history:netherlands
Table of Contents
The C5 in the Netherlands
A factual record of the Sinclair C5 in the Netherlands. The stories behind it are told on c5.me.uk.
This page is a starting point. It will be expanded from Dutch newspaper articles, adverts and importer documents in the c5.me.uk collection.
1985: refused for Dutch roads
When Sinclair tried to export the C5 in 1985, the Dutch national transport authority said it wasn't suitable for Dutch roads without changes: better brakes, more reflectors, and the High-Vis Mast fitted as standard. Most of the other ten or so countries Sinclair approached asked for similar changes. A Dutch book review from February 1987 also notes that “in the Netherlands the C5 was refused”.
Importers and parts suppliers
| Company | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MATCH | Postbus 24068, 3007 DB Rotterdam; tel. 010-4861773 | Price list dated Thursday 17 January 1991 | Full C5 parts list with order codes built from the Sinclair numbers (e.g. 07.306 = C5674 306, access covers), prices in guilders excluding BTW, cash or cash on delivery. Also sold the battery, charger, horn, reflector mast, mirrors, mud flaps, front wheel cover, tyre sets and drive belts. |
| MATCH-AURORA | Postbus 7282, 3281 AB Numansdorp; fax 0031 10 425 66 15 | early 1990s | Order form listing Sinclair part numbers and prices in guilders, plus accessories (battery, original Sinclair charger, tyre sets, mirrors, side panels, anorak, High-Vis Mast) “while stocks last”. |
See MATCH price list, January 1991 and MATCH-AURORA order form.
Press
- NRC Handelsblad: article (date to be recorded).
- Algemeen Dagblad, 14 August 1999: four-part article.
- Book review “Speurtocht naar jonge Einsteins” by Jan Libbenga, 11 February 1987, reviewing Hackers and Sinclair and the 'Sunrise' Technology. It mentions the C5's failure and its refusal in the Netherlands.
Sources
- MATCH parts price list, 17 January 1991 (c5.me.uk collection)
- MATCH-AURORA order form (c5.me.uk collection)
- Dutch press cuttings (c5.me.uk collection)
- Wikipedia, “Sinclair C5” (export attempts, citing The Times, 1985)
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