I bought a 97 Robin last year and restored it, I have a bike licence, so suits me fine. Love it, about to respray it and get it to like new condition as much as possible.
Most interesting indeed - my late Grandad, late Father and myself have owned every model made since the girder forked van. I adored my '76 Robin van which was tastefully 'tweaked' by my Reliant agent/friend and was a total joy to drive over the 150,000 miles I put on her. Wish I still had her with all my heart.
Despite swimming against the tide they hung in there until 2001 finishing up with a facelifted robin with corsa headlights. The new legislation that disallowed 3 wheelers to be driven on a motorbike license and cheaper tax was the final nail in the coffin
Reliant never learned to embrace their weirdness and reach a younger market. By the end they were making an old-fashioned parts bin hatchback that happened to have one less wheel. You can't have conservative styling on a car that's missing a wheel. It needed a cooler, sportier image and some serious marketing to get away from the Woodbine and cloth cap image.
Everyone can drive a car, no one only gets a bike licence (maybe in the 30s). EU had no play in it, just the usual poor British running of a worn out idea. Too little too late... again.
@@matthewq4b and improvements to car safety in general, thanks EU. Why didn't they ditch the 3 wheel and promote 4, could still be fibreglass or whatever lightweight material was best. They fell behind in the end. Dad for thr brand and the employees who sat through 3 bankruptcies.
the little reliant motor is magic i have been racing one for over 20 years , it is modified to the hilt , the box is magic to every thing is so small no other manufacture can make them this light and small
Had a Bond Bug, a Reliant Regal and a Reliant Supervan III. the Regal would do over a ton flat out, but both the van and bug struggled around the 65/70 mark. All of them had the 700cc engine. Great little cars, cheap to run, easy to fix. Had a lot of fun in them.
Don't ask me how, I've no idea how it managed it, but the needle went past the 90 mark (last on speedo) and actually disappeared behind the chrome trim. I have witnesses.
The Reliant was an anachronism that died between two epochs. Back in the 1950's, young working-class people often rode motorcycles and grafted a sidecar on when they got married. Threewheelers became a slightly more luxurious alternative that could be driven on a bike licence so long as the weight remained below 8cwt. That drastically limited what could be done. However, in 1959 came Issigonis's all-conquering Mini. It required a full car licence, but swept almost all before it. Reliant & Bond struggled on, determined but doomed. Today, with small, electric urban cars the height of fashion, they might have a chance - with sufficient investment - but they didn't last long enough to meet the electric revolution. Perhaps they should've looked around for a Japanese motorcycle engine instead of trying to resurrect and continue building their own mill...
I think another issue for a company like Reliant to survive would be the crash and safety requirements for vehicles today. Now buyers are also interested in the safety ratings of cars they buy, whereas when I was a kid in the 60's we didn't even wear seat belts and such things were given little thought.
Ron Wylie....piss on electric vehicles, more green house gasses are expelled building electric cars than there are when building gasoline powered cars....Google that shit...
@@branon6565 what a ridiculously stupid comment. The average car has a life span of 10 years or more nowadays. The savings on emissions during that time more than compensate for the production emissions. A child of three could understand that
The coupe 'Sabre' they made in the 60's was utterly GORGEOUS ! . . . . easily comparable to the Italian & Aston offerings of the time in looks It oozed 60's style and elegance Slot in a Rover V8, and it would've been a ICON of the time . . . . but, instead it had a wheezy 4-cyl [Sigh]
I wonder if it had survived till today. would it have stood a better chance with an electric engine and a little lithium battery pack as an electric city runabout. batteries, motor controller and electric motor production sourced outside.
Probably not. The car you describe was already made in 1987 in Denmark and called the "ellert" It was never a big succes. billeder.bazoom.dk/biler/galleri/479/wh/2000/2000/2394608/ellert-mini---el.jpg
the robin supervan iii is the most collectible , there is a company in bolsover doing electric conversions for the robin , they replace the petrol tank with batteries and exchange the petrol engine for an electric one , you do have to leave the car with them for couple of hours but its worth it :-(
@@jimgamble2429 I know , it`s crazy . Did you know Robin also made a version with four wheels called `the kitten`but I dont think it sold well as you needed a car licence to drive those :-(
All the millions the government put into BL if they had given Reliant some help maybe it would have survived but with all the legislation changes over resent years re emissions and safety it takes very deep pockets to comply even Morgan has now been sold to some Italian company
I had an early model van in the mid-seventies. It was a rather fetching brown colour, which gave it the nickname 'The Flying Shite'. I remember that there was a big roundabout on my route to Technical College, where I could lift the left rear wheel on the entrance; the right rear wheel about half-way around; and then left again on the exit. Another party trick was, whilst having four mates packed into the back and stopped at a red light, holding the throttle to the floor until the valves bounced, then dumping the clutch. That manouver generated a 'wheelie' of about six inches... My favourite was, due to the dimensions in the back and the fact that the driver and passenger seat-backs hinged forwards, made it perfect for taking a young lady back there for... 'fun'. I'm 60 now. The 'young lady' has been my wife for many years.
I lived down the road from the Reliant factory in Shenstone and could have had a job with them after leaving school...Here I am now aged 64 and living in Australia..Quite a different car to the Scimitar being made at Tamworth but as I recall, earnt the name "plastic pigs". 😉😉
So now after Brexit in future (without EU regulations hindering ?) time to try again..but this time of course with 100 % EV version ?!? Even if EU won't buy them, make a great special deal with Trump sell them as niche toy cars in the huge USA market + the rest of the world willing to try something different ?!
If A was for effort, we would have been living in iceage even today! I did alot of effort to solve the problem of peace, terrorism, interstellar travel and exploration, climate change and all the diseases in the world! Do i get A for effort even though i failed in all areas i did effort! Just because you see a documentary with sad talking and emotional people doesnt mean you straight away give A. Reliqnt was stupid and robin was a stupid idea!
Reliants were relatively expensive and lived, rather parasitically, on nostalgia. If cars were built out of wattle and daub, they would still be supported by some enthusiasts........ that gives me an idea.
