in the chase scene in the movie jumanji. raleigh needed to try and compete with an american bike called the schwinn, which had very curvaceous tubes. whatever we did, it would have a big wheel and a small wheel because the big wheel shows where the power comes from, you know? like dragsters, who had big tyres at the front. the combination of that made the chopper the success it was. the chopper saved raleigh from bankruptcy. 1.5 million of them were sold worldwide. but cambridge designer tom karen didn tjust design bikes he was behind the reliant scimitar when he was the managing director at the design house 0gle. he also designed the bond bug, which, after a little bit of tweaking at the 0gle factory in letchworth, became a landspeeder in the 1977 star wars film a new hope. all these things on display here at the micro museum about tom karen in letchworth garden
live on forever. absolutely, the breadth and live on forever. absolutely, the breadth and quality live on forever. absolutely, the breadth and quality of - live on forever. absolutely, the breadth and quality of his - live on forever. absolutely, the l breadth and quality of his design really is celebrated on show here and a few of us of a certain age, it designed our childhood. but as well as the one and bond bug and high profile things, designed all sorts of things, from lorries for leland, vans, a batmobile for the visit ofjohn paul ii in 1984. popemobile. he designed for four decades but struggled to retire. he described himself with a butterfly mind that never stopped. abs, described himself with a butterfly mind that never stopped.- described himself with a butterfly mind that never stopped. a huge body of work under mind that never stopped. a huge body of work under real mind that never stopped. a huge body of work under real legacy mind that never stopped. a huge bo
The British design, exported across the globe, was the brain child of the late Tom Karen - who died peacefully on New Year s Eve, aged 96 - and released when man first landed on the moon.