Sinclair C5 - Hire
Hire one of our 2 1985 Sinclair C5’s ! ….. We hire to Film and TV Productions, do you need to feature a Sinclair C5 in your next TV Programme or Film then call us today on :
07590 196750
Hire Packages are available from Half day to Full day and we can provide an operator to drive our C5 on set
The Sinclair C5
Introducing the Sinclair C5
The Sinclair C5 is a small one-person battery electric velomobile, technically an "electrically assisted pedal cycle".
It was the culmination of Sir Clive Sinclair's long-running interest in electric vehicles. Although widely described as an "electric car", Sinclair characterised it as a "vehicle, not a car".
Powered by a 12-volt lead acid battery, the C5 had a claimed range of 20 miles - enough to cover many people’s commutes to work - but it could only travel at legal 15mph using its Hover 250 Watt Motor
The driver sits in a recumbent position in an open cockpit, steering via a handlebar that is located under the knees. Inside the C5 a Pod displays Battery power status and ‘Load’ via a series of LED’s of Green amber and Red. A ingnition style key powers up the C5. Front and rear brake levers are positioned on the handlebar along with a button for the horn and indicators. Front and rear lights are turned on via a switch just under the seat
At the rear of the vehicle is a small luggage compartment with a capacity of 28 litres (1 cu ft)
The C5 even had accessories :
These included indicator lights, mirrors, mud flaps, a horn, and a "High-Vis Mast" consisting of a reflective strip on a pole, designed to make the C5 more visible in traffic. Sinclair's C5 accessories brochure noted that "the British climate isn't always ideal for wind-in-the-hair driving" and offered a range of waterproofs to keep C5 drivers dry in the vehicle's open cockpit. Other accessories included seat cushions and spare batteries.
While Sinclair optimistically planned for a series of EVs including larger spin-off versions of the C5 capable of up to 80mph, the writing was on the wall. Within months of the C5’s launch production was halted and retailer These included indicator lights, mirrors, mud flaps, a horn, and a "High-Vis Mast" consisting of a reflective strip on a pole, designed to make the C5 more visible in traffic. Sinclair's C5 accessories brochure noted that "the British climate isn't always ideal for wind-in-the-hair driving" and offered a range of waterproofs to keep C5 drivers dry in the vehicle's open cockpit. Other accessories included seat cushions and spare batteries.Comet was trying to sell off unsold C5s for £139.99 - a huge discount on the original £400 asking price. Sinclair Vehicles went bust the same year.
It’s quirky design was inspired by new regulations at that time, allowing the C5 to be driven on British roads without a license. Which to this day in 2021 is able to be driven legally used on UK roads.
Of the some 14,000 produced, only about 5,000 of them sold in ten months before production ceased
Sinclair C5 Technical Specification
Technical Specification
1985 Price : £399 (£428 delivered mail order)
Predicted sales : 100,000 in the first year
Length : 1.74 m
Total height : 80 cm
Electric motor : 250 W (0.34 hp) permanent magnet motor by Polymotor
Battery : 12 V lead-acid battery
Range : 20 miles (32 km)
Luggage : 28 Litres
Manufacturer : Sinclair Vehicles
Project cost : £12 Million
Requirements : No licence, insurance or tax required, ridden by anyone over 14
Made : 14,000
Sold : 5,000
The Sinclair C5 Project Timeline
1979 First concept
1980 British government abolished road tax for electric vehicles
1983 March Sir Clive Sinclair sells some of his share in Sinclair Research to raise £12 Million and Forms Sinclair Vehicles. The Hoover Company were contracted to manufacture the C5 at their plant in Merthyr Tydfil
1983 Introduced legislation for ‘electrically-assisted pedal cycles’. New Legislation was Introduced to allow 2/3 wheel vehicles with a maximum of 15mph on U.K Roads
