1985: "Is it a car, or a toy?" SINCLAIR C5 Review | Top Gear | Retro Transport | BBC Archive

Top Gear's William Woollard reviews the "electrically assisted pedal tricycle", the Sinclair C5. He runs through the technical specifications and looks at the various components that make up the machine, before taking it for a short test drive on a busy road. Will this strange new species of electric vehicle become the future of transport?
Originally broadcast 12 March 1985.
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[@NeilBates1]

This freaked me out a little. I'm watching this random KZbin offering 40 years later in Australia thinking that looks like Birmingham. I saw a yellow/blue bus, Birmingham confirmed. Then I'm thinking that looks like the Bristol Road, which it is and is where I went to school. Then a bunch of schoolkids run past at the end doing what we used to call "The Bristol Road Run". I could definitely be one of those kids, I'm the right age. I think the algorithm somehow knows I'm in this clip.

[@louskunt9798]

You are correct! That is 100% the Bristol Road. Great eye!

[@AshLilburne]

I love finding comments like these

[@michaelcorbidge7914]

That algorithm can get us paranoid . Some hours ago i watched Robert Murray Smith's latest video and spent time commenting and reading comments. Now this.

[@computer_in_a_cave2730]

That's hilarious ... although I know the feeling - YT does tend to creep up on one like that.

[@MrMallum]

The BBC most definitely would have inserted Neil Bates into the Metadata of this archived vid 😜 pretty funny story tho...

[@paranoidgenius9164]

When he pressed the Sinclair C5's horn, I thought my smoke alarm went off!😱😮‍💨

[@thabg007]

lol, i was looking around my house when that happened lol

[@Cyberfools]

@@thabg007 same

[@macronencer]

I'm really glad you posted this because I thought the same thing, and I wasn't paying attention at the time so I wouldn't have realised.

[@IngoPagels]

i went neurvis too!

[@drphilgarner]

No one going to mention Woollard's amazing Space 1999 slouch boots? What an icon.

[@James-gf9jl]

Or the disappointment that there were no bumpers on the C5 to do any Woollarding.

[@martinbaum5354]

glad he recommends insurance. Life insurance especially given that scene of him on a dual carriageway!

[@stuartgreenwood5616]

It’s life assurance, insurance is in case it happens, assurance means it’s guaranteed to happen!

[@craighuey881]

The wing mirrors are a nice touch, you get to see the truck that's going to drive right over the top of you.

[@bobjames6622]

Which means you get just enough time to develop instant "buyers regret". Brilliant! LOL!

[@derranthefunnyguy]

36 years later I'm watching this with an E-bike sitting in the other room charging, it's amazing to see how far technology has come. The pedal assist gets me to 15MPH before it cut's out which is fast enough for me to be comfortable on most roads.

[@bondbug73]

There was very few around back in 1985. Launched in January, but by April they couldn't sell them for even £99 as I remember while visiting Harrogate as a young teen. May have worked if they had the cycle paths we have today. Plus at least 20mph speed and all round LEDs. The truck coming up behind quickly on the road was terrifying to watch.

[@kyle8952]

@@christga100 Nothing to do with safety and much more likely because you can go your whole life in britain without ever seeing a recumbent.

[@Boemel]

Myself amongst other c5 owners have modified them with now very common ebike gear. mine does 25 mph and 100mile range. and full led all round. then it actually very useful but not more useful than any other ebike.

[@stevep4131]

Basically Clive's "miracle car of the future" was an electric recumbent bike with extra plastic. Its just a shame that busy urban roads are still so dangerous for bikes to this day.

[@foreverpinkf.7603]

Like the e-scooter we are facing in today´s traffic. An expensive toy to be thrown away when empty, creating low-paid jobs for people, to collect them over night, charging and returning them (at one´s own expense, reducing the fair compensations of about 5 €/h) to the bestowers.

[@Boemel]

even here in belgium or holland with dedicated cycle lanes you'd still be run over by anything in an instance.

[@sleepyheadsleeps9134]

A very small mobile coffin !

[@Barefoot_Joe]

Coffins cost more and move faster

[@wills2339]

Safer than a bike

[@chriscorbart]

@@wills2339how so?

[@wills2339]

It has three wheels ( more stable ) , proper mirrors , indicators and is much more visible

[@chriscorbart]

@@wills2339 not sure it’s much more visible, when you’re so low to the ground …

[@jom1727]

the perfect car for British weather

[@IngoPagels]

lol!! Underrated comment! =) Needs a roof for sure!

[@wightangel]

I remember watching Top Gear in the 80s and I enjoyed these reviews cos it was almost educational. William Woollard used to be excellent doing the RAC rally as well.

[@mattd2129]

If Clive thought he was going to get a free advert out of the BBC for this thing he was wrong. A rare bit of BBC scepticism.

[@TonyEnglandUK]

aw I didn't realise until I looked him up, Sir Clive passed away last year, RIP to the man.

[@Motorhawk2]

I thought the show portrayed the C5 in quite a negative way instead of a neutral let see where it leads way.