My own opinion, the robin was outdated by 1996. The Bond bug had a little known loop hole, it could be driven on a moped license, a missed opportunity.
Why not electrify the car perhaps in partnership with an existing electric car company that has the electric technology. If Reliant make everything, therefore, they can make the electric skate board chassis and buy in the electric motors and batteries
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the 'entrenched attitudes of the staff. They knew their business better than anyone, and had to work within the limitations of the antiquated production line and machine tools they had. The way that Reliants were built was somewhat anarchronistic even in the mid 90s, (even Trabant were more modern in terms of the way they were produced). Laying up glassfibre is a skilled and very labour intensive process, for which there are no cutting corners, as it can't be mechanised. The programme mentioned that Reliant had gone bankrupt three times within a short space of time, but what was not mentioned was why. The order book was full, and that was part of the problem, as the factory site wasn't big enough to be able to store enough components in order to be able to produce enough to fulfill the demand. This was partially down to the car having a separate chassis, which was made offsite by a contracting company and were produced in production run in batches, which had to be stored, and storage space was limited. Also, such production required paying for with cash - and as is highlighted in the film, cash flow was an issue, which is basically what did for the company on at least one of the times it went bankrupt. It's very easy to blame the workers, but that always loses sight of the fact that it is upon the workers that companies whether the company makes it, or fails - and with companies such as Reliant, it is only the workforce that keeps the company going. The very fact that it is emphasised in the film that some staff gave up secure jobs in order to return to working for Reliant indicates the committment of staff to the marque.
I am not denying there weren't entrenched attitudes of the staff, but I think there was more of the typical arrogance from management who didn't really understand the business or man-management yet 'knew best'. Let's not forget those who actually built the cars knew what they were doing, and what's more understood what they were doing. Since Reliant had already gone bust three times or whatever it was before the new fellow got hold of it, indicates to me that there was no real business at all and the boss was clinging on to something that just wasn't there, then tried to blame those making them as being part of the problem. A romanticist if you like. It was a car merely of its time which died in the 70s due to natural wastage. Unfortunately I worked for 'management' who had all the theoretical training but simply did not understand the business they were in at all, far less those who actually made the whole thing work. Instead of listening to the staff, who knew, management ploughed on ahead with their university degrees and finished the whole thing off, leaving to f'off and ruin the next business.
Had a Reliant Super Robin 850 a few years ago. It was faster than an XR3i to 60 mph, I know cos I raced one. The XR flew past me at 70mph, but I beat it to 60 xx
@Demo The rules changed again allowing full car license holders and full motorcycle licence holders to drive the three wheel models so long as they are over 21.
Loved my Reliant van. Owned it for 12 years on L plates. Then one day I was stopped by the law saying I could only drive it with a qualified driver. I think in part this was part of Reliants downfall. I did not even have a full motorbike licence. Not sure about today's laws, but I think if you are lucky enough to own a Reliant today then you need a full car licence. I don't drive anything today. I failed my first driving test on a Lambretta scooter. Never botherd again after that. But I was able to take my wife camping all over Wales in the sidecar I fitted to the scooter. Back then you could do that with L plats. Them was the days.
Me and my late dad had few, my last one was the rialtos in beige took it up to 90. big wheels on back. I buy one any time. never got stuck in snow, worked nights and remember a girl saying, well if any one phones in and say they can't get in. I just buggered there idea up. lol
A ballsy effort, considering what he was up against - decades of profit skimming and neglect, an aged niche product, and a defeatist 'Nah Mate - too hard' attitude from the disillusioned captive staff. Yikes!
Why not electrify the car perhaps in partnership with an existing electric car company that has the electric technology. If Reliant make everything, therefore, they can make the electric skate board chassis and buy in the electric motors and batteries
I would imagine it comes down to packaging. The Robin is small. Batteries are large and heavy. To give the car a reasonable range, would require large, heavy batteries which would make the car expensive and cumbersome. Battery technology still has a long way to go before electric cars can take over.
I saw these 3 wheel vehicles (videos) tipping over. Perhaps the wheels in front could be spread out a little bit? Or perhaps make the 4 wheel version used by royalty.
Wow! What an endeavor to take on. Great wife. All those guys were sweating balls. But they were working with a workforce that probably doesnt want to work those crazy hours. They should have just bought engines from an outside source.
03 Wheelers were a disaster especially on single track farm roads where the centre of the road was raised and or full of potholes and grass, or driving over a pit in the local Garage or onto a 04 post ramp, rapid cornering was a disaster, but they were great for holding up traffic on a long and winding road.
to be honest if Id left another job to go back to Reliant and got spoken to like he thinks is acceptable I would turn on my heels to the door marked 'exit'
@@nickturner2813 Idiot. He didn't even listen to experienced people who had actually built the cars, seemed to think he knew best. To realise his 'dream' ordinary people trusted this wealthy man and returned to work for this company - and with what reward? If that was the way he talked to his staff on film how did he talk to them when the cameras went away? All for a couple of years employment before being thrown into the unemployment queue again. In the meantime pushed and bullied by an individual who thought he had some innate ability because of his father. He didn't. This at the time Citroen were selling new Saxos, proper cars, at £3995 with free insurance for young drivers. Who did he think his market was? The Reliant site is now a housing estate, I think there is a Scimitar Close. All that is left
@hognoxious I dont think the experience of the people was the problem, more experience is usually better. I think the problem might have been that not enough people wanted to buy a Reliant Robin. (I just dont know how they didnt see that?) They were trying to build something else, something with four wheels but there just wasnt enough resources.
The matter of fact is that they were trying to sell a product that only had a very tiny localized market. That set them half way to extinction. If it was an undoubtedly good product. People would queue to get one. There's even a good example in the same market. It's called Mini. ;-) Cheers
Yes, it was constructed by Buick and it had an aluminium block. Buick didn't think it was possible to sell a car with a motor like that in the US (American car buyers want a cast Iron block) so they sold the motor to Rover.
go for the young then the older one's that were there first you can have all put it on facebook and youtube have something on them day in day out and next look up the trike owners in the uk like btw or www.btw-uk.co.uk/ and start up some car shows at some of the buds just me thinking I only wish i was there I woulkd buy one or two but there not in the USA
@@noelnicholls1894 Wrong, if you watched the full video you will see they never did it. The floor pan is structural and chopped mat has no tensile strength. There are a lot of people at the bottom of the ocean who went to sea in chopped mat boats.
