Tamworth's Three-Wheeled Trio - The Reliant Regal/Robin/Rialto Story
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- Hello again! :D
It's time for a look at one of those special kinds of cars, a carryover from the late 1940s that somehow managed to stay in production, spiritually, until as late as 2002. It's been the butt of every automotive joke for over half a century, and people in the UK are especially familiar with the sight of these things tumbling helplessly onto their sides.
But what is the story behind the Reliant Robin and its three-wheeled stablemates?
In truth, the Robin and its kin, despite their simplicity, were much smarter than you might imagine, less a joke, and more a viable alternative for many working class customers up and down the UK.
I realise also I made no mention of the notorious Bond Bug, that can be found here: • The Strange Tale of th...
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References:
- Reliant Enthusiast Club (and their respective sources)
- Bond Cars Enthusiast Club (and their respective sources)
- Staffordshire Post (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)
I was honoured with casting the last run of engine blocks, heads and bell-housings.
Those engines were very good and I was always impressed that Reliant made their own engines for the 3 wheeler cars.
@@andrewstones2921 they were beautiful pieces, I know some got to fly in lightweight home built aircraft.
BunnyR13 weren’t they also popular as engines for “sporting-trials cars”? Light weight and enough “go” to do the job. Les
We had one and a gearbox in a frame at school, teach us about mechanics , beautiful little engine 👍🏻
From roughly 1968 to 1972 I owned a Reliant van, it was a really fun car, I modified it with thick insulation in the back, electric screen washer, rear wiper, racing seats and a centre console, as I said a great little car. How I miss it!!
I knew of a guy who spent a couple of years restoring one of those old Reliant vans to pristine condition. On completion he took it into work to show it off, and at lunchtime they decided to go to the pub to celebrate his achievement, so all his mates piled in the back. Unfortunately they all had a few too many, and on the way back he rolled it, completely destroying the van.
My uncle never owned a car with more than 3 wheels, he loved his Regals 👌🏻😎
Wonder how much he saved his enTIRE life ?? 🍳😂♨
I was happy with my second hand Robin until some tulip came out of a side turning and hit me amidships. The Robin keeled over onto the drivers side blocking me in. The cheerful gurgling of escaping fuel from the split tank wasn't encouraging but fortunately said tulip jumped out and lifted the car and me back on the wheels single handed. Never felt the same after that, and the engine was a bugger to work on in the car - quicker to remove it and work on the bench. Got me to work every morning though, so fond memories.
What a story, reminds me of overturning golf buggies 😅
Oh yes,even changing a spark plug was a chore.
Decades ago my dad ran into a three wheeler. It was severely damaged and the owner was distressed about having to get to meet someone. My dad offered the guy a lift but due to himself being shocked at the accident,he promptly ran into another car ! The poor three wheeler owner jumped out of my dads car shouting 'you're mad you are!' I miss my dad, had some great stories....
@@rodneyhull9764 What a twit.
@@rodneyhull9764 Your dad sounds like a right mess! lol good story
Outside of ridiculous populist tv shows, very few got crashed by rolling, most were driven by motorcycle riders wanting to survive the British winter without frostbite in their extremities, people accustomed to risk who were aware of the limits of their vehicle. They're actually really fun to drive and not as dangerous as usually assumed
Mate, your videos are great! No ads, no sponsorship plugins, and the detail to which you explain everything is fantastic and much appreciated and all this as a hobby too. Look forward to the next one.
Big thanks!!
His output is amazing, and delivered with enthusiasm.
Another brilliant insight into history. Thanks!
I thought that car looked familiar. 👍
Would you make a video on the car?
@@John-ci2sd One day!
I always thought the Kitten was a very neat and attractive looking car. I also remember Car Magazine giving it a thumbs up!
A boyfriend of mine had one, he gave me and my sister a lift home from a club, she had to sit on an upturned bucket. It was quite funny at the time.
It's bouquet! An upturned bouquet! B-U-C-K-E-T Bouquet!
Talk about being the 3rd wheel...🍳😂♨
Margaret Hughes: His name wasn’t Delboy by chance, was it ?
Did anyone else notice the irony of the Reliant company being owned by the Beans Engineering Division of Beans Industries Ltd from 1992 to 1996?
There cannot be only two of us .
He owned the very thing he sought to destroy.
