Reliant Bond Bug History

After Reliant acquired Bond Cars Ltd in 1969, it commissioned Tom Karen of Ogle Design to create the Bond Bug: a sharply wedge-shaped two-seat three-wheeler with a lift-up canopy in place of doors, sold mostly in a vivid tangerine orange. It used Reliant Regal running gear, with a front-mounted 700 cc (later 750 cc) Reliant four producing around 29–31 bhp and good for about 76 mph.

Roughly 2,270 were built from 1970 to 1974 at Preston and later Tamworth. Quirky and short-lived, the Bug became a cult design icon — its chassis was even used as the basis for one of Luke Skywalker's landspeeder props in the original 1977 Star Wars film.