In an earlier video, you showed how the Lexus SC430 was, in fact, not the worst car ever produced. In this video, you proved that the Reliant Robin could easily be driven normally without falling over. You should do an entire series of videos just proving Jeremy Clarkson wrong.
I mean to be honest jeremy did set up his robin with several disadvantages just to be able to get it to tip over. left hand turn, weight added to the right side of the car, couple of other things you get the idea.
Economy we need in the U.S. right now! Imagine how much this death trap would eat the lunch of the manufacturers charging 70k for" basic" transportation these days.
@nowiecoche Well it's because these cars sell really badly. And they have small profit margins. I drive a small sub compact but I really don't think I would get one again. I think it comes down to automakers designing these cars for other markets and not really trying hard to adapt them or make all new models for Americans. Americans love small cars decades ago. I think the modern day designs just don't appeal. Safety is a huge concern. I fear I'll die every time I start my Fit. I will die hitting a wall let alone a Camry or F-150. I also think maybe these cars just don't fit many peoples needs anymore. Cars are a irrational thing. But these small cars just look dorky and lame to most buyers. People on a budget would rather buy a bigger car with better build quality, features, safety, and looks and it has cheaper insurance than a small basic car that feels unsafe, is missing options the used cars they had as teenagers had on them, looks bad, and has higher insurance. People who NEED new cars have the money and will gladly move to the larger offerings. There of course is a demand for small cars here in the US. But the car industry is getting more competitive every year with new brands and the transition towards EVs. Automakers want to focus on the big profit makers rather than waste precious R&D and factory space and logistics on slow sellers. Just my opinion.
When I was 17 in the UK (43 years ago) winter was approaching I was starting to get cold on a Honda CB125s so I bought a used Reliant drove it hard for 6 months till I passed my car test. I often had 3 or 4 passengers, but we were all skinny teenagers, and we went up some very steep hills, through snow, and some distance which it stood up to very well, all while being very economical. It was good for what it was, if it was not for the law that allowed me to drive it on a motorcycle licence I doubt I would have considered it, also being my first “car” I wasn’t really comparing it much. It gave me freedom allowed me to get around in a particularly cold winter. Top gear is an entertainment show, it’s entertaining to see these roll and the show was never intended to be a proper review, they actually had to make a lot of modifications to get those to roll over like that. The engine itself is incredible, it was built in house by Reliant, not a bought engine as many people wrongly suspected. The engine was tough and reliable, incredibly simple and easy to maintain. How many small independent manufacturers of hand built cars make their own engines ? They are often refered to as a death trap, but enough were sold and enough miles driven for the statistics to prove that wrong, they were no more dangerous than other low cost vehicles of the era, and safer than some .
There were all sorts of three wheelers in Britain and Europe, from the 50s to the 90s, and even pre-war ones like the Morgan and BSA. The Morgan 3 wheeler was actually a bit of a pre-war hot rod. With 3 wheelers being able to be driven on a motorcycle license, I think 50s-80s three wheelers (and by the 70s that was mostly just Reliant) were bought by bikers who got married and had started a family, but hadn’t got around to taking the car test, and they needed something to carry the kids in and carry the shopping home, and also later ones by my observations seemed to be favoured by pensioners, maybe because of the fuel economy but also because of the annual road tax system we have in Britain, applied to vehicles, and a car with three wheels used to have a substantially lower tax applied to it than one with four wheels. I’m sure lots of cars where the back seat is a squeeze for adults were mainly meant to just carry kids in the back, and for that they’d be fine.
The designer of the Reliant Robin was Tom Karen OBE who was chief designer at Ogle Design. He also designed the Raleigh Chopper bicycle and the Bond Bug.
I'm so glad Duncan offered up this Robin for review! I'm incredibly fortunate that I got to ride in it the day after your shoot myself. At first I was terrified... and then when I realized we weren't going to tip, I relaxed a ton! It's super fun in that slow-car-fast way and (more or less) it's just about a hair over the margin of being dangerously slow... so riding around in regular traffic is an absolute thrill!
Hi Zack! Thank you for the video ! My Late father owned 7 Reliants ( 2 Regals and 5 Robins/rialto) between 1972 until 1989 when he finally passed his 4 wheel driving test here in the UK! One of my earliest memories was being 5 years old and my dad and a work Collegue drove his first Relant (a 1967 Regal 3/25)into our back garden/yard. In fact my dad's first Robin was a Brand new 1976 Super robin which i went with him to pick up in the nearest Reliant dealer in the next town to where we lived. Thanks for debunking The Top gear Video! love the channel keep up the good work! From this side of the pond! Jonathan Milne.