[@markcross5572]

I had one as a kid. Great fun and well ahead of it's time.

[@cliffhulcoopofficial8075]

A group of these were paraded at the Queen's official Platinum Jubilee parade.

[@simonlovett151]

I love the way he does a serious car style review of all the features. I remember these coming out - never saw one in the wild 'though.

[@v1sta]

This would be great in the Netherlands what with the cycle tracks and bakfiets.

[@ilkeryoldas]

It was banned in Netherlands for safety reasons

[@indieshack4476]

Woollard looked like a goner a few times there during the road test! Reminded me what great presenters he, and several others from the Tomorrow's World team were.

[@amplify3735]

he was still ahead of his time and he was British , surely an amazing man and inventor

[@didierpuzenat7280]

The issue is not the "SINCLAIR C5" but all the other vehicles on the road. It makes a lot more sense to drive in cities with such a vehicle rather than in a car. Furthermore, thanks to the pedals it is a real sport car !

[@joules531]

Very much ahead of its time. If legislation had allowed for 20mph and 1Kw, with a range of maybe 50 miles, it wold have been a game changer. As it was, the limitations of power and speed, together with low grade materials, meant that the C5 was doomed to failure.

[@synthmaker]

An updated version with modern technology would probably do well today.

[@donovandelaney3171]

I would raise up the mirrors and the handlebars and add a radio.

[@davidhall7648]

We miss you Sir Clive Sinclair😢

[@headfuzz217]

Alan Partridge is definitely the sort of guy who owned a Sinclair C5 back in the 80’s…! would be amazing if Steve Coogan done a sketch reviewing the Sinclair C5 as Alan Partridge!!

[@Channel567-7]

Ahead of it’s time, by far.

[@emstonestreet]

One of those BBC Archive segments where the thing that's not being talked about ought to be the subject of the piece. In this case, the double-breasted down jacket. We can ask the same questions about this jacket as we do the Sinclair C5. How are we to regard it? Let's reserve judgment, shall we.

[@allnamesaretaken]

A few modifications and this would work and the technology now exists to make this a portable very functional option.

[@simonthomas5367]

This might work a little better today in certain city centres but in the 80's there wasn't much more advantage to it than a normal bicycle.

[@DarkestVampire92]

Decades ahead of its time. I'd kill for one today, put a modern Lipo battery and a more powerful motor in it.... but they've become insanely expensive.

[@danielle5360]

I REMEMBER WATCHING THIS VERY SAME PROGRAM WHEN I WAS A KID 😂😂😂😂

[@tlongie6055]

Wow, BMW drivers didn't bother indicating even as far back as 1985 😅

[@carlbirtles4518]

What do you expect from a car with a toothbrush moustache?

[@louskunt9798]

I wonder if this futuristic idea of electric cars will ever gain popularity to the point where someone actually builds an electric car. That’ll probably never happen though. 😉😂🤣

[@michaelcorbidge7914]

Is the modern thing from Renault called a tizzy ? I think Clive overlooked the established culture of rickshaws and tuk tuks in some countries when conceiving his brainchild . A bit more street smart and he'd have been an Elon musk , but he also needed to overcome his obsessive fixation for miniaturization.

[@computer_in_a_cave2730]

The irony was and is - a not insubstantial number of rather heavy male middle aged British alcoholics would cruise around in these as a result of having their "Normal" vehicle licenses revoked due to DWI(s) / DUIs. Somehow this was less damaging (to someone's ego) than using a bicycle ?

[@moonlightshadow2074]

One of them in Swindon museum

[@horse5407]

Look at his winkle pickers!

[@ScratchyBaws]

Sinclair was well ahead of the times though more can be said for this guy wearing his wifes boots and who the hell layed those paving slabs at the BBC there?.

[@carolramsey6287]

Private Eye magazine did a great spoof advert for it, altering the picture so it looked like a shoe!

[@weird-guy]

A good idea but bad implementation it didn’t solve any problems people have with bicycles .

[@stephmaccormick3195]

Those boots and parka combo is gloriously amazing.

[@malcolmclements9254]

Imagine driving that in the middle of 50 ton articulated lorries... deathtrap.

[@williamr3840]

Actually saw one of these on the road once. But what if someone drives over you?

[@antman5474]

splat!

[@vesavius]

And now recumbent ebikes are on the rise.... Clive was ahead of his time.

[@jvizi]

Is that the same Sinclair who made my first computer?

[@napierpaxman]

Yes

[@thelongboarddude95]

The battery limitation is real 😅 Imagine buying a new battery for your ebike every year!

[@Boemel]

but it would only be £80 for a lead acid and not £800 like a modern lithium ebike battery which will last 5-7 years...

[@jamesbyrne9312]

Gosh he's very harsh about it

[@MeiGunner]

3:33 THis is So DANGEROUS! i wouldn't Trust the cars Around me

[@mac7040]

By your comment the cars are dangerous not the c5.

[@GhastlyCretin]

@@mac7040 I think they meant it's dangerous to be in the C5 on a busy motorway.

[@alkaholic4848]

Why did you feel the need to... ...press enter so many times?