Paul anon This is comparing plywood to particle board. My boat has floated for 40 years because the mat was thicker. Yes its not ideal. Its IKEA not the Harrods version. the through bolts would have to be longer, some such issues and it would be heavier.
If they had put the 2 wheels in the front and the single wheel in the back for better control/handling, they might have fared better as a company the first time around. Maybe give it a better style too, as it is, they're pretty bland. They remind me of the Volkswagen Rabbit, no frills at all anywhere inside or outside of the car.
@supernumery a license was actually required, either a car license or a motorcycle one which used to be simpler and cheaper to get before the displacement and power limits becoming enforced. Had those parameters been enforced in a way similar to how it's done in Australia, I'm sure it wouldn't have affected too much the Reliant's market share. I never got the opportunity to test-drive a Reliant, but it might've still been better than a sidecars rig or some motorcycles converted into tricycles.
@supernumery Blimey, you could brighten a room just by leaving it. Has it occurred to you that some people like things for reasons beyond practicality? Live and let live.
@supernumery i have driven (and owned) one. The machine is only as dangerous as the operator, if by "70 year old" you actually mean "would ideally stop diving due to lack of competence", then all cars are dangerous. You did have to have a license. I can't go back to something i was never with.
A brave effort - and not a ridiculous gamble - yes an appeal on nostalgia from the fans maybe but a vision beyond that too. If we knock people for trying when will we ever succeed
That's us British I'm afraid. We are the biggest critics of what we do, have done or are about to do. Self deprecation is now what we do best. Brexit is a prime example, sadly.
I worked at a Reliant main dealer 76/77 and a couple of years later bought a Robin van to carry myself and my fishing tackle around! It was yellow, and my girlfriend called it the ' chunk of cheese'!
I worked at a garage with British leyland and reliant dealerships, and when the Robin was released a second mechanic was needed when busy and I drew the short straw and was sent to Reliant factory at Tamworth for training, so I ended working on Robins, Regals the one Del Boy had and Bond Bugs, and back to Land rovers when not required in Reliant work shop, both a joy to work on.
Nice story of a British icon and a lovely couple devoted to keep it alive. But is all that stress and emotion worth it? I'm self employed in Britain and yes I have my good days but sometimes I think to hell with it. Jack the business and stack shelves. Less out goings. Less stress.
It was worth it because if he had jacked it in too soon they’d be even less on the road. I happen to own a 1999 reliant robin. I think if they had modernised the car more it would’ve sold better and been more appealing to younger drivers.
By this time the Reliant three wheeler was a dead duck. Surprised a man like Jonathan Heynes couldn't see that. 60 mpg, motorbike tax and rust free body was a fantastic advantage compared to thirsty and quick rusting 70's cars. But, fast forward 20 years and your average medium sized family diesel will do 60mpg +, is free on road tax, and due to modern technology has fantastic corrosion resistance. Also, the typical reliant customers (older, northern, ex-miner types with a motorbike licence) were reducing massively in numbers by this time.
@supernumery I'll give the chap credit for one thing .... at least he faced people. I used to work for a technology incubator and 90% of the meetings we organised were unattended - people just couldn't be bothered turning up for whatever reason.
There was a point when the difference between a car and a motorcycle was a reverse gear. It was possible to drive a 3-wheeler to the test centre, take your driving test, blank off the reverse position and do your bike test as if in a sidecar combination. I think you're correct in your analysis of Reliant's 3-wheel demographic, Paul, people with a bike license who couldn't be bothered taking a car test and whose wives would no longer get on a bike. Common in the 60s, still plenty about in the 70s, but by the 1990s a dying breed. The Regal/Robin was an anachronism of the British licensing system, like the ridiculous necessity to put pedals on 50cc motorcycles to meet moped laws in the 70s.
Exactly the issue I saw, cars had moved on, but also with all the emissions regulations etc. the days of the small manufacturer of a cheap economy car were over.
@Gary Dodgson I agree about motorcyclists making the best drivers, as a motorcyclist you cannot afford to make a mistake and you have to learn how to ride defensively and be constantly aware. After 43 years, having started out with motorcycles before owning a car, I still drive a car or ride a motorcycle with the same attitude, I see and know many who drive cars without appreciation for the inherent dangers. Everyone seems to think if you ride a motorcycle death is inevitable, yet drive as if no one's ever been killed or seriously injured in a car.
My thoughts exactly, they are a fun little car but the "that's good enough" "make do with what we have" attitude of all the British car and motorcycle brands left them all falling behind. The average small European or Japanese car of the 90's early 2000's was quiet, fairly comfortable, fuel injected, didn't leak, had power steering, disc breaks and got reasonable mpg, the Reliant on the other hand was still using technology that was outdated 30 years ago and getting harder to source reliably.
@@grahamefreestone5309 the one on trademe here looks to be in very good condition , a reasonably priced classic and if i had healthier finances id deffo be tempted, cant be many of them in this country
Reliant sold the rights to that car in 1987.. sadly the next company failed with it. I used to work nearby, I rememebr the day of the liquidation auction - bodyshells and parts going off on trailers. www.sporting-reliants.com/Middlebridge%20Scimitar.htm
Many of my biker mates had plastic pigs, warmer than a bike in Winter and good for carting about engines etc. I did a mushroom trip in one in the early eighties, listening to Ten Years After, hurtling along country lanes watching the lights at Donnington Airport... magic. When they changed the motorbike license it killed off a big chunk of the market for 2nd hand pigs. Fair play to My Heynes for giving it a go. Thanks for the upload.
Terence Jay It’s not always the best idea to take back people who were part of a company that’s already failed twice. Quite the opposite. He should’ve advertised the position and asked how they’d do it with a minimum of labour.
If nostalgia was his only reason for buying Reliant, the effort was doomed from the start. These days automobile manufacturing is a hyper-competitive business requiring massive outlays of capital as well as massive investment in processes and human resources. And on top of that, you burden your enterprise with a brand reputation no less dubious than Edsel and Yugo? This enterprise has/had no chance to survive, much less succeed.