My uncle us to have a motorcycle but has he got old he didn’t like riding it in the British winter any longer so he bought him self a reliant Regal van but we had a terrible time teaching him how to drive it but eventually he got the hang of it I drove it once it was quite nippy but very noisy they also cost more then a mini back then
I used to see them everywhere in the 2000s growing up in the uk now you dont see them so often unfortunately. They are brilliant in the snow too with them being so light they just simply glide over the top of it fond memories.
Leaving aside my amazement that a 3 wheeler Reliant can be found Stateside, I’m surprised that you were able to drive it on the original UK number plates. My supervisor at Equity & Law had one of these and occasionally he would offer me a ride home. If snow had fallen and the traffic had ploughed two lanes through it where the wheels travel, the snow would be piled up in the middle - exactly where the Reliant’s front wheel was! It would bounce up and down like a boat going over waves.
2:53 Bit confused. You said and showed a fog light switch but externally there were none. Maybe it activates a rear Euro-style tail fog light to make the red lights brighter so people can see the rear of the car?
It would have originally had a rear fog lamp fitted as standard also it's rear overriders are missing but still on the front, and being a Super version would have had 2 fog/ spot lamps fitted just under the front bumper
Cool car! Suggestion for your videos...on cars where the back seat folds down, fold it and get a look from the rear. Maybe have an airline carry-on bag to use as a prop to gauge its size.
Hey! Been loving your car reviews! Have you ever thought of trying to get in contact with the lane motor museum in Nashville Tennessee? I know that they have let other youtubers drive and review their vehicles before and they have an amazing selection of one offs and hard to find vehicles here in the states! That would be so awesome to see you review some of those cars!
@@bwofficial1776 oh snap, I gotta go through his vids then! He's reviewed so many it's hard to keep track! XD Tho I will not complain if he reviews more cars from that museum either way, that place has so many unique vehicles
My dad owned a Robin russet red estate from 1981 to 1983 He then bought a yellow Rialto estate GLS in 1983 He had that seven years as it kept breaking down
Are these cars objectively good? Not particularly, but they were made to fulfill a purpose and take advantage of a quirk in the law. For many people, this was essential transportation. These are interesting cars as long as you don't expect them to be something they're not. It's a fun novelty and an interesting shape.
They were because a lot of people traded their four wheelers for a Robin or had it as a second car. It wasn't lacking in any way aside from a wheel. 70mpg and no rust is a good point.
Much more stable than you think. You gotta be driving like an idiot to tip it over. Top Gear rigged those cars to tip over. One rear wheel bigger than the other, welded diff etc. Done purely for entertainment, but so many people lapped it up as true.
In an earlier video, you showed how the Lexus SC430 was, in fact, not the worst car ever produced. In this video, you proved that the Reliant Robin could easily be driven normally without falling over. You should do an entire series of videos just proving Jeremy Clarkson wrong.
And Doug Muro!
That car was modded for the cameras to make it roll easily. You know, for science.
I mean to be honest jeremy did set up his robin with several disadvantages just to be able to get it to tip over. left hand turn, weight added to the right side of the car, couple of other things you get the idea.
Economy we need in the U.S. right now! Imagine how much this death trap would eat the lunch of the manufacturers charging 70k for" basic" transportation these days.
You can go buy a brand new Mirage or Sentra for under 20k🤷♀️
@@nova730xand that’s it.
Not much for choice in the new car market, is there?
@nowiecoche Well it's because these cars sell really badly. And they have small profit margins. I drive a small sub compact but I really don't think I would get one again.
I think it comes down to automakers designing these cars for other markets and not really trying hard to adapt them or make all new models for Americans. Americans love small cars decades ago. I think the modern day designs just don't appeal.
Safety is a huge concern. I fear I'll die every time I start my Fit. I will die hitting a wall let alone a Camry or F-150.
I also think maybe these cars just don't fit many peoples needs anymore. Cars are a irrational thing. But these small cars just look dorky and lame to most buyers. People on a budget would rather buy a bigger car with better build quality, features, safety, and looks and it has cheaper insurance than a small basic car that feels unsafe, is missing options the used cars they had as teenagers had on them, looks bad, and has higher insurance.
People who NEED new cars have the money and will gladly move to the larger offerings.
There of course is a demand for small cars here in the US. But the car industry is getting more competitive every year with new brands and the transition towards EVs. Automakers want to focus on the big profit makers rather than waste precious R&D and factory space and logistics on slow sellers.
Just my opinion.
@@nova730x Those are horrible cars. I'd rather drive the reliant robin.
@@baronvonjo1929these cars sell really well, when available. It's just that automakers don't make as much money!
