Sinclair Vehicles Sinclair Vehicles Sinclair Vehicles Ltd was a company formed in March 1983 by Sir Clive Sinclair as a focus for his work in the field of electric vehicles. The initial investment was £8.6m, which came from the proceeds of the sale of some of Sir Clive's shares in Sinclair Research. Barrie Wills, formerly of the DeLorean Motor Company, was appointed as managing director. The first (and only) Sinclair Vehicles production model was the single-seater Sinclair C5, launched on 10 January 1985. Larger models were planned, including the C15, a four-seater car capable of speeds of up to . The generally
Sinclair C5 a snow- and ice-covered hill – later prompted criticism even from Sinclair executives, who admitted off the record that spring conditions might have been better for a vehicle with so little protection from the British climate. The "Financial Times" called it "the worst possible timing to launch what was proclaimed to be a serious, road-going vehicle". Sinclair's biographer Rodney Dale describes it as "a calculated (or miscalculated) risk", pointing out that production was already underway, details were beginning to leak out to the press and "the launch could hardly have been held up until the possibility of a bright spring