The Sinclair C5 was a disaster... so why HAS inventor’s nephew built a new one?
REMEMBERED fondly as an example of British commercial eccentricity, the Sinclair C5 electric tricycle was a flop.
But the nephew of inventor Sir Clive Sinclair insists it was merely ahead of its time and – putting his money where his mouth is – has created his own 21st century version.
The public was clearly underwhelmed when the £399 C5 was unveiled in 1985 with a top speed of just 15mph and no roof.
But Grant Sinclair says that today – with cycle lanes in every town, the increasing popularity of electric bikes and a growing market for green vehicles – the time is right for his £3,499 Iris eTrike.
Although both vehicles carry just one person and are powered by a combination of electric and pedal power, the revamped tricycle can reach 30mph and has a hi-tech cabin with GPS and a smartphone dock.
Mr Sinclair, 44, hopes it will attract users from paramedics to takeaway drivers.
He added: ‘ When the original was launched, there wasn’t the infrastructure of cycle networks there is in this day and age.
‘Now you have bike lanes in most cities, ebikes are selling well and I think the market is right for an e-bike which is enclosed so you can ride it in the winter and keep dry.’
Instead of being open to the elements like the C5, eTrike users have mod-cons including an LCD screen showing speed, distance, battery charge and power mode, as well as the option of a sound system. It is partly powered by an electric motor and has eight gears, LED headlights and a 50-litre boot.
Electricity comes from a removable bat- tery pack, and the eTrike can travel up to 50 miles on a one-hour charge costing 5p. Mr Sinclair claims its streamlined shape was inspired by the aerodynamic helmets used in skiing and track cycling.
The first eTrikes are set to roll off the production line by the end of the year. Now married to 40-year- old former glamour model Angie Bowness, Sir Clive, 76, made a fortune after inventing Sinclair home computers in the Eighties.
However, his next project, the C5, never took off. Of 14,000 made, only 5,000 were sold and the manufacturer went bust.