So what happened to the bean motor car. ???
I live just a few miles up the road from the old Reliant factory site, such a shame there is nothing left now. Even the Cars around Tamworth are all gone, lots of Reliant Cars used to be around here because of staff discounts but apart from a mint Scimitar or two everything is gone.
aint all of britains motor industry what a shame.1 thing though av ya seen prices these on e bay going through roof so long will they live
I have lived in Tamworth for 35 years and remember the factory and the various Reliants pootling about.
Thank God !!!!! Flippin 'Death Trap'!
That is the one Model that wasn`t mentioned. The Reliant Scimitar, a lovely sports car. I often thought about buying one, sorry I didn`t now 😎👍.
@@stephensmith4480 Yeah, I can understand the regret. They are either a multi year project and in a dreadful state or mint and pretty expensive compared to other classic options, few cars on my list are the same now.
I learned to drive in a Mk1 Robin estate, no driving lessons, just straight in and away crunching a few gears along the way. I have since graduated to four wheels and I drive a Kitten saloon 1976, a fantastic little car nippy around town, and will hold its own on the motorway and merely sips fuel. I will one day find a Scimitar for the right price. I have loved Reliant since I was a kid in the seventies, when they were everywhere. A classic British quirk of motoring, long may they stay on the road
I can remember the pleasant to me, smell of fibreglass and resin when I passed the factory at two gates in the 70’s/80’s
“Pleasant smell of fiberglass and resin”
And the workers struggling with brain damages because of styrén fumes 🤯
We had a Kitten UMA 275R when we were first married. It took us all over and never even coughed. 50mpg all the time. A great car.
But did it purr ?? 📉😎📈
No Joel. It Roooaaared!!!
@@rogerdunant8708 toushay Rodders.
They have a real charm of their own these Reliants. I'd like to make a UK road trip in one.
Best idea I've heard in a while👍
@@JTA1961 I know, right?
Buy one for a couple hundred quid, have some friends and cruise down the B-roads, from Brighton all the way up to Scotland.
The yellow kitten looks absolutely fantastic.
Ben Helweg The kitten was a nice enough little thing, and handled very well round an driving obstacle course when I borrowed one from a friend. Les
My Mother had a Kitten Estate, I had a Rebel estate, both excellent cars (but they did demand a lot of maintainance.)
Great stuff. Well-researched and interesting . Glad that there weren't any jokes rather than played straight.
Yes - people may mock them now, but in their day they were a boon to former motorcyclists like myself going to work in the pouring rain and wind - and you only needed your motorcycle license to drive them.
Great story! Especially because it explains why they were succesfull in their time. I never fully understood why 3 wheels could be a success. I love quirky cars, and am glad there are lots of Reliant enthousiast taking good care of their vehicle.
Superb videos, facts presented sweetly, story line to the point, best car video team on the books. Thanks.
The Kitten was a great looking car but I think they should have called it something else, slightly too cute a name. I’m surprised it didn’t sell better.
4 of us had them in the late 70's, drove them on bike license, RD250D went away for Winter, we used to drive over Keighley Moor in the Winter in 6" of snow for laughs on a Sunday afternoon LOL, good times back then
I'm a car guy and this is the first I've heard of these. Thanks for the schooling.
Thanks for posting this great video. I will always have a soft spot for Reliant three wheelers as my Dad owned eight of them, all from new except one throughout my childhood. He also taught me how to drive his 1982 Rialto GLS 3dr around empty car parks as soon as I could reach the pedals. Very underrated cars which are great to drive but sadly a rare sight on roads today!
I've just bought an 1985 Rialto gls estate , I love it
My dad owned a 1981 Reliant Robin estate,then two years later,bought Panama yellow Rialto estate GLS
Charcoal coloured seats
He had it for seven years
I don't think they deserved all the ridicule. I remember as a child thinking they were rather cool because they almost looked like they were defying gravity. I love my country but we do have a bad tendency towards snobbery.
Dead right Sir. But, the snobs are far out weighed by the good people. Peace be unto you.
Great review and history of a car that you just don't see here in the states. The older I get, the more I'm fascinated by the British auto industry.
I love my robin had it for 3yrs with no Problems Cheap to run ❤️🇦🇺
What an amazing and complex history----and, so many changes and variations to models. Unequalled I'd say. It must have knocked the stuffing out of motocycle and Sidecar sales.
