Bond’s cars grew out of Sharp’s Commercials, a Preston, Lancashire firm founded by Paul Sharp in 1922. The Bond Minicar, designed by Lawrie Bond, went into production early in 1949 as basic, economical transport. The last Minicar, a Mark G, was made in November 1966.
Bond also built the Equipe, a small sports car, from 1963 to 1970. Reliant, the Tamworth three-wheeler maker, took over the company in February 1969, and the Preston factory closed at the end of July 1970.
Reliant kept the Bond name alive on the Bond Bug, a wedge-shaped two-seater styled by Tom Karen of Ogle Design and built at Reliant’s Tamworth plant from 1970 until 1974.