[@BroqHans]

Uncle Clive was no fool.

[@davidbull7210]

All those interviewed after trying it thought it was great. The others were too busy attending their own funerals.

[@sprint955st]

4:15 splosh

[@wills2339]

I wouldn’t take a bike on a motorway ! hard not to see why this is not updated as much safer than two wheels despite what he says ( mirrors, indicators and far more visible )

[@underneonloneliness2]

Cyclists wind me up on the road. a C5 on the road would put a smile on my face though. I love the inventions in the 70’s and 80’s

[@No-lc1hn]

He was just far too ahead of his time. Everywhere now has people on electric scooters.

[@amillionviews888]

Year 2022. Man, back then they had the tech to produce an electric car. They should've carried on with the research

[@safirahmed]

Sinclair C5 was on sale in 1986 by Woolworths in the UK.

[@martj1313]

Laughable at the time but town centres are full of things like this today.

[@rugbydazz2264]

An epic fail of monumental proportions.

[@alkaholic4848]

And the advantage vs a regular bike is....? (Don't forget this isn't comparable to modern ebikes. Slower, smaller range, more weight, more rolling resistance, no gears, more difficult to store, and lower to the ground so less safe.)

[@herbz2hot2]

40 years later and the goverment cant even legalise electric scooters lol

[@little.animals]

There is one on display at brooklands museum!

[@Odessia-ij5ys]

Electric motor made in Italy?....by poli

[@Motorhawk2]

I think the show portrayed the C5 in quite a negative way instead of a neutral let see where it leads way.

[@Battleneter]

Its kinda crap, seemed fair to me.

[@Chris_34]

The mud flaps are extra😔

[@vassabatielos4740]

Nothing ahead of its time as electric vehicles were invented in 1884 It’s a death trap that looks absolutely comical

[@Odessia-ij5ys]

Sinclair invented motorcar

[@jaymac7203]

Lol

[@simonharding1572]

he was ahead of his time just didn’t have the technology

[@BlueTongue]

Dude’s wearing his mum’s shoes…

[@craighuey881]

And driving her mobility scooter

[@kryosan]

AKIRA

[@MrMallum]

Don't think this guy likes it 😂

[@matthewtrow5698]

Well ahead of its time, but deeply flawed. A joke really.

[@Barefoot_Joe]

It really wasn't ahead of it's time at all, except possibly in styling The first electric cars were around between 1830-1890 and popular way before combustion engines, the first 'modern' electric cars like the VW Golf were around same time as this, but were full size family cars, that could go full speed for around 60 miles or so.

[@michaelcorbidge7914]

@@Barefoot_Joe this was intended as a type of bycycle, not electric car . Thus for road legal non license usage, the motor couldn't exceed 250 watts. 250 watts was an impediment . I believe some states in USA permit 1½ kilowatt motor . Clive was too honest, he lacked the street-smart of Thomas Edison. Edison would've used a 500 watt motor to imress the news crew and used extra batteries and top rated performance batteries at that just for the demonstration occasion . That's how the real corporate world operates .

[@kyle8952]

​@@michaelcorbidge7914 It's an open secret in the bike industry that all the "250W" ebikes are nothing of the sort, the realistic power is around twice that. They get away with it because the law is worded approximately as "rated for no more than 250W continuous power", and all that means is that the motor can tolerate 250W for an indefinite length of time without damage, nothing about how much power you choose to send into it. And who decides what qualifies as meeting that rating? The manufacturer does. If interrogated on why their "250W" ebike is putting 450W down at the wheel, the manufacturer will say that's just a peak power figure. A peak that happens to end when the battery goes flat. Clive should've used that trick.

[@handsoffmycactus2958]

2:31 “great deal of play made about the wife using this for shopping, quite how she is going to…” men didn’t go shopping at all then? No single men, no gay men, no widows, no men allowed in shops back then I take it? Blokes didn’t go the corner shop, didn’t smoke, didn’t go and pick up some beers from Tesco or the off licence? It’s just weird terminology I don’t get why they said such things.

[@ThePiquedPigeon]

He is perpetrating sexist old stereotypes about women and men (the former doing housework, the latter going to work), which unfortunately existed for decades or centuries and that only now we are very painstakingly getting rid of...

[@antman5474]

@@ThePiquedPigeon It still happens thankfully.

[@Holeyguagaamoley]

At the time they sold products to men. Households had no car or at least only one car which took the husband to work, all across the country women were seen pulling tartan coloured shopping bags on wheels to the local store to get groceries and then slowly dragging these overloaded bags back to the house to begin cooking. Sinclair said “ do your wife a favour and give her one of these, only £399!” He was explaining it can’t even do that.

[@spider-ham7140]

Concept is sound but execution is absolutely terrible.

[@johnathandaviddunster38]

BRITISH Tesla....

[@johndonaldson3619]

ahaha....'electric cars'...as id THAT will ever go anywhere

[@jourwalis-8875]

Useless!

[@paulthesquid3595]

Jourwalis True like brexshite useless

[@carlowingfield7743]

C5 the C stands for Crap .