When I was 17 in the UK (43 years ago) winter was approaching I was starting to get cold on a Honda CB125s so I bought a used Reliant drove it hard for 6 months till I passed my car test. I often had 3 or 4 passengers, but we were all skinny teenagers, and we went up some very steep hills, through snow, and some distance which it stood up to very well, all while being very economical. It was good for what it was, if it was not for the law that allowed me to drive it on a motorcycle licence I doubt I would have considered it, also being my first “car” I wasn’t really comparing it much. It gave me freedom allowed me to get around in a particularly cold winter. Top gear is an entertainment show, it’s entertaining to see these roll and the show was never intended to be a proper review, they actually had to make a lot of modifications to get those to roll over like that. The engine itself is incredible, it was built in house by Reliant, not a bought engine as many people wrongly suspected. The engine was tough and reliable, incredibly simple and easy to maintain. How many small independent manufacturers of hand built cars make their own engines ?
They are often refered to as a death trap, but enough were sold and enough miles driven for the statistics to prove that wrong, they were no more dangerous than other low cost vehicles of the era, and safer than some .
I like your take on the Robin. Would be easy to ridicule something from a bygone era with today's eyes
There were all sorts of three wheelers in Britain and Europe, from the 50s to the 90s, and even pre-war ones like the Morgan and BSA. The Morgan 3 wheeler was actually a bit of a pre-war hot rod. With 3 wheelers being able to be driven on a motorcycle license, I think 50s-80s three wheelers (and by the 70s that was mostly just Reliant) were bought by bikers who got married and had started a family, but hadn’t got around to taking the car test, and they needed something to carry the kids in and carry the shopping home, and also later ones by my observations seemed to be favoured by pensioners, maybe because of the fuel economy but also because of the annual road tax system we have in Britain, applied to vehicles, and a car with three wheels used to have a substantially lower tax applied to it than one with four wheels. I’m sure lots of cars where the back seat is a squeeze for adults were mainly meant to just carry kids in the back, and for that they’d be fine.
The designer of the Reliant Robin was Tom Karen OBE who was chief designer at Ogle Design. He also designed the Raleigh Chopper bicycle and the Bond Bug.
And the Landspeeder from star wars.
I'm so glad Duncan offered up this Robin for review! I'm incredibly fortunate that I got to ride in it the day after your shoot myself. At first I was terrified... and then when I realized we weren't going to tip, I relaxed a ton! It's super fun in that slow-car-fast way and (more or less) it's just about a hair over the margin of being dangerously slow... so riding around in regular traffic is an absolute thrill!
I remember seeing a fair number of these still on the road (albeit the slightly more modern ones) when I was in Engand in the early 90s.
Hi Zack!
Thank you for the video ! My Late father owned 7 Reliants ( 2 Regals and 5 Robins/rialto) between 1972 until 1989 when he finally passed his 4 wheel driving test here in the UK! One of my earliest memories was being 5 years old and my dad and a work Collegue drove his first Relant (a 1967 Regal 3/25)into our back garden/yard. In fact my dad's first Robin was a Brand new 1976 Super robin which i went with him to pick up in the nearest Reliant dealer in the next town to where we lived. Thanks for debunking The Top gear Video! love the channel keep up the good work! From this side of the pond! Jonathan Milne.
That was such a great shot of the Reliant being hauled off
@Brian_Eugene_Lee The Pigeon is way less safe.
The weird 3 wheel car. On Mr. Bean he would tip it over using his Mini Cooper
Greatest vehicle ever made. Want one so bad!
"Still not tipping!" I love it.
Loved seeing that Reliant constantly getting tipped over, run off the road and pushed out of parking spots in the Mr. Bean tv series!
Mr Bean’s nemesis
Iconic British car ! 🇬🇧
My uncle us to have a motorcycle but has he got old he didn’t like riding it in the British winter any longer so he bought him self a reliant Regal van but we had a terrible time teaching him how to drive it but eventually he got the hang of it I drove it once it was quite nippy but very noisy they also cost more then a mini back then
These were all over the place when I visited England back in the early 80s.
This video was way too shot 😂 we need more!!
My father would have loved this to fit his 6 family people in the 80's! 😃😃
I used to see them everywhere in the 2000s growing up in the uk now you dont see them so often unfortunately. They are brilliant in the snow too with them being so light they just simply glide over the top of it fond memories.
Leaving aside my amazement that a 3 wheeler Reliant can be found Stateside, I’m surprised that you were able to drive it on the original UK number plates. My supervisor at Equity & Law had one of these and occasionally he would offer me a ride home. If snow had fallen and the traffic had ploughed two lanes through it where the wheels travel, the snow would be piled up in the middle - exactly where the Reliant’s front wheel was! It would bounce up and down like a boat going over waves.
