Clive Sinclair

Lore & Background

Clive Sinclair was born to George Sinclair and Thora Edith Ella Marles on 30 July 1940 in Ealing, Middlesex. During World War II, he and his mother left London for safety in Devon after their home was bombed. His father, a mechanical engineer, later found a house in Bracknell. Sinclair attended Boxgrove Preparatory School, excelling in mathematics, but moved schools several times due to his father's financial problems. He took O-levels at Highgate School and A-levels in physics, pure maths, and applied maths at St George's College, Weybridge. While still at school, he wrote his first article for Practical Wireless and sold miniature electronic kits by mail order after leaving school at age 18.

Sinclair founded Sinclair Radionics Ltd in 1961. He produced the Sinclair Executive, the world's first slimline electronic pocket calculator, in 1972. The company later introduced the digital Black Watch wristwatch in 1975, which was a significant failure due to inaccuracy and short battery life. Financial losses led Sinclair to work with the National Enterprise Board, which bought a 43% interest in 1976 but eventually broke up the company by 1979. Meanwhile, Sinclair had established a 'lifeboat' company, Science of Cambridge Ltd, in July 1977. He then moved into home computers with Sinclair Research Ltd, producing the ZX80 in 1980, followed by the ZX81, ZX Spectrum, and Sinclair QL.

Sinclair also had several commercial failures, including the Sinclair Vehicles C5 battery electric vehicle and the Sinclair Research TV80 flatscreen CRT handheld television. The failure of the C5, along with a weakened computer market, forced him to sell most of his companies by 1986. Until 2010, he concentrated on personal transport, including the A-bike, a folding bicycle for commuters, and developed the Sinclair X-1, a revised C5 that never reached the market. He was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1983 Birthday Honours for his contributions to the UK personal computer industry.

Reader's Guide

Clive Sinclair's significance lies in his role as a pioneer of the British home computer industry. His Sinclair Research company produced the ZX80, the UK's first mass-market home computer for less than £100, and later the ZX Spectrum, which helped give rise to the British video game industry. These machines made computing accessible to a wide audience at a time when computers were expensive and niche. However, Sinclair's career was also marked by notable commercial failures, such as the Black Watch wristwatch and the C5 electric vehicle, which contributed to the sale of his companies by 1986. His later work focused on personal transport, including the A-bike folding bicycle. Despite mixed commercial success, Sinclair's impact on early computing and consumer electronics in the UK is widely recognised, earning him a knighthood in 1983. His legacy is that of an inventor who pushed technological boundaries, sometimes successfully and sometimes not, but always with an eye toward making advanced technology affordable and accessible.

Did You Know?

• Sinclair produced the world's first slimline electronic pocket calculator, the Sinclair Executive, in 1972.
• The Sinclair C5 battery electric vehicle was a commercial failure that forced Sinclair to sell most of his companies by 1986.
• Sinclair was appointed Knight Bachelor in the 1983 Birthday Honours for his contributions to the personal computer industry in the UK.
• While still at school, Sinclair wrote his first article for Practical Wireless and later sold miniature electronic kits by mail order.