My regal was my first car and my best, so many adventures in it aged 18 and self-taught myself how to drive having only a motorbike licence. In 79/80 had an aluminium plate in the roof for a CB Radio Ariel, and my hand was The Plastic Pig, even today people call me The Plastic Pig.
How are you doing today?
I had a Rialto estate, that I used for my gardening business for several years. I had a print shop produce a vinyl advertising print to cover all the rear windows and flowers to go on the body. It effectively turned it into a van. Everything I needed either went in the back or my little trailer. I got so many jobs, because people couldn't help bbut notice the Reliant and my business. Sorry I can't put a picture on here
Yet another phenomenal video!! I consider myself quite a car/engineering nerd but I learn so much every video of yours I view! Great Stuff!!
Liked and subscribed about 7 hours ago. It is now 5:30 a.m. It is also a good thing that I am retired and my time is my own. I'm nocturnal by nature so no harm done. I've watched your work all night and enjoyed every single one.
Thank you from E. Ontario!
I had a Robin and two Rialto's over the years, great little cars that just keep going.
Folks, if you want a fun car, a MK2 Robin or a Rialto will absolutely amaze you. The deliver about 75 to the gallon, are cheap tax and cheap insurance, parts are amazingly plentiful and they can be wound up to get close to the 100mph.
Only today was I bombing around the local infamous S bends and my MK2 goes round them bends like its on rails, I have never had a rear wheel lift off the roadway and these cars are absolutely bullet proof in terms of maintaining. Robins and Rialto's had anti-roll bars at the back which are very effective and you can fit gas shock up front, Mini front gas dampers on back, replace them antiroll bars with a particular Peugeot GTi set for a much stiffer roll.
It is like driving a very nippy 3 wheel Mini and you can mod them with better front seats, decent stereo, LED indicator and rear lights, electronic ignition is a major improvement to performance and I use the triple pronged spark plugs in mine for a really good ignition point.
The brakes some people are leery of but you aren't driving a HGV and those Girling drums are very effective, the Rialto and MK2 Robin have galvanised chassis so will never rust out and to be fair the only thing you would miss from a normal car is maybe power steering, air conditioning and electric windows. The steering is light as a feather and very firm at speed, air conditioning is a bit difficult it is true but you can fit electric window kits as well as central locking kits if the fancy took you. These cars are insanely great fun to drive I kid you not and you drive them like an old British sports car... into a bend like a lamb, roar out of the bend like a lion and you have a 0-60 that is better than some modern cars.
I believe some parts are getting hard to find?
My Dad owned a Robin, Rialto and a reliant.. the green Rialto gave him nothing but grief!
He used to go fishing; I went with him once, but driving down some lanes where the centre was raised, you felt each bump! Horrendous journey, but fond memories.
Strange but true: No top speed was ever established for the Rialto because nobody, not even the factory test driver, dared keep their foot down until it stopped accelerating. It was certainly above 100mph in factory tune. Mine was one of most fun cars I ever had and by golly could it fly.
+ Ian Johnston
I have some very important questions to ask you.
These are related to your comment.
1. Has there ever been one like you before you were born?
2. Will there be another one like you after you are DEAD?
3. Are you the one and only in existence?
4. Are you unique? If I searched the entire world, could I find another 'you' ?
5. Are you alive?
If thou answered:
1 NO
2 NO
3 YES
4 YES
5 YES
It should be realized that the word 'nobody' in your statement is incorrect.
Because;
'one' is unique
'one' is alive
There has never, was one like you before you came into existence.
There will bever be another 'one' like you ever again.
You are unique - special -and- 'one' of a kind
Conversely 'every'body' is the same.
Rotten and stinking after four days and every'body' you will find in the cemetery.
Unfortunately you were never taught correct English, and are a victim
of manufactured ignorance.
'Any'body' // Every'body' refers to the DEAD
'Any'one' // Every'one' refers to the Living
Had you been a student in my English and History classes you would have
known that.
I will assume you do not know the difference between ON and on
They sound the same but they are not the same.
Do you know the difference between 'passing' and 'overtaking'
Certainly, North Americans don't have a clue.
Whether or not you know is presently unknown.
