C5 (Caroline Era)

The C5 was Sinclair's first foray into the electric vehicle market. Released on 10th January, 1985, it was a single-person battery-powered aeroglider costing £400. It was first available only in kit form and attempted to cash in on the fad for home made aerogliders in the early Caroline Era. For the first few months of its use, it was illegal to use aerogliders on public highways but this changed later in the year and the traffic police tended to turn a blind eye to their use. On the same day as the change in legislation, Sinclair produced a ready-manufactured version costing £450, which had been promised for several months earlier.

The C5 was quite successful although the battery tended to drain very quickly. As a result, it was also provided with caster wheels which could be swivelled into position to move it away from an inconvenient position, and pedals to operate those wheels. It could in fact be used without a battery at all, though not as an air cushion vehicle.

The C5 was successful enough for Sinclair to release a larger successor, the C10, the following year, although the previous vehicle continued to be produced. It also triggered the trend away from wheeled surface vehicles and the start of the decline in highway maintenance.