ONE of Britain's most bizarre inventions has made a surprise appearance - at an antiques emporium in Tonge Moor.

A Sinclair C5 electric three-wheeler is displayed proudly outside Crown Furniture in Tonge Moor Road.

And it is attracting plenty of attention from customers.

Launched in 1985, the battery powered and pedal-operated C5 was a commercial disaster. Some sections of the press labelled it as a dangerous joke.

Designed by pocket-calculator inventor Sir Clive Sinclair for short journeys around town, the C5 - which cost £399 - had a top speed of 15mph and could be driven by anyone over the age of 14 without a safety helmet or a driving licence.

But safety concerns were raised on its first day on the road because of its height of 2ft 6in, which gave the driver poor visibility in traffic and made it vulnerable to knocks from other vehicles.

As sales dipped drastically and the machine was taken out of production, the C5 became a cult collectors' item, amassing fans across the globe.

They heralded the trike as an innovation which was ahead of its time.

Working versions of the vehicle, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, now sell for more than double its original price.

The owner of Crown Furniture, Les Turner, spotted the C5 advertised in a newspaper and immediately snapped it up from a seller in North Wales.

Although the vehicle needs a new battery and has a flat tyre, it is in perfect working order and Mr Turner hopes to sell it for around £1,000.

The machine comes complete with its original rain mac, which is worn by the driver and attached to the vehicle to stop it filling with water.

Mr Turner, aged 52, said: "I knew it was the anniversary and had been on the lookout for one for the shop, simply because they are rare.

"The people I bought it from had only used it once for an hour when they bought it. Since then it has been sitting in their garage.

"It's brought us a lot of attention and people have even been pulling over their cars on the main road when they see it, just to come in and ask about it. Most people don't even know what it is.

"It's not something we would normally buy, but I had to have it for the shop."