SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Sharp’s Commercials

Origin: Preston, England

Production: 6,700

Motor: Villiers 1-cyl, 2-stroke

Displacement: 197 cc

Power: 9 hp

Length: 9 ft. 10 in.

Identification No. G28312DE

Lawrie Bond accepted a buyout offer from Sharp’s in order to finance new projects, but he continued to be a consultant. Sharp’s had their own competent development staff who continued to improve the car.

The fall of 1952 saw the first production Mark Cs come off the line. This model was startlingly different in appearance from the B, with its pair of long, squarish front fenders, altered rear fenders, and a new oval-shaped grille. The fenders answered a public call for “greater smoothness of line,” but they technically served as a more secure headlamp location and provided the extra room needed to swing the motor and its exhaust to a full 90 degrees—giving a reverse of sorts by allowing the car to turn a full circle on its rear axle. There was a single door on the passenger side.

On the technical side, the sheet aluminum bulkhead was replaced by a much stronger cast aluminum one that offered better support for the redesigned front suspension. The rear suspension was now by trailing arms and “Flexitor” bushings, and there was finally a front brake. Models on offer were the Standard Tourer, the De-Luxe (with electric start), the Minitruck, and the Family. This example is finished in blue with a red top. Of particular interest is the contrast between the rounded nose and grille, which contrasts sharply with the square leading edges of the fenders, which are canted downward towards the rear to match the line of the rear fenders.