Sinclair C5 (original TV advert)

The Sinclair C5 was a battery electric vehicle invented by Sir Clive Sinclair and launched in the United Kingdom on 10 January 1985. It was a battery-assisted tricycle steered by handles on each side of the driver's seat. Powered operation was possible making it unnecessary for the driver to pedal. Its top speed of 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), was the fastest allowed in the UK without a driving licence. It sold for £399 plus £29 for delivery. It became an object of media and popular ridicule and was a commercial disaster, selling only around 12,000 units.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Sinclair
• C5

[TomElliotMarshall]

Don't suppose you know how to go about getting the rights to this footage - to use in a short film?

[mike7201]

@TomElliotMarshall Well, I guess you could try contacting Sinclair Research's marketing department.

[mike7201]

@TomElliotMarshall 

[glozgloz]

Ingenuity is timeless

Success is a matter of timing

[Afghanisdan]

I have one, it still works and is great fun

[OofusTwillip]

Now, imagine the kind of wally who drives one...

[machastro]

Tron in real life!

[Oldbmwr100rs]

@beac310 Oh yeah,I can just see riding about on something that tops out it a whole 15MPH! Yeah,that's a terrifying picture of the future with all the traffic speeding around you. No, this was far too limited,and it deserved to fail. The research was more in the design instead of actual practicality.

[gck86]

not suitable for fat people.

[iTat1000]

A real life lightcycle?

[theofficialstig]

people werent ready for this

[urisenshine]

While oil doesn't exhaust, they won't let you make those things happen. Sad but true.

[MrFroys]

the futur???

[Soylentgreen2000]

My droogs and I would have a great time on these.

[Lurker1979]

Got to love the corny music. :)