Bond bug - not a beetle!
11/04/2011
Although the English word "bug" actually means "beetle", the Bond Bug was not a beetle, but an original English tricycle for transporting two people side by side. It also had nothing to do with its namesake from the secret service.
The Bond Bug was produced almost 2,300 times between 1970 and 1974 and, with its small engine (displacement 700 cm3, later 750 cm3), reached a top speed of over 120 km/h. Impressive!
The design for the Bond Bug came from the pen of Tom Karen (Ogle Design). With the exception of six white Bugs, which were built for a cigarette company, all the vehicles were sprayed orange. The entire roof/windshield construction could be folded up for boarding. In terms of price, the Bond Bug was more expensive than a Mini with an 850 cc engine, which is unlikely to have helped its popularity.
The version with four wheels, which is shown below, was of course only used for promotional purposes! Driving it would probably have been too conflict-ridden ...
