Huntingdonshire businessman opts for Bond Bug as mode of transport
IF cars say something about their owners, Huntingdon businessman Leigh Holden must be very wacky indeed. The winner of Hunts Post s Business of the Year for 2009 could choose a top-of-the-range BMW or Mercedes to drive to work and to meetings. Instead he
IF cars say something about their owners, Huntingdon businessman Leigh Holden must be very wacky indeed.
The winner of Hunts Post's Business of the Year for 2009 could choose a top-of-the-range BMW or Mercedes to drive to work and to meetings.
Instead he has opted to take a Bond Bug - a bizarre wedged-shaped micro car remembered as a "comical" motor from the 1970s - on some occasions.
His colleagues and customers at Bierce Technical Services must be bemused but Mr Holden is taken with his bright orange three-wheeler.
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He vows that it will continue to turn heads around Huntingdon. In July, he is planning to drive it 1,000 miles across Europe to the Le Mans Classic which follows the 24-hour race, where fellow car enthusiasts can compare it with high-powered Ferraris and Aston Martins.
And he is also hoping to make an emotional journey to Bond Bug's 40th anniversary in August.
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Mr Holden said: "I was 17 and an engineering apprentice when I first saw one. I thought: 'I really want one of those!'
"The car is a real head turner. I think youngsters believe it is really cool. They have never seen anything like it. The car still looks quite futuristic.
"They only have three wheels so I suppose that gives them a bit of a comical reputation."
The 700cc coupe was invented in 1970 as a sporty version of the Reliant Robin.
It has just one door but is a bit of a tight squeeze for the owner at just 110 inches long.
It was designed to be a fun car and Mr Holden believes it has remained a class apart from its much mocked sister vehicle.
He said: "Its appeal is a bit like Marmite. You either like it or you loathe it.
"It is certainly a fun car. It gets a lot of reaction from people but there are very few in this area."
Indeed there are very few in the country - Mr Holden has a car that is considered a treasured collector's item.
He says that he wouldn't describe himself as a serious enthusiast but that he did "fulfil one of my ambitions to get hold of one".
