Benjamin Bowden

Working with Achille Sampietro who created the chassis, Bowden drew the initial design for the auto directly onto the walls of his house.

[citation needed] For the 1946 exhibition Britain Can Make It, Bowden submitted a design for a highly streamlined bicycle which he named the Classic.

Although he retained the futuristic appearance of the Classic, Bowden abandoned the hub dynamo, and replaced the drive-train with a more common sprocket-chain assembly.

[2] Financial troubles from the distributor forced Bowden to rush development of the Spacelander, which was released in 1960 in five colours: Charcoal Black, Cliffs of Dover White, Meadow Green, Outer Space Blue, and Stop Sign Red.

In addition, the fibreglass frame was relatively fragile, and its unusual nature made it difficult to market to established bicycle distributors.

Two bicycle enthusiasts, John Howland and Michael Kaplan, purchased the rights to the Spacelander name from Bowden, and have manufactured a small number of reproductions and replacement parts.