscreen, an interesting experience and then the built in safety feature would cut in and break the bonnets hinges and it would go sailing over the roof and usually over several cars behind...... You then stopped the car and sheepishly walked back along the road to collect it.... I never actually killed anyone with it.... Oh how I miss my Bond....

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