Sinclair tried to put a brave face on it, admitting that "sales have not been entirely up to expectations" but claiming to be "confident of a high level of demand for the vehicle".[46] A spokesman told the media that "we expect a rapid rise in sales now that the weather is improving".[2] Possible sales opportunities were explored in mainland Europe, Asia, and the United States, with Sinclair claiming that he had found "very big" levels of interest.[70] Hoover were sufficiently persuaded to allow Sinclair to divert 10 of their employees to modify C5s for overseas export.[4] The bid to sell the C5 abroad failed; the Dutch National Transport Service told Sinclair that the C5 was not suitable for Dutch roads without improvements to its braking system, the addition of more reflectors, and the inclusion of the High-Vis Mast as part of the basic package.