I've watched this many times and always admire those that put a lot of effort into what was really a doomed enterprise by 1996. A very British story really and a glimpse of how many UK motor manufacturers eventually ended up. It seemed he was determined for the 3-wheelers to effectively fund his dream of a new sports car but considering cars like the Mazda MX-5 where already well established by that time then that was really pie in the sky unfortunately.
Personally, i think they should have focused on the affordable 4-wheeler Kitten It would have been a 'mainstream' car that people wanted, without the quirkiness That size, and affordability sells well for ALL other manufacturers, & in big numbers The Biker/Robin licensing association 'loop-hole' didnt have the draw it used to - but, i dont think Reliant followed the trend, as times changed! Sorry to see them go!
had a reliant Regal supervan 111, put a reliant Robin 850 engine in it, Used to love leaving Ford escort 1.4i at lights as they would wheel spin , I could pull a wheely. Also had a Bond bug, put the same 850 engine in that , you should have seen the looks when some one doing 95 mph gets passed by a 3wheeler doing 107mph!
In the early 80's I had two regal supervan 3 one was a 21E I believe that was top of the range (wow) then after them I had a Robin van & Robin saloon great cars that was because I only had a bike licence (the 850 Robin was quick)
I had a reliant supervan when I was first married and we had our first baby, not a lot of money about for ordinary people then, I have to say it was a really good little car, it didnt tip over but I once gave a lift to several people and two heavy lads in the back and when I hit the first bump it did a sit up and beg lol, they were quick to lean forward and we were ok. The engine was alovely little thing
Anyone here remember that Reliant owners always waved to one another if they passed on the road? Can you imagine that now with Audi A6's or RangeRovers? May be but a different kind of wave.
![State of Play | September 24, 2024 [ENGLISH]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/fVs0suPHAX8/mqdefault.jpg)
I bought a 97 Robin last year and restored it, I have a bike licence, so suits me fine. Love it, about to respray it and get it to like new condition as much as possible.
Real people for whom their job meant something and incredible loyalty to the company..
I had a Robin in the early 80's
Drove it on my motorcycle licence
Btw Samantha Haynes is a real looker 😉
@Red Pilled Fox Definitely! 👍
Wonder if she has now had any plastic treatment to her bodywork?
@@michaelstevens630 the Reliant or Samantha Haynes 😉
I Googled a recent picture of her and she still looks great 👍
@@keithe8449 Link Please ?
I’d love too fold her over the bonnet of a reliant and serve her some south London sausage 😩😩😂😂👍👍
Most interesting indeed - my late Grandad, late Father and myself have owned every model made since the girder forked van. I adored my '76 Robin van which was tastefully 'tweaked' by my Reliant agent/friend and was a total joy to drive over the 150,000
miles I put on her. Wish I still had her with all my heart.
Have fond - and not so fond - memories of working on these beasties in the 1970's. RIP, British Icon.......
This car needed a set of out rigger wheels on the front of it like a B-52 bomber has on it's wings. Very good Documentary! 👍
Despite swimming against the tide they hung in there until 2001 finishing up with a facelifted robin with corsa headlights. The new legislation that disallowed 3 wheelers to be driven on a motorbike license and cheaper tax was the final nail in the coffin
We can thank the EU for the death of Reliant and the elimination of the B1 Licence.
@@matthewq4b Bring it Back
Reliant never learned to embrace their weirdness and reach a younger market. By the end they were making an old-fashioned parts bin hatchback that happened to have one less wheel. You can't have conservative styling on a car that's missing a wheel. It needed a cooler, sportier image and some serious marketing to get away from the Woodbine and cloth cap image.
Everyone can drive a car, no one only gets a bike licence (maybe in the 30s). EU had no play in it, just the usual poor British running of a worn out idea.
Too little too late... again.
@@matthewq4b and improvements to car safety in general, thanks EU. Why didn't they ditch the 3 wheel and promote 4, could still be fibreglass or whatever lightweight material was best. They fell behind in the end. Dad for thr brand and the employees who sat through 3 bankruptcies.
the little reliant motor is magic i have been racing one for over 20 years , it is modified to the hilt , the box is magic to every thing is so small no other manufacture can make them this light and small
Lesbian friends and groups
Had a Bond Bug, a Reliant Regal and a Reliant Supervan III. the Regal would do over a ton flat out, but both the van and bug struggled around the 65/70 mark.
All of them had the 700cc engine.
Great little cars, cheap to run, easy to fix. Had a lot of fun in them.
A ton how ?being dropped out of an aeroplane .
Don't ask me how, I've no idea how it managed it, but the needle went past the 90 mark (last on speedo) and actually disappeared behind the chrome trim. I have witnesses.
The Reliant was an anachronism that died between two epochs. Back in the 1950's, young working-class people often rode motorcycles and grafted a sidecar on when they got married. Threewheelers became a slightly more luxurious alternative that could be driven on a bike licence so long as the weight remained below 8cwt. That drastically limited what could be done. However, in 1959 came Issigonis's all-conquering Mini. It required a full car licence, but swept almost all before it. Reliant & Bond struggled on, determined but doomed. Today, with small, electric urban cars the height of fashion, they might have a chance - with sufficient investment - but they didn't last long enough to meet the electric revolution. Perhaps they should've looked around for a Japanese motorcycle engine instead of trying to resurrect and continue building their own mill...
I think another issue for a company like Reliant to survive would be the crash and safety requirements for vehicles today. Now buyers are also interested in the safety ratings of cars they buy, whereas when I was a kid in the 60's we didn't even wear seat belts and such things were given little thought.
The BUG would be a brilliant car for the electric treatment, it is light and it would fly along, just saying
Also not sure it’s gonna pass in the crash tests LOL
Ron Wylie....piss on electric vehicles, more green house gasses are expelled building electric cars than there are when building gasoline powered cars....Google that shit...
@@branon6565 what a ridiculously stupid comment. The average car has a life span of 10 years or more nowadays. The savings on emissions during that time more than compensate for the production emissions. A child of three could understand that
Sid Stevens Just a matter of branding. Reliant owned the marque.