Learn also that CORPORATE names, including the word CORPORATION are
always written in the ALL CAPS iteration, as CORPORATIONS are DEAD
entities {They do not have a soul} CORPORATION from the Latin CORPUS,
meaning CORPSE -- and like the CORPSES in the cemetery they have the
CORPORATE name in ALL CAPS.
Now you may ask; why do you see what appears to be your name in ALL CAPS.
See if you can figure it out for yourself.
I will give you a clue: L00K IN A high-level dictionary for the meaning
of PERSONA, and if you cannot figure it out I will teach it to you.
Then you will discover how you have been manipulated since your first
day at the CORPORATE GOVERNMENT indoctrination center known as school.
... I spent 13 years teaching English and History following a 30 year
Military career - Finally retiring from teaching in December 2019 so
I could enjoy what remains of my life.
As a former military pilot, I will say to you 'Pay attention to detail'
Male sure you actually see what thou is looking at.
{Note: Thou is singular -- You is Plural} - This word is commonly
misused in the English language, as the language is being bastardized
year by year - mostly as a result of North American infuence -who were
at one time the guardians of the English language - Now they are a nation
of dummbed-down confused people, thanks to the U.N. who control most of
the world education/indoctrination system.
Good luck - Giidbye and stay awsome.
COMMENT REFERENCE: Ian Johnston.2021101220759
NOTE to third party respondents: When your name is not mentioned in
the comment reference #- your replies are ignored - I am to busy with
other matters. So good luck everyone and take the free lesson and
spend your time in extensive reading of books to educate yourselves.
@@andrew_koala2974 Err....too busy.
Had a Regal, Supervan II and 2 Robins in the 1970s [on a bike licence]. And finally a Scimitar GTE 3 litre in the late 1990s. Quirky cars which you dont see anymore, they are all the same now.
had a Robin in the 1980's, great little car, if the battery went a bit flat i used to just stick my right leg out of the driver's door and push it till i got a bit of speed up then drop the clutch in second gear and away i went, managed to get it up to 80mph but i only did that once, a bit too lively on the handling side, had a Kitten for a while too but i only drove it for about 60 mile's and someone offered me twice what i paid for it so i sold it,
i also kept a can of easy start (ether based ) on a cold morning in was like nitro >>>great fun
Part of me feels like an electric Robin would be a hit if someone had the balls to revive it now.
Exactly, as long as its not made larger and pricier to be "safer" it could work
People did that back in the day but very little so clearly wouldn't have been that popular
Truly the anti-snob symbol 👍🤣
The Kitten was actually a very good car. If the engine was maintained correctly it was a very nippy car.
That was great, as it was a good reminder of all the years, I drove the two Regals and the three Supervans I had.
I left the UK in the early 80's and had not keep up to date with the fate of the Reliant brand.
I do remember my late father deliberately scaring the shit out of towns folk by going round bends on two wheels.
I later found out a Reliant’s roof could survive one roll over, but not two lol.
Before leaving Britain, I had a couple of years with a three-wheeler Mini kit car called a Ranger Cub. It looked fantastic from the front, but like a boat from the back. It was so much more fun to drive than a Reliant, as it didn't fall over!
But a Reliant was more practical, I still have a soft spot in my heart for them and many fond memories too.
I used to work with the owner of BNN in a factory in the 1960s. At the time I owned a Bond Minicar and he had a Triumph Herald. He used to scoff at me and said anyone who drives a 3-wheeler is mad. Imagine my amazement when this former friend I had not seen for years, appeared on local TV talking about the collapse of his company when Reliant let him down. I was aware of Reliant production moving to a former boatyard, but I had no idea my former 3-wheeler hating workmate was the owner. If you see this, Les, best wishes from Derek.
And the world is still awash with Piaggio Ape and Tuk Tuks. They missed a trick somewhere.
It’s maybe worth mentioning the reason they went for the less stable one wheel at the front, two at rear design. This was so you had a lower cargo base between the two wheels.
Thanks for posting.
What a channel you have going there, Ruairidh! Before we got a 'Dormobile' - referenced at my comments on your recent Summerland video - we used to go on holiday in a tent taken in our Reliant Regal, so thanks for the memories. With those very similar-looking invalid carriages that were current at the time my older brother used to call our Reliant Regal a 'poorly car', but we still sort of liked it!
