An
introduction to the Club An
introduction to the Club
Welcome to the official website of the BOND OWNERS' CLUB.
We are pleased to have this opportunity of informing
you of our clubs history and its activities.
The original Bond (Minicar) Owners' Club was formed in June 1951 after a letter suggesting such a club was published in "The Editors Correspondence" in Motor Cycling magazine on 22nd February 1951. The letter praised the Minicar for its amazing qualities and suggested that as greater numbers of Bonds reached the hands of the public, a new "clan" of motorists halfway between motorcyclists and car owners would emerge. It was felt some sort of contact - an organisation such as a Minicar Club was desirable and also asked if the manufacturers would perhaps sponsor such a venture. This was only a couple of years after the earliest Bond Minicars, the Mark A's, had started to leave Sharp's Commercials factory in Ribbleton Lane, Preston. At the inaugural meeting, the various details were sorted out for dividing the country into five different regions and Sharp's Commercials showed their support for the new club by agreeing to supply members with a free badge and a periodical bulletin.
Very soon, club sections were springing up all over
the country and at the peak in the 1960's there were over 40 different
clubs. They covered an area from Edinburgh to the Isle of Wight and from South
Wales to East Anglia. Some had just a handful of members whilst others in the
south-east could boast over 100.
These clubs did all the usual things like camping
weekends, day trips, treasure 
hunts, picnics and rallies during the summer months.
The winter months were occupied with social evenings, quiz nights, dances, film
shows and even maintenance classes provided by representatives from companies
like Villiers or local Bond Dealers.
All the Bond Clubs were individually organised but
kept in touch with each other via the BOND MINICAR NEWS, a club magazine sponsored
by the makers, Sharp's Commercials. This provided a means of advertising a club
event to other interested Bond Owners and enthusiasts up and down the country
but, more importantly, it also allowed the company to keep in touch with its
customers. This feedback from owners through the magazine via articles and the
letters pages was not wasted and Sharp's Commercials responded to its customers
comments and criticisms. Over the years, vehicles were steadily improved and
new models incorporated better lighting, electrical charging and starting, more
doors, bigger interiors, better braking, more powerful engines, wind-up door
windows, improved suspension, bigger wheels and so on.
In 1970, at the time of the closure of the Bond Factory, a small group of Bond three-wheeler enthusiasts formed "BOND INFO" to continue the contact between the various Bond Clubs and to be a central source of information on all aspects of Bond ownership. Where groups of owners were seen to be geographically close to each other, Bond Info encouraged them to form new Bond Clubs. The organisers enthusiasm combined with dedication and hard work in producing a monthly newsletter and an annual National Rally certainly kept Bonding alive in the 1970's and early 1980's.
Several changes had to be made over the years to keep
the organisation going during times of failing enthusiasm and poor attendance
at National and local events. The original idea of a free newsletter in 
return for a 12 month supply of self-addressed stamped
envelopes proved not to be very cost effective over the years and a £1.00
subscription was eventually introduced in 1979. Equipe and Bug owners were also
not initially catered for but they were welcomed into Bond Info in the same
year in a bid to increase the falling membership numbers and inject new life
into the Bond world. These changes kept Bond Info and the few remaining Bond
Clubs alive during this difficult period until 1984 when the current organiser
took over the running of the club.
Since then, these sections plus many individual members have combined to become the National organisation we have today, THE BOND OWNERS' CLUB. It has grown and changed through the 1980's and 1990's but has settled down to a steady world-wide membership of around 350. The National Rally at Morecambe was revived in 1986 and continues to be one of the highlights of the Bonding year. The club also produces "in house" its own monthly magazine and copies of various handbooks and parts catalogues to assist owners with maintaining and keeping their Bonds on the road. (A list of current club services and publications can be found on the next page.)
We are one of the longest running car clubs in the U.K. and certainly THE oldest club for vehicles that are now known as "Micro-cars". Within our membership every model of Bond is represented: Mark A to Mark G Minicars, Equipes, 875's and Bugs. The club has members who own the rare Bond Scooters and Bond Trailer Tents and it also acts as an unofficial register for the Lawrie Bond designed B.A.C. Minibyke.
Celebrating 50 Years of Bonding
June 1951 ~ June 2001
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Bond Owners' Club |