1983 10th January Sinclair C5 was launched with mixed reviews
1985 August Hoover stop producing the C5 as Sinclair vehicles gets into difficulties. Large
Quantities of C5’s remain unsold
1985 October Sinclair Vehicles is put into receivership
1992 Sinclair Zike is released, sold 2000 unit and production ended 6 months later
2011 July Sinclair X-1 possible successor to the C5 was meant to go on sale for £595.
Sinclair C5 Hire
We have 2 Sinclair C5’s available to hire for :
TV Features
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Film production
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Display use Conferencing and events
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80’s Themed Events
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We can also provide an operator to drive the C5 on-set
Sinclair C5 News !!! June 2022
Contact us today
The Sinclair C5 Project Timeline
1979 First concept
1980 British government abolished road tax for electric vehicles
1983 March Sir Clive Sinclair sells some of his share in Sinclair Research to raise £12 Million and
Forms Sinclair Vehicles. The Hoover Company were contracted to manufacture the C5 at their plant in Merthyr Tydfil
1983 Introduced legislation for ‘electrically-assisted pedal cycles’. New Legislation was
Introduced to allow 2/3 wheel vehicles with a maximum of 15mph on U.K Roads
1983 10th January Sinclair C5 was launched with mixed reviews
1985 August Hoover stop producing the C5 as Sinclair vehicles gets into difficulties. Large
Quantities of C5’s remain unsold
1985 October Sinclair Vehicles is put into receivership
1992 Sinclair Zike is released, sold 2000 unit and production ended 6 months later
2011 July Sinclair X-1 possible successor to the C5 was meant to go on sale for £595.
Myth
One of the long-held myths about the motor found in the C5 was that it was also used in washing machines – this was emphatically not the case. However, Hoover engineers were trained to service the C5 as Sir Clive’s mobility project for the masses was also built in the company’s factory in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales.
The little white wedge easily slotted into the category of vehicle it was designed for. With a 45kg weight with battery, it undercut the imposed restrictions by 15kg. The battery was a ‘deep discharge’ unit, which meant it could be charged hundreds of times with no noticeable loss of performance. Or that was the theory anyway. The C5 is rear-wheel drive, too – just like all the best driver’s cars! – with the left-hand rear wheel powered by the electric motor.
What motor does it use ?
Due to the legislation it was designed for, the C5 was limited in both performance and weight. Motor output was stifled, too: a 250-watt ceiling was applied to vehicles in the ‘electrically-assisted pedal cycle’ category. Sinclair’s engineers took a 12V DC, 250W, 29A, 3,300rpm permanent magnet motor supplied by Italian company Polymotor to provide power for the C5.
Aimed at those who travelled alone, either in cars, on their bicycles or on public transport. Sir Clive had dabbled in electric vehicle research since the early 1970s, but the 1983 legislation fitted in perfectly with the C5’s technical make-up. And so it was that, two years later, arguably the UK’s most recognised electric vehicle was born.
Whats was its 1980’s rivals ?
The only way of buying one was by mail order – the C5 arrived in a cardboard box, delivered to your door, an option which wasn’t available to other small ‘cars’.
The most conventional four-wheeled rival was the 998cc Austin Mini City E, which was almost ten times the price – at £3,298.
Other contemporary competition included the also-three-wheeled 850cc, 73.3mpg Robin Rialto 2. The larger three-wheeler promised ‘A Car You Can Afford to Get Excited About’, according to the press ads. And buyers obviously believed them, as it had a 12-month waiting list when new.
However, if we’re talking innovative disasters, the Sinclair C5 is joined by the equally cult-ish DeLorean DMC-12 as one of the biggest transport failures of the 1980s.
What’s it like to drive?
Maybe two of the right words to describe the C5 driving experience are ‘terrifying’ and ‘fun’. Sitting above the handlebars on the thinly-padded seat, your arms reach down past your bent legs – which can, and will have to, pedal at some point – while your feet rest on the pushbike-like Sinclair-branded and grooved pedals.
You insert the ignition key into the master security switch and turn on the power.
Motor load and battery condition are shown by two LED graph displays under the aerodynamic front cowling.
Push the left-hand handlebar starter/accelerator button and you’re away.
Ignore the twisted ‘mirror’ logic, which makes you think you want to steer the way you don’t want to go, and instead relish the ‘acceleration’ offered by that 250W motor.
Braking is controlled either by un-pressing the handlebar accelerator button or by squeezing the bike-like triggers. It also has a ‘handbrake’ feature where it locks the back brake on, so leaving on inclines is not a problem.