I bought a secondhand Rialto in around 1986 as a change from my motorcycle, it being much drier and able to carry stuff. Sadly I fell victim to the single-at-the-front wheel format and rolled it on the M1, bouncing then flipping over at high speed. Because of the fibreglass it was very light and had great acceleration up to 30ish.
That single wheel at the front put me off.
@@myparceltape1169 The Bond company got it right with their 875 threewheelers. Hillman Imp engine in the rear and a cleverly designed sloping bulkhead gave it great cornering capacity. I've had mine well over the legal limit and with radial tyres was never a hint of rolling over, only the interior trim and seats let it down.
@@adrianpolley6709 Good to hear that.
I was in a similar roll crash in a Regal van when I was a kid back in around 1973.
My Dad had 3 of these plastic pigs , never had a full license. I had the original dell boy regal van as my first step into motoring. Great things but there’s too many bell ends on the roads now so I’ll stick with the Volvo ☺️
Thanks for the upload, a blast from the past, having owned a regal, Bond bug, Robin Van/estate, and a rialto, many thanks 😁😁
Yer man I had a Purple Robin for years!!! Terrible to drive with a foot of snow on the ground
great fun tho, i floated mine thro a flood once and got an applause from the 4 wheel brigade ....
this video is about 13 minutes and 36 seconds without all the pauses, but this is really nice info. Thanks! XD
Really great video and fascinating history. I had no idea these were still made in to the early 2000s and they were due to driver license fees.
Brilliant video, well researched, well presented, and absolutely entertaining.
I had a regal 3/25 for years...for some reason it's the most 'fun' car I have ever had and I actually look back on those years with nostalgia. One of the things I remember was that it was so good to get around with in the snow..I would have no problems when 4 wheel cars were all getting stuck.
Strange how you get attached I've just put a post on about the one i had ..
9:24 "Sometimes life can be a challenge, we have to try and keep a balance" is very appropriate on a three-wheeler
I was a passenger in a Reliant Robin on several occasions.
My uncle had one.
It was very hot in the cabin as the engine extended way back in the passenger area and separated the driver from his passenger.
It was very noisy, rather like the noise level in the engine room of a cross channel ferry.
But by far the worst thing was the ride.
It was akin to being dragged down the road at 30mph on a shovel.
Great video! Btw Ape is pronounced ah-pay and is Italian for bee. Piaggio call their 2 wheeler Vespa (wasp) and their 3 wheeler Ape (bee).
Well, you learn something every day.
I had a beige Regal that my gran sold to me as my first car. I'd already had difficulty pulling the birds but owning this made sure that I would not trouble the female of the species for many a year. It was an awful car, even though some people charitably said it had "character". It was unreliable, very difficult to work on and downright dangerous, affording very little in the way of safety. My Dad borrowed it one snowy day and turned it over, wrecking it. I remember being mightily peed off at the time (as it left me without transport, being only third party insured), but in hindsight it was probably one of the best things he did for me. I bought a MkII Escort with vinyl roof and sports alloys, which was an excellent car but which sadly didn't make me more attractive to the opposite sex.
I heard you'd get ALL kinds of meow in the kitten 📉😂📈
My grandfather's Reliant Regal Supervan was the first road vehicle I ever remember travelling in and I loved it! While everyone else went around on four wheels, we were able to manage with three!
Thank you for posting I never new a thing about this company. It was nice to watch.
My mate had a Reliant Robin. After a party he offered to run a few of us home. Six of us plus him. We stopped at at a set of traffic lights about a mile from my home. There was a cop car at the other junction and we were sure they must have seen a couple of the lads legs poking out of the windows. We made a dash for it and turned into a housing estate. It flipped onto two wheels the careered towards the kerb, hitting it and puncturing the front tyre. We all jumped out and hid in gardens. The cops turned up and shouted 'come out now or we will get the dogs' we stayed put until they had gone. When we came out from under cover the driver was missing ? We walked to my house and all crashed out there. At 3 am my Dad woke me up and said'there are two gentlemen at the door that want a word with you' They were cops............
That rings a bell taking 6 RAF palls from Conningsby to Boston for a night out similar experience but with RAF poilce ...
Ah, happy days eh !
The 325 was very shaky in high wind a workmate used to give me lift when I worked for British Leyland, remember them?
