Sinclair C5

Sinclair C5, tiny, electrically powered tricycle-like vehicle invented by British entrepreneur Clive Sinclair in 1985.

Sinclair, a talented inventor, was long fascinated by miniaturization. He invented the first slimline electronic pocket calculator in 1972 and followed that success with a series of affordable home computers in the early 1980s—the ZX80, ZX81, and ZX Spectrum. These futuristic devices might have been hugely successful, but they were not well marketed, and competitors soon swept in. Even so, Sinclair’s Cambridge-based company was briefly profitable, and Sir Clive (he was knighted in 1985) again demonstrated technical foresight by forming Sinclair Vehicles to develop electric propulsion, two decades before this became a priority of car manufacturers reacting to climate change.

Sinclair had long been interested in this revolutionary technology and invested heavily in making his dream of an electric car come true. The resultant open-top Sinclair C5, with a chassis made by Lotus, was a pedal tricycle with plastic single-seater body and pedal-assisted electric motor that allowed the driver to sit back and enjoy the ride. The battery provided a range of 30 kilometers (18.7 mi), making it useful for short-distance commuting. It was steered by means of handles and could reach a top speed of 24 kph (15 mph), though the advertising for the vehicle featured racing driver Stirling Moss and a modified model that reached 240 kph (150 mph), seizing the land-speed record for electric vehicles.

Its quirky design was inspired by new regulations that allowed the C5 to be driven on British roads without a helmet or license by anyone 14 or older. This prompted justifiable criticism that the vehicle would prove hazardous in traffic, and, with its open carriage, it was not well suited to inclement weather, despite its injection-molded polypropylene shell. Extras like weathershields for protection in bad weather and a “High-Vis Mast” (a reflector on a pole so the vehicle could be seen in traffic), along with its reasonable price tag (under £400, or $1,650 in 2024 dollars), addressed these issues to some extent, but the criticism continued.

Of the some 14,000 produced, only about 5,000 vehicles sold in ten months before production ceased, making the C5 a commercial failure that swallowed most of its creator’s fortune and effectively ended his business career after Sinclair Vehicles was forced into bankruptcy. The car, like the Edsel and the DeLorean DMC-12, is today a cult classic among car enthusiasts.