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Man restores Sinclair C5 and drives it on the road

John Devine
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
Reporting fromLittleport
Harriet Heywood
BBC News, Cambridgeshire
John Devine/BBC Mark Robinson is outside on the road in a residential area. He has glasses and a large beard. He has short brown hair and is wearing a blue fleece. John Devine/BBC
Mark Robinson said the tiny vehicle worked well for short commutes and reached about 14mph

An unusual mode of transport has been turning heads after it was restored to its "former glory".

Mark Robinson from Littleport in Cambridgeshire said he had spent the last few years restoring a tiny, electrically powered tricycle-like vehicle.

The Sinclair C5 was invented by British entrepreneur Clive Sinclair in 1985 and has a pedal-assisted electric motor.

Mr Robinson, 49, takes his restored vehicle onto the roads and said the invention had been "ahead of its time," and was called "cool by the youth of today".

Mark Robinson A photo from 2021, showing the state of the C5 when Mark Robinson bought it. There are signs of wear and it looks slightly beat upMark Robinson
Mark Robinson said the Sinclair C5 was in need of a bit of love when he bought it in 2021
John Devine/BBC Mark Robinson is sitting in the vehicle. It is a triangular shape with three thin wheels, is light blue/grey in colour and has wing mirrors as well as a light on the front. Mr Robinson is smiling at the camera while holding onto the handle bars. The vehicle also has a tall flag on the back for other vehicles to see. John Devine/BBC
Originally, the Sinclair C5 battery provided a range of 30 km (18.7 miles) and could reach a top speed of about 24 kph (15 mph)

Mr Robinson bought the vehicle - affectionately named Clive - on Facebook Marketplace for £200 in 2021 before he revamped it.

He said the tyres were ruined and he had to 3D print the rear indicators due to price and availability for the model.

"In 1985, in my opinion, the world wasn't quite ready for electric vehicles," Mr Robinson said.

"They looked like nothing else that was out there, and people weren't quite aware of that sort of genre of vehicle."

He added that Clive moved at about 14 mph and could travel about 12 miles on a decent charge.

David Levenson Clive Sinclair is pictured in his Sinclair C5David Levenson
Clive Sinclair, a keen inventor, brought his vehicle to market in 1985 - to a mixed response from the public

Mr Robinson said he had been impressed with its range and drivability, adding it also received lots of smiles, waves and "looks of bafflement" from younger generations.

He ed the first time he saw the invention at a Cambridge electrical shop in January 1985, when they retailed for £399.

"It was a demonstrator, you couldn't drive it or anything like that, but you could sit in and have your photo taken, and that was my first time in one.

"I was impressed, it was a fun thing to see."

The launch of the Sinclair C5 caused Sir Clive severe financial problems, with buyers critical of the vehicle's range, slow speed and inability to climb hills.

Production ceased about eight months after its launch in January 1985.

However, the vehicle has since been labelled ahead of its time, and an inspiration to what followed.

Clive the C5 from 1985

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