From Vehicles to Crystal Palaces, immensely entertaining channel.
And, oh yeah, some trains also...
In 1990 in East Germany people were ashamed of their Trabants and buying VWs as fast as they could. In a stube (pub) I told the guys we had plastic cars in the UK and they only had three wheels! They thought I was joking at their expense. Didnt believe me. As a motorcyclist I used a Reliant in the winter and bad weather for many years to get to work and do the shopping etc. Great little car. Dead cheap to run and highly 'Green' in modern parlance.
I had a 1961 model. It didn't have a heater which made it very difficult to drive in freezing conditions. Cant say I enjoyed it very much, sold it and went back to my motor bike!
Brilliant documentary on Reliant. Surprised you did not mention Bond cars, which must have been one of Reliant's chief competitors.
A mate had two in the 1970s, a Regal then a Robin. He only had a motorbike licence at the time.I have many memories of riding in both as a passenger.
I owned two Reliants. The Regal Mk 5 was a bit basic but the 3/25 was a nice little car. I never had any stability problems. 3 of us toured Ireland in the Regal, which had a roof rack!
I was a passenger in a mates Reliant Regal one day.
We had just been on a dual carriageway at around 70mph for a fair few miles, then we got into town and eventually turned up a driveway at a slow walking pace-when the bloody front wheel collapsed!
The steel crossmember/outrigger that supported the front wheel had obviously corroded. The car had an Mot and was all legal, but I often thought what if it collapsed at 70mph?
I imagine we would have been sliding down the road in a hail of splintering fibreglass😳😳😳
i went over a hump back bridge to fast and landed with a thud ,,, the fuel tank fell off,,
8:00 That Orange Kitten looks awesome ..I wouldn't mind that at all .. In fact the Kitten would suit this day and age , it is a rather nice looking car
Probably not the safest cars but their cuteness cannot be denied. Love the coupe that looks like a 1/2 Anglia. And to think that at one time they were owned by a company named Beans. LoL.
Really interesting. I remember my Dad telling me about these 3 wheelers.
My parents had a K-reg (?1971) Reliant Regal, on which I practised while learning to drive in 1980. The gearstick and clutch both felt like clunky switches, and I'm sure I can't be the only driver who occasionally changed gear using the dipswitch instead of the clutch - it was a foot-operated button on the floor. I remember trying not to weave where the road menders had left a hump in the middle off the carriageway; and the disconcerting way the car floated around in a strong wind on an open road. When the family of four were all inside, the two in the back had to agree whether to put their knees left or right!
I purchased a Reliant supervan mk 3 Beige in colour and was nicknamed susie (reg was RCT575H) whilst i was stationed at R A F Conningsby in Lincolnshire i believe it was 1973. I use to drive from Conningsby to Ipswich every friday night to see my then girlfriend and drive back Sunday night a round trip of approx 240 miles. I could write a book about our travels and still have fond memories of Susie..
Really interesting. With the upcoming recession a chap from of transport may be back in demand.
The BN1 was a surpriseDid'nt know about that.Great job❤😎👌!
I like old cars!
My Dad used to have one when we lived in Nuneaton close to Tamworth.. He was a biker so the license issue helped as he only had a bike license
I loved it as a kid..my dad was a monster so we got no pointed fingers though lol
Note: Reliant Robin not Robin Reliant as so many people annoyingly call it. There is no Fiesta Ford or Astra Vauxhall.
I love the Regal Reliant
@@cremilar - The Bug Bond is my favourite!
Correct. I don't get why people say that...
Good video, but you did leave out one Reliant model which was the TW9 "Ant" which was 1/2 ton semi forward control 3 wheeled truck (I had a tipper version) that could be driven on a B1 license, that was quite popular (rural areas milk "floats" was a favourite).
There was even an articulated Ant, but I can't remember if it used a fifth wheel or Scammel coupling ? 🤔
Great narration and very interesting!
My first car was a Reliant van. Will never forget the manual push/ pull windshield washer. No mention of the BUG?
Maybe because it was sold as a "Bond" Bug , different firm altogether.
The Shining ‘confession’ theory is actually pretty cool.
Many of the British 3 wheelers had the same flaw. One wheel at the front, delta style. Put the two at the front, tadpole style, and you have an extremely stable platform. Never figured out why....