@ Actually Sid, the Bond Bug was made by Reliant (Google it)
Hi Jonathan: You have a great wife. She stuck with you through thick and thin.
The coupe 'Sabre' they made in the 60's was utterly GORGEOUS ! . . . . easily comparable to the Italian & Aston offerings of the time in looks
It oozed 60's style and elegance
Slot in a Rover V8, and it would've been a ICON of the time . . . . but, instead it had a wheezy 4-cyl [Sigh]
I wonder if it had survived till today. would it have stood a better chance with an electric engine and a little lithium battery pack as an electric city runabout. batteries, motor controller and electric motor production sourced outside.
Probably not.
The car you describe was already made in 1987 in Denmark and called the "ellert"
It was never a big succes.
billeder.bazoom.dk/biler/galleri/479/wh/2000/2000/2394608/ellert-mini---el.jpg
the robin supervan iii is the most collectible , there is a company in bolsover doing electric conversions for the robin , they replace the petrol tank with batteries and exchange the petrol engine for an electric one , you do have to leave the car with them for couple of hours but its worth it :-(
Reliant Regal Supervan III
Love these old robin reliants, after Brexit we will be able to start making fine motors like this again :-)
marshalllucky 😂
Reliant robin!! Why do people always get it wrong?? 🤪
@@jimgamble2429 I know , it`s crazy . Did you know Robin also made a version with four wheels called `the kitten`but I dont think it sold well as you needed a car licence to drive those :-(
@@marshalllucky
Who is Robin?
marshalllucky yes, but I imagine they handled a lot better than the three wheelers...
All the millions the government put into BL if they had given Reliant some help maybe it would have survived but with all the legislation changes over resent years re emissions and safety it takes very deep pockets to comply even Morgan has now been sold to some Italian company
New labour stance was not to get involved in private enterprise, MG rover was allowed to go to the wall
I had an early model van in the mid-seventies. It was a rather fetching brown colour, which gave it the nickname 'The Flying Shite'.
I remember that there was a big roundabout on my route to Technical College, where I could lift the left rear wheel on the entrance; the right rear wheel about half-way around; and then left again on the exit.
Another party trick was, whilst having four mates packed into the back and stopped at a red light, holding the throttle to the floor until the valves bounced, then dumping the clutch. That manouver generated a 'wheelie' of about six inches...
My favourite was, due to the dimensions in the back and the fact that the driver and passenger seat-backs hinged forwards, made it perfect for taking a young lady back there for... 'fun'.
I'm 60 now. The 'young lady' has been my wife for many years.
I lived down the road from the Reliant factory in Shenstone and could have had a job with them after leaving school...Here I am now aged 64 and living in Australia..Quite a different car to the Scimitar being made at Tamworth but as I recall, earnt the name "plastic pigs". 😉😉
The same history here in Brazil. We had a car maker, named Gurgel. Fiberglass
Loved it
Didn’t expect to see Geoff Wardle in this video. He is now Executive Director of Transportation Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
He tried. A for effort.
So now after Brexit in future (without EU regulations hindering ?) time to try again..but this time of course with 100 % EV version ?!? Even if EU won't buy them, make a great special deal with Trump sell them as niche toy cars in the huge USA market + the rest of the world willing to try something different ?!
These 3 wheelers took out more 🐇🐇🐇 than mixamatosis.
@Martin Carter He is referencing an old joke about rabbits crossing the road.
If A was for effort, we would have been living in iceage even today! I did alot of effort to solve the problem of peace, terrorism, interstellar travel and exploration, climate change and all the diseases in the world!
Do i get A for effort even though i failed in all areas i did effort!
Just because you see a documentary with sad talking and emotional people doesnt mean you straight away give A.
Reliqnt was stupid and robin was a stupid idea!
What a lovely Missus. Cool looking car but lacking in the wheel department. ;)
Agreed.
I own one and much more fun than a four wheeled car, sticks to the road like its on rails
I bet. There is one local to me and it can pull away at the lights alright.
I know which one I'd prefer to ride.
@@godfreypoon5148 >8^)
Reliants were relatively expensive and lived, rather parasitically, on nostalgia. If cars were built out of wattle and daub, they would still be supported by some enthusiasts........ that gives me an idea.
wattle and daub, a woven lattice of strips, impregnated with sticky stuff
so, carbon fibre?
My stomach was in knots with tension just watching this 😳.
My own opinion, the robin was outdated by 1996. The Bond bug had a little known loop hole, it could be driven on a moped license, a missed opportunity.
How come a moped license? Bit over 50cc.
they should have gone electric... and revive a 1960's model...
Why not electrify the car perhaps in partnership with an existing electric car company that has the electric technology. If Reliant make everything, therefore, they can make the electric skate board chassis and buy in the electric motors and batteries
I understand why he did it, but watching him fight the entrenched attitudes of the staff makes me think hiring them back was a bad idea.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the 'entrenched attitudes of the staff. They knew their business better than anyone, and had to work within the limitations of the antiquated production line and machine tools they had. The way that Reliants were built was somewhat anarchronistic even in the mid 90s, (even Trabant were more modern in terms of the way they were produced). Laying up glassfibre is a skilled and very labour intensive process, for which there are no cutting corners, as it can't be mechanised. The programme mentioned that Reliant had gone bankrupt three times within a short space of time, but what was not mentioned was why. The order book was full, and that was part of the problem, as the factory site wasn't big enough to be able to store enough components in order to be able to produce enough to fulfill the demand. This was partially down to the car having a separate chassis, which was made offsite by a contracting company and were produced in production run in batches, which had to be stored, and storage space was limited. Also, such production required paying for with cash - and as is highlighted in the film, cash flow was an issue, which is basically what did for the company on at least one of the times it went bankrupt. It's very easy to blame the workers, but that always loses sight of the fact that it is upon the workers that companies whether the company makes it, or fails - and with companies such as Reliant, it is only the workforce that keeps the company going. The very fact that it is emphasised in the film that some staff gave up secure jobs in order to return to working for Reliant indicates the committment of staff to the marque.