2:53 Bit confused. You said and showed a fog light switch but externally there were none. Maybe it activates a rear Euro-style tail fog light to make the red lights brighter so people can see the rear of the car?
It would have originally had a rear fog lamp fitted as standard also it's rear overriders are missing but still on the front, and being a Super version would have had 2 fog/ spot lamps fitted just under the front bumper
I own a Reliant! But it’s their 4 wheel car the Scimitar GTE
Oh, Princess Anne had one of those
@@JobiWan144 Did she? 😅
Cool car! Suggestion for your videos...on cars where the back seat folds down, fold it and get a look from the rear. Maybe have an airline carry-on bag to use as a prop to gauge its size.
It looks like it belongs in a 1970s workplace training video along with grainy film and bad stock music.
Hey! Been loving your car reviews! Have you ever thought of trying to get in contact with the lane motor museum in Nashville Tennessee? I know that they have let other youtubers drive and review their vehicles before and they have an amazing selection of one offs and hard to find vehicles here in the states! That would be so awesome to see you review some of those cars!
I could be wrong but I thought he filmed a few videos there. Last year or so he did a cross-country road trip to visit several major car museums.
@@bwofficial1776 oh snap, I gotta go through his vids then! He's reviewed so many it's hard to keep track! XD
Tho I will not complain if he reviews more cars from that museum either way, that place has so many unique vehicles
My dad owned a Robin russet red estate from 1981 to 1983
He then bought a yellow Rialto estate GLS in 1983
He had that seven years as it kept breaking down
Super quirky, super hilarious at the same time 🏆❤️ from Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Yes, but can you turn it into a space rocket though?
Going up hill with my Kia Soul with a full load also sucks .
Is Kia soul also the Picanto?
Also built GT Scimitar shooting brake with 3 litre Ford V6.
i can see James Bond driving this
Do a review on the Mazda B2000/B2200 from 1986-1993
They had the Reliant Regal Supervan too the Regal was first then the Robin came after the Regal in 1973 or 74
When Stability isn’t a option
that's good it gets that man to work.
I can't imagine anyone in 1976 buying this without plans to use it as a prop in some skit.
I imagine it's like riding one of those old 3-wheeled ATVs.
Well obviously not. A bit like saying that a quad bike is a bit like an ice cream truck.
@mrjed6912 I don't understand what you said. 😕 Obviously not what?
Are these cars objectively good? Not particularly, but they were made to fulfill a purpose and take advantage of a quirk in the law. For many people, this was essential transportation. These are interesting cars as long as you don't expect them to be something they're not. It's a fun novelty and an interesting shape.
They were because a lot of people traded their four wheelers for a Robin or had it as a second car. It wasn't lacking in any way aside from a wheel. 70mpg and no rust is a good point.
The van versions with the big rear door could swallow up a lot trust me I've owned 2
Cool story on the cars history.
They were quite expensive to buy as they were hand built cars. More expensive than some other small 4 wheeled cars.
That's a 1975/6 model going by the registration number
It’s an interesting, funny but horrible car. I remember seeing one in England in the 90’s.
It has a trailer hitch too! What's he pulling with that?
STOP THE PRESSES A RELIANT ROBIN REVIEW!!
i want an old subaru version
thanks for getting in the back the seat behind the passenger looks kinda decent
Really; it's a nice looking car.
The car had to be towed? How come if it didn’t get broken down? thought it is legal to operate the car hence the show and tell
The owner brought it from several hours away so he towed it here!
@@ShootingCars 100% respect!
Well-known from Mr Bean series
Sorry it was Reliant Regal
What a neat car
Magnificent
Saves 25% towards tires
Damn it! Now I need one!😂
great video
Much more stable than you think. You gotta be driving like an idiot to tip it over. Top Gear rigged those cars to tip over. One rear wheel bigger than the other, welded diff etc. Done purely for entertainment, but so many people lapped it up as true.
Hey, it's Walter the reliant robin my good friend Duncan owns 🥰💖💖💖💖💖😍😍😍😍😍😍😊😊😊😊😊
I have one of those car in my collection on Forza Horizon 4 they are a real B to drive LOL!
Do you have insurance if you crash someone’s car? 😬
Yes
Cool 😎
Is anyone else reminded of K9s head from 1970's Doctor Who by the shape of this car??
Top gear modded the robin to flip easily. End of story. Staged for everything. That show is a joke
come on now lots of good and funny just dont take everything seriously
That's the entire point of the show, my dude: it's full of jokes
Why are you shouting the entire time lol