Unbelievably, the C5 has front calliper and rear drum brakes, so comes to a stop quickly and safely, if not the most elegantly. With a top speed of 15mph, Sir Clive Sinclair’s baby doesn’t sound fast, but believe us, it feels it.
As a driver, you’re so exposed to both the elements and the passing traffic that bowling along at speeds of up to half of the legal urban limit feels anything but pedestrian. Which, incidentally, is another type of road user you have to watch out for?
Sinclair claimed that the C5 had the ‘same seat height’ as a family car. That was true if that car was originally from 1959 and was called a Mini. And despite Lotus being involved with the project, and Sinclair’s claims of ‘extraordinary manoeuvrability’ when it was new, the C5 certainly doesn’t handle like a sports car. It does share a low centre of gravity with the legendary cars from Hethel, but that’s where any similarities end.
Reliability and running costs Many C5 owners reported unit burn-outs as the permanent magnet motor struggled to cope with any form of gradient; pedal assistance was very often required. Also, C5s suffered the indignity of running aground over speed bumps, even small ones. The single gear was also a cause of complaint. Plus, there was no reverse gear, so every backwards turn turned into a multi-point negotiating nightmare. Sinclair claimed that the C5 could be driven for five miles on one penny’s worth of electricity, or 1,000 miles for the contemporary price of a gallon of fuel. The official range on a single charge was stated to be 20 miles, but most owners reported half that in cold conditions. The 15kg battery could be charged to full capacity from flat in eight hours – much longer than today’s all-electric cars. Some enterprising modern-day owners of C5s swap the old lead acid battery for lightweight Lithium-ion replacements for increased range and better reliability. One owner reports 45 miles of range from his 60Ah lithium-ion battery, which weighs half as much as the original.
Could I drive it every day?
You could, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The C5 feels tiny among car-sized traffic flows. On the plus side, the C5’s turning circle was two-thirds of the original Mini’s.
How much should I pay?
How long is a piece of string? We’ve seen C5s on well-known auction sites for around £500. ‘Project’ C5s can start at £275, while at the opposite end of the scale, fully working and ‘restored’ C5s can be had for £800. Where a boxed ‘new’ one attracts around £1500
What should I look out for ?
Used handlebars are priced at around £30 online, and a complete set of wing mirrors can fetch £200. Replacement used motors can start at £55. There’s a burgeoning market in the 3D printing of Sinclair C5 parts
Should I buy one?
If you’re a culture junkie and the idea of owning a piece of motoring history appeals, then yes, undoubtedly. Even if it will never go very far.
The C5 is such a recognisable and symbolic piece of motoring folklore, due to both its promise and failure, that it will always be a talking point.
If you’re lucky, you might even find one with all the period accessories, such as a booster cushion for those short of leg, a ‘High-Vis Mast’ (basically a metal pole with a reflective flag atop it), a second battery, side screens for increased weather protection, and a tonneau cover.
If you really want to fit in, try also to find the period ‘designer’ clothing (very stylish 1980s drama Howards’ Way), the ‘weather cheater’ poncho, and the car-like C5-branded mud flaps, turning indicator kit, and wing mirrors.
The C5 was never designed for long distances, and its limitations show when its comes to practicality.
More 80’s facts ….
The Sinclair C5 was launched at Alexandra Palace on 10 January 1985, and the assembled throng of journalists included friend of MR and ex-Top Gear presenter, Sue Baker. With a suggested 9,000-17,000 C5s finding homes in 1985, Sir Clive Sinclair claimed that his plastic fantastic dream was the UK’s best-selling electric car until the more modern and four-wheeled Nissan Leaf overtook it in 2011 with sales of 20,000.
Sinclair was in the mood for more electric vehicle creation in 1992, when the Zike electric bike was released. Like the C5, production lasted just six months – and around 2,000 were sold. Nineteen years later Sir Clive was at it again with the X-1, an electric ‘sit-down’ cycle, which was to be sold for £595. However, it never reached production and the cash he needed to develop his four-seat electric car vision never was generated.
The aforementioned weather protection (or lack of) is just one issue. Another is luggage space. The promotional videos of the time boast of a ‘large capacity boot’, but if you have more than 28 litres of luggage, then the flip-out ‘boot’ on the back of the driver’s seat will be of little use. It’s perfect for your poncho or Pac-A-Mac, though.