I am not denying there weren't entrenched attitudes of the staff, but I think there was more of the typical arrogance from management who didn't really understand the business or man-management yet 'knew best'. Let's not forget those who actually built the cars knew what they were doing, and what's more understood what they were doing.
Since Reliant had already gone bust three times or whatever it was before the new fellow got hold of it, indicates to me that there was no real business at all and the boss was clinging on to something that just wasn't there, then tried to blame those making them as being part of the problem. A romanticist if you like. It was a car merely of its time which died in the 70s due to natural wastage.
Unfortunately I worked for 'management' who had all the theoretical training but simply did not understand the business they were in at all, far less those who actually made the whole thing work. Instead of listening to the staff, who knew, management ploughed on ahead with their university degrees and finished the whole thing off, leaving to f'off and ruin the next business.
Very fuel efficient cars
Disgusting the government at time never offered money
Glad they never what a terrible idea.
Its not the governments job to throw money at manufacturers who are determined to make laughably outdated rubbish.
i live in the USA put lets all think on what how and do it I do like the thinking of a car show
"I`ve never done it before ".....oh shit ..
I would like to believe the design of the car is to drive with care
Had a Reliant Super Robin 850 a few years ago. It was faster than an XR3i to 60 mph, I know cos I raced one. The XR flew past me at 70mph, but I beat it to 60 xx
Bollocks
I wonder if those workers who gave up secure jobs to go back to Reliant were able to get jobs again when the firm closed for good in 2002?
I wanted to buy a three wheel car in the early 70s, but my mother said they are for handicap people. So I bought a Mini
What your mother said is exactly what I thought when I first saw them in the 70s!
Have a look at the Invacar. They was the cars for the disabled. I think they were owned by the government. 🇬🇧
@@grahamefreestone5309 I do know about those cars , in the early 60s a disabled man had one and all his family got in. How I do not know ! Laugh /
Wtf is a reliant to do with handicap
He looks so like Harry Enfield I kept expecting a punchline.
@Demo The rules changed again allowing full car license holders and full motorcycle licence holders to drive the three wheel models so long as they are over 21.
If they had restarted building Scimitars I would have bought one
Yes indeed they are such fascinating cars.
The engine used in scimitars were obsolete, mostly the ford V6 engines
Loved my Reliant van. Owned it for 12 years on L plates. Then one day I was stopped by the law saying I could only drive it with a qualified driver. I think in part this was part of Reliants downfall. I did not even have a full motorbike licence. Not sure about today's laws, but I think if you are lucky enough to own a Reliant today then you need a full car licence. I don't drive anything today. I failed my first driving test on a Lambretta scooter. Never botherd again after that. But I was able to take my wife camping all over Wales in the sidecar I fitted to the scooter. Back then you could do that with L plats. Them was the days.
Me and my late dad had few, my last one was the rialtos in beige took it up to 90. big wheels on back. I buy one any time. never got stuck in snow, worked nights and remember a girl saying, well if any one phones in and say they can't get in. I just buggered there idea up. lol
He drives a Range Rover, its very thirsty and also visits the garage more than it stays at home
Can't help thinking if they had brought in an engine supplier then maybe....just maybe the new concept could have progressed?
Like a motorcycle engine ? ruclips.net/video/yWZcMlLdfpI/видео.html
Jonathan Haynes? Nah, that's Stephen King.
what is your Web page
Now you can’t even buy a kit car set?
A ballsy effort, considering what he was up against - decades of profit skimming and neglect, an aged niche product, and a defeatist 'Nah Mate - too hard' attitude from the disillusioned captive staff. Yikes!
Why not electrify the car perhaps in partnership with an existing electric car company that has the electric technology. If Reliant make everything, therefore, they can make the electric skate board chassis and buy in the electric motors and batteries
I would imagine it comes down to packaging. The Robin is small. Batteries are large and heavy. To give the car a reasonable range, would require large, heavy batteries which would make the car expensive and cumbersome.
Battery technology still has a long way to go before electric cars can take over.
@@That_AMC_Guy Agree. Sinclair C5 comes to mind. Come to the think of it after pondering in darkened room they are a prime target for landfill.
Cute British bird.
Very interesting doco, but what in god's name is the generic horn sound effect doing in it?
My trike has a robin rear alax does that count lol
That Pink Floyd guy ,was supposed to be backing this project??
He's a multi millionaire!!
Factory working flat out but only £400 in the bank.
I saw these 3 wheel vehicles (videos) tipping over. Perhaps the wheels in front could be spread out a little bit? Or perhaps make the 4 wheel version used by royalty.
Wow! What an endeavor to take on. Great wife. All those guys were sweating balls. But they were working with a workforce that probably doesnt want to work those crazy hours. They should have just bought engines from an outside source.
I had one in the early 70s on a motorcycle license but tipped it over whilst cornering. An absolute pile of shite.
03 Wheelers were a disaster especially on single track farm roads where the centre of the road was raised and or full of potholes and grass, or driving over a pit in the local Garage or onto a 04 post ramp, rapid cornering was a disaster, but they were great for holding up traffic on a long and winding road.
to be honest if Id left another job to go back to Reliant and got spoken to like he thinks is acceptable I would turn on my heels to the door marked 'exit'
John Wh. ...and the boss would probably appreciate seeing the back of you.
@@nickturner2813 Idiot. He didn't even listen to experienced people who had actually built the cars, seemed to think he knew best. To realise his 'dream' ordinary people trusted this wealthy man and returned to work for this company - and with what reward? If that was the way he talked to his staff on film how did he talk to them when the cameras went away? All for a couple of years employment before being thrown into the unemployment queue again. In the meantime pushed and bullied by an individual who thought he had some innate ability because of his father. He didn't. This at the time Citroen were selling new Saxos, proper cars, at £3995 with free insurance for young drivers. Who did he think his market was? The Reliant site is now a housing estate, I think there is a Scimitar Close. All that is left
@hognoxious I dont think the experience of the people was the problem, more experience is usually better. I think the problem might have been that not enough people wanted to buy a Reliant Robin. (I just dont know how they didnt see that?) They were trying to build something else, something with four wheels but there just wasnt enough resources.