I almost bought a Robin! I'd passed my motorbike test before taking my car test and I was tempted to take the 3 wheeled route and bypass having to pass my car driving test!
However, I saw sense and just took my car test....😁😎👍
I remember seeing a few Kittens about, they looked really cool.
Also used to get taken fishing in a Reliant Scimitar, they were incredible looking cars!! 😎👍
The Rialto was quite a smart looking car. A shame Reliant couldn’t survive on the back of buying the rights to the Metrocab from MCW.
I remember the Regent van from the late 50s as a Fish/Poultry & Egg street sales belonging to a war veteran who had lost a leg. Then in the mid 70s a work colleague had a Regal van and I used to get a lift along the perfectly straight road to the bus stop home.
They were not a joke but an important part of British motoring and social history.
A really entertaining account, but I have to wonder about the safety and handling of three-wheel cars. Would have liked to see under the bonnet, or wherever the motor was. Must have been a trick to change the front wheel? It's surprising that safety legislation didn't make them obsolete sooner! Anyhow, a great story about unique vehicles!
Neighbours across the road in the early Eighties had a Regal. Went out in it one windy day and came back with fibreglass front-end folded back from "A" pillar across windscreen. He had to pop the "bonnet" out to see to drive home. Weren't they really popular in Austria at one time, for some reason? There was a lot with foreign plates on your video.
shame Reliant didnt carry on a little longer, i think the fibreglass body of a simple small car with no fancy extras and the rather good looks of the kiiten would be ideal as an electric car
A fibreglass-bodied electric car. What a great idea! Unfortunately it wouldn't get through crash protection regs.
The Citroen Ami electric car is just that (but with a Polypropylene plastic body)
17:45 "We have to try and keep a balance" - IDK if this is a slogan for the van's (ex-)owner Trotters Independent Trading Co., but anyway it is hilariously appropriate for a three-wheeled vehicle that is notoriously prone to rolling over 😄
My first car in1978 was a 1972 Reliant van in a hideous green colour. Still I loved the thing as it got me out of the rain and cold unlike my motorbike LOL.
Awesome video!!!! I enjoyed watching this video!!! Thanks for sharing it!!!!
I enjoyed the video, but I'm deducting points because you referenced the Reliant Scimitar without mentioning that "Princess Anne has one of those, you know."
In all seriousness, though, this is really cool. Thanks for keeping it serious.
The fibreglass body shot the Reliant into the thoroughbred pedigree of German marques such as the glamorous Trabant.
The Trabant wasn't even fiberglass. The body material was called Duroplast and was made from waste cotton and resin. Similar idea but not the same.
@@catjudo1 Definitely correct. Duroplast is nasty stuff, a phenyl resin, toxic before thermosetting, still smells gross when set, cannot be recycled and does not biodegrade. Then again, the body of a Reliant car has most of those issues with disposal too.
I had a white Regal van with side windows and rear bench seat.
Good points were it was cheap, cheap, cheap to run, especially on fuel
Bad was the handling and the very poor heater
I fitted eyeball air vents with ram air hoses to the footwells, brilliant in the summer when the heat from the engine made it very uncomfortable to drive
With a full load of bricks in the back it would wheelie very easily
love it !! took the mother in law out and had a back wheel come loose ++ that shook her to bits ++that was nearly 50 years ago and we still have a laugh about it ..she`s 89 ,,
very underated company, i started of in a robin, 50mpg,50mph,absolutely never let me down, then they made the scimitar
wonder how stable it would have been with two front and one rear wheel . add rear engine and cvt drive to make it even cheaper .
A few modern companies have done reasonably well with "reverse trike" motorcycle designs due to their stability and forgiving nature, typically purchased by older riders looking for a more relaxed ride. It's not unreasonable to assume that these companies could produce a small coupe based on a similar platform, but the bean-counters would never approve it due to the relatively small number of projected sales.
I don't think the single rear wheel layout would work for these because they're also vans, you'd end up with the load area straddling the single wheel. A rear engine's a good idea though, the last three-wheeled car that Bond made before Reliant bought them out used a rear engine (basically the whole rear subframe from a Hillman Imp), it was noted at the time that it was surprisingly quick.
Superb presentation Thankyou
Great video! I liked that little ROBIN car......in blue! Thank you for sharing!
Very nice presentation.