Telephone

01485 570259


33 Station Road, Heacham, King's Lynn, Norfolk  PE31 7EX

Telephone

01485 570259

   Proprietors: Stephen, Alan & Graham Bolt  
 ABOUT US


Graham, Stephen and Alan

Alan has been in the motor trade for over 40 years, trained in a Ford dealership. Worked for Brands Hatch Racing School. Had his own garage in Bromley (Kent) for over 30 years. Raced Auto Cross throughout the 70's then National Hot Rods. Semi-retired to Norfolk before starting up Station Road Garage.

Steve joined his father's business on leaving school in 1986, where he did an apprenticeship, and is still attending courses up to now to further his depth of knowledge. Moved to Norfolk in 2005 where he joined Wayne's Autos before buying the business. Has air-con gas handling certificate and MOT Tester and Manager. Raced Hot Rods throughout the 90's, where he was Club Champion 3 years in a row, came second 2 years in a row in the National Championships.


Graham, after leaving school went to work as a mechanic for J & W Autos in Dartford Kent. Later he went on to work in London for 5 years as a mechanical engineer. He has always been involved at his fathers garage and has been buying and selling used cars for over 20 years. He moved to Norfolk in 2007 to become a partner in Station Road Garage, his main roles are as a mechanic, MOT Tester and car sales man.

ROLL BACK THE YEARS AT STATION ROAD GARAGE
THE SINCLAIR C5

The Sinclair C5 is a small one-person battery electric vehicle, technically an "electrically assisted pedal cycle". (Although widely described as an "electric car", Sinclair characterised it as a "vehicle, not a car".) It was the culmination of Sir Clive Sinclair's long-running interest in electric vehicles. Sinclair had become one of the UK's best-known millionaires and earned a knighthood on the back of the highly successful Sinclair Research range of home computers in the early 1980s. He now hoped to repeat his success in the electric vehicle market, which he saw as ripe for a new approach. The C5 emerged from an earlier project to produce a Renault Twizy-style electric car called the C1. After a change in the law prompted by lobbying from bicycle manufacturers, Sinclair developed the C5 as an electrically powered tricycle with a polypropylene body and a chassis designed by Lotus Cars. It was intended to be the first in a series of increasingly ambitious electric vehicles, but in the event the planned development of the follow up C10 and C15 electric cars never got further than the drawing board.

On 10 January 1985, the C5 was unveiled at a glitzy launch event but it received a less than enthusiastic reception from the British media. Its sales prospects were blighted by poor reviews and safety concerns expressed by consumer and motoring organisations. The vehicle's limitations – a short range, a maximum speed of only 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), a battery that ran down quickly and a lack of weatherproofing – made it impractical for most people's needs. It was marketed as an alternative to cars and bicycles, but ended up appealing to neither group of owners, and it was not available in shops until several months after its launch. Within three months of the launch, production had been slashed by 90%. Sales never picked up despite Sinclair's optimistic forecasts and production ceased entirely by August 1985. Out of 14,000 C5s made, only 5,000 were sold before its manufacturer, Sinclair Vehicles, went into receivership.

The C5 became known as "one of the great marketing bombs of post-war British industry" and a "notorious ... example of failure". Despite its commercial failure, the C5 went on to become a cult item for collectors. Thousands of unsold C5s were purchased by investors and sold for hugely inflated prices – as much as £5,000, compared to the original retail value of £399. Enthusiasts have established owners' clubs and some have modified their vehicles substantially, adding monster wheels, jet engines and high-powered electric motors to propel their C5s at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour (240 km/h).

 

THE STIG MEETS STATION ROAD GARAGE (AUGUST 2012)