The matter of fact is that they were trying to sell a product that only had a very tiny localized market. That set them half way to extinction.
If it was an undoubtedly good product. People would queue to get one. There's even a good example in the same market. It's called Mini. ;-)
Cheers
36:42 - the Posh girl part.
She sounded normal to this Australian.
the current land rover has a Buick v-8 engine. Sell the fancy home!!!
Yes, it was constructed by Buick and it had an aluminium block. Buick didn't think it was possible to sell a car with a motor like that in the US (American car buyers want a cast Iron block) so they sold the motor to Rover.
Rover copied a Chevy I think in the late 40's that was the engine for their models during the 50s,60s, and no doubt forward of that.
go for the young then the older one's that were there first you can have all put it on facebook and youtube have something on them day in day out and next look up the trike owners in the uk like btw or www.btw-uk.co.uk/ and start up some car shows at some of the buds
just me thinking I only wish i was there I woulkd buy one or two but there not in the USA
If I was an ex employee I would work for free for 12 months just to ensure the company got up and running. No back pay expected.
You can afford to work for nothing for 12 months? How would you feed, house and clothe yourself and your family?
You can do my job for me for a year if you like?
Mr Bean's least favorite rival!!
What a waste of money, flogging a dead horse
Chopped sprayed fibreglass is junk compared to hand laid mat.
It’s cheap, solid and lasts. This is not a Ferrari.
@@noelnicholls1894 Wrong, if you watched the full video you will see they never did it. The floor pan is structural and chopped mat has no tensile strength. There are a lot of people at the bottom of the ocean who went to sea in chopped mat boats.
Paul anon This is comparing plywood to particle board. My boat has floated for 40 years because the mat was thicker. Yes its not ideal. Its IKEA not the Harrods version. the through bolts would have to be longer, some such issues and it would be heavier.
If they had put the 2 wheels in the front and the single wheel in the back for better control/handling, they might have fared better as a company the first time around. Maybe give it a better style too, as it is, they're pretty bland. They remind me of the Volkswagen Rabbit, no frills at all anywhere inside or outside of the car.
What a piece of crap - glorified go carts for the road. Completely useless in snow and ice.
I'm in love with the woman @13:00 mins in. If by any gigantic coincidence you see this - answer my comment and we can be married on Friday.
Not that age makes a difference but she would be well in to her 50s by now.
My calculations took account of the passage of time. I'm not fussy (Well not too fussy).
Good to see in forza, Gran turismo sport shame on you.
Dude’s wife was pretty hot.
Britain after Brexit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The EU rendered Reliant ultimately uncompetitive, in a way somewhat similar to how "democracy" ruined Gurgel in Brazil.
@supernumery a license was actually required, either a car license or a motorcycle one which used to be simpler and cheaper to get before the displacement and power limits becoming enforced. Had those parameters been enforced in a way similar to how it's done in Australia, I'm sure it wouldn't have affected too much the Reliant's market share. I never got the opportunity to test-drive a Reliant, but it might've still been better than a sidecars rig or some motorcycles converted into tricycles.
@supernumery Blimey, you could brighten a room just by leaving it. Has it occurred to you that some people like things for reasons beyond practicality? Live and let live.
@supernumery i have driven (and owned) one. The machine is only as dangerous as the operator, if by "70 year old" you actually mean "would ideally stop diving due to lack of competence", then all cars are dangerous. You did have to have a license.
I can't go back to something i was never with.
What Knob.why would anyone buy them terrible unsafe car.
its not terrible or unsafe though. drivers died in metal bodied cars more
Enjoyed that-Cool name BTW..lol
A brave effort - and not a ridiculous gamble - yes an appeal on nostalgia from the fans maybe but a vision beyond that too. If we knock people for trying when will we ever succeed
That's a good motto to live by.
That's us British I'm afraid. We are the biggest critics of what we do, have done or are about to do. Self deprecation is now what we do best. Brexit is a prime example, sadly.
Paul b self hating, white liberal! England was great but this "vehicle" doesn't represent that
No homegrown cars in the company carpark is always a bad sign.
I suspect Ferrari would disagree... (Enzo himself used an Alfa 164 as daily drive, toward the end of his life.... Ferraris were for clients).
Da Botz P38 Range Rover is a bit british. Enzo had a Lancia Thema 8.32 - look it up.
I worked at a Reliant main dealer 76/77 and a couple of years later bought a Robin van to carry myself and my fishing tackle around! It was yellow, and my girlfriend called it the ' chunk of cheese'!
Orson Kaart its a wonder you even had a girlfriend driving a pig 🐷 around 😂😂😂😂😂
What sort of cheese? Cheddar or Stilton?
You didn't sell it to a man called Trotter did you
I worked at a garage with British leyland and reliant dealerships, and when the Robin was released a second mechanic was needed when busy and I drew the short straw and was sent to Reliant factory at Tamworth for training, so I ended working on Robins, Regals the one Del Boy had and Bond Bugs, and back to Land rovers when not required in Reliant work shop, both a joy to work on.
Your girlfriend sounded like a right goer hahahahaha
I had no less than 5 Robins and Rialtos during the 1980's . They were great reliable little cars , never let me down . They were much under rated.
Stephen Bibby just lacked that 4 th wheel hahahahaha
@James Brennan My thought exactly...If they were reliable why then have so many
5 Robin, zero birds
the robin reliant was a great car , they made one with 4 wheels too but it was called the robin kitten :-(
@@marshalllucky robin is the car model reliant is the brand
More of a romantic than a realist.
Nice story of a British icon and a lovely couple devoted to keep it alive. But is all that stress and emotion worth it? I'm self employed in Britain and yes I have my good days but sometimes I think to hell with it. Jack the business and stack shelves. Less out goings. Less stress.
It was worth it because if he had jacked it in too soon they’d be even less on the road. I happen to own a 1999 reliant robin. I think if they had modernised the car more it would’ve sold better and been more appealing to younger drivers.
By this time the Reliant three wheeler was a dead duck. Surprised a man like Jonathan Heynes couldn't see that. 60 mpg, motorbike tax and rust free body was a fantastic advantage compared to thirsty and quick rusting 70's cars. But, fast forward 20 years and your average medium sized family diesel will do 60mpg +, is free on road tax, and due to modern technology has fantastic corrosion resistance. Also, the typical reliant customers (older, northern, ex-miner types with a motorbike licence) were reducing massively in numbers by this time.
@supernumery I'll give the chap credit for one thing .... at least he faced people. I used to work for a technology incubator and 90% of the meetings we organised were unattended - people just couldn't be bothered turning up for whatever reason.
There was a point when the difference between a car and a motorcycle was a reverse gear. It was possible to drive a 3-wheeler to the test centre, take your driving test, blank off the reverse position and do your bike test as if in a sidecar combination.
I think you're correct in your analysis of Reliant's 3-wheel demographic, Paul, people with a bike license who couldn't be bothered taking a car test and whose wives would no longer get on a bike. Common in the 60s, still plenty about in the 70s, but by the 1990s a dying breed. The Regal/Robin was an anachronism of the British licensing system, like the ridiculous necessity to put pedals on 50cc motorcycles to meet moped laws in the 70s.
Exactly the issue I saw, cars had moved on, but also with all the emissions regulations etc. the days of the small manufacturer of a cheap economy car were over.
@Gary Dodgson I agree about motorcyclists making the best drivers, as a motorcyclist you cannot afford to make a mistake and you have to learn how to ride defensively and be constantly aware. After 43 years, having started out with motorcycles before owning a car, I still drive a car or ride a motorcycle with the same attitude, I see and know many who drive cars without appreciation for the inherent dangers. Everyone seems to think if you ride a motorcycle death is inevitable, yet drive as if no one's ever been killed or seriously injured in a car.
My thoughts exactly, they are a fun little car but the "that's good enough" "make do with what we have" attitude of all the British car and motorcycle brands left them all falling behind.
The average small European or Japanese car of the 90's early 2000's was quiet, fairly comfortable, fuel injected, didn't leak, had power steering, disc breaks and got reasonable mpg, the Reliant on the other hand was still using technology that was outdated 30 years ago and getting harder to source reliably.
It's a shame they couldn't carry on making the Scimitar. 🇬🇧
there is one for sale on NZ auction website Trademe and they want NZ$10.000 for it, a bargain
@@deepsouthNZ .. I've just looked on Ebay and they're not too expensive here either. What condition they're in is another story.
@@grahamefreestone5309 the one on trademe here looks to be in very good condition , a reasonably priced classic and if i had healthier finances id deffo be tempted, cant be many of them in this country
Reliant sold the rights to that car in 1987.. sadly the next company failed with it. I used to work nearby, I rememebr the day of the liquidation auction - bodyshells and parts going off on trailers. www.sporting-reliants.com/Middlebridge%20Scimitar.htm
If only they`d used a chopper gun like jonathan asked them to ..
Many of my biker mates had plastic pigs, warmer than a bike in Winter and good for carting about engines etc. I did a mushroom trip in one in the early eighties, listening to Ten Years After, hurtling along country lanes watching the lights at Donnington Airport... magic. When they changed the motorbike license it killed off a big chunk of the market for 2nd hand pigs. Fair play to My Heynes for giving it a go. Thanks for the upload.
I remember watching this and being quite annoyed at the bodyshop people refusing to use the chopper gun. No matter what, they wouldn't use it.
Terence Jay It’s not always the best idea to take back people who were part of a company that’s already failed twice. Quite the opposite.
He should’ve advertised the position and asked how they’d do it with a minimum of labour.
6:29 Is that a Royal Mail design in the background?
Yep. Never happened as ldv stayed afloat.
If nostalgia was his only reason for buying Reliant, the effort was doomed from the start. These days automobile manufacturing is a hyper-competitive business requiring massive outlays of capital as well as massive investment in processes and human resources. And on top of that, you burden your enterprise with a brand reputation no less dubious than Edsel and Yugo? This enterprise has/had no chance to survive, much less succeed.
I've watched this many times and always admire those that put a lot of effort into what was really a doomed enterprise by 1996. A very British story really and a glimpse of how many UK motor manufacturers eventually ended up. It seemed he was determined for the 3-wheelers to effectively fund his dream of a new sports car but considering cars like the Mazda MX-5 where already well established by that time then that was really pie in the sky unfortunately.
just a thank you for the upload and of course a thumbs up.
Personally, i think they should have focused on the affordable 4-wheeler Kitten
It would have been a 'mainstream' car that people wanted, without the quirkiness
That size, and affordability sells well for ALL other manufacturers, & in big numbers
The Biker/Robin licensing association 'loop-hole' didnt have the draw it used to - but, i dont think Reliant followed the trend, as times changed!
Sorry to see them go!
The nicest model is at 26:20 ... nothing like a beautiful, clean & lubricated body. :)
had a reliant Regal supervan 111, put a reliant Robin 850 engine in it, Used to love leaving Ford escort 1.4i at lights as they would wheel spin , I could pull a wheely.
Also had a Bond bug, put the same 850 engine in that , you should have seen the looks when some one doing 95 mph gets passed by a 3wheeler doing 107mph!
In the early 80's I had two regal supervan 3 one was a 21E I believe that was top of the range (wow) then after them I had a Robin van & Robin saloon great cars that was because I only had a bike licence (the 850 Robin was quick)
The biggest shock of this doc was realising it was narrated by robert lindsay....sounding so posh,and awfully british
@James Smith seems so
I had a reliant supervan when I was first married and we had our first baby, not a lot of money about for ordinary people then, I have to say it was a really good little car, it didnt tip over but I once gave a lift to several people and two heavy lads in the back and when I hit the first bump it did a sit up and beg lol, they were quick to lean forward and we were ok. The engine was alovely little thing
RESPECT for the Risk.
I think it will be better if they bought engines from an other manufacturer like honda
Many small companies do that
Anyone here remember that Reliant owners always waved to one another if they passed on the road? Can you imagine that now with Audi A6's or RangeRovers? May be but a different kind of wave.
I drive a 74' vw everyday,and I wave at everyone
still happens with Land Rover Defenders!
Shame
I'm guessing this doesn't end well.