Reliant Motor Company was a British car manufacturer based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. It was founded in 1935 and ended car production in 2002, the company then became Reliant Partsworld producing parts for Reliant vehicles.

Reliant was a large manufacturing company that mainly produced vehicles for niche markets, such as small three-wheeled vehicles and sports cars. It was best known for the three-wheeled Reliant Robin, but produced a variety of vehicles over 60 years, including sports cars, convertibles and commercial vehicles. Approximately half a million Reliant vehicles were produced and sold in at least nine countries. For a period from the 1970s until the 1990s, Reliant was the UK's second biggest British-owned car manufacturer behind British Leyland.

To make their vehicles light, the company decided to produce car bodies from fibreglass in the mid-1950s. From this, Reliant became a pioneer in fibreglass design, techniques, and developments. Reliant also produced kitchen worktops, train bodies, and personal watercraft shells from fibreglass. In the 1970s, Reliant was the largest producer of fibreglass in Europe.

Reliant became the second largest British owned car company in the 1970s after the forming of British Leyland, Reliant had 5 factories and sold vehicles to 7 countries.

regal

The Reliant Regal is a small three-wheeled car and van that was manufactured from 1953 to 1973 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England, replacing the earlier Reliant Regent three-wheeled cyclecar van. As a three-wheeled vehicle having a lightweight (under 7 cwt, 355.6 kg) construction, under UK law it is considered a "tricycle" and can be driven on a full (class A) motorcycle licence. A light-commercial version with a side-hinged rear door was marketed as the Reliant Supervan.

Following the launch of the Mk I in 1953, the Regal passed through many revisions in a short period, with the "first generation" using the original wooden frame and discrete-panel bodywork design through to the 1961 Mk VI.

In 1962, Reliant introduced the Mk VII, code named "TW7" (Three Wheeler 7). This version featured a new OHV Reliant engine, a new steel chassis and bonded shell design for the body, fully updated visual styling, and was badged as the Regal 3/25, Regal 3/30 (number of wheels/bhp), Regal 21E or Regal 21E 700. The 600cc engine produced 25 bhp (actually 598cc/24 bhp) and the 700cc engine produced 30 bhp (actually 701cc / 29 bhp). During the 1950s, the price of aluminium increased markedly across Europe. In response, Reliant developed an expertise in making panels of glass fibre which piece by piece replaced the aluminium panels, until the 1956 Mark 3 Regal featured a wholly glass fibre body.

Reliant were working for other countries to design vehicles for home-grown production. Vehicles would be sent over in kit form for the countries' own workforce to assemble. Reliant would first design the vehicle to the countries' or companies' requirements. The first was the Anadol in Turkey, which was based on a mix of Ford parts and a custom chassis. The Anadol began as a 2-door saloon, then a four-door saloon, followed by commercial pickup and van versions. The pickup was produced until the early 1990s.

Anadol was Turkey's first domestic mass-production passenger vehicle company. Its first model, Anadol A1 (1966–1975) was the second Turkish car after the ill-fated Devrim sedan of 1961. Anadol cars and pick-ups were manufactured by Otosan Otomobil Sanayii in Istanbul between 1966 and 1991.

A similar vehicle was the Israeli Sabra Sport, also based on a Ford engine and running gear. Reliant was so impressed with the design, they sold it in the UK as the Sabre to help Reliant's company image expand beyond a three-wheeled micro-car maker. The car sold poorly against offerings from Triumph and MG, however.

1961 sabra sport

The name "Sabra" was chosen because it means both "born in Israel" and cactus, which was its logo.  In 1961, at the New York Autoshow, the first Sabras were introduced. Reliant produced the first 100 cars. Their VIN-plates read "AUTOCARS COMPANY LIMITED HAIFA ISRAEL", though they were actually made in the United Kingdom. The rest of the cars were produced in Israel, but only 41 of those were exported to the USA. 81 copies of the Sport were sent to Belgium.

rebel

The Reliant Rebel is a small four-wheeled car that was produced by Reliant between 1964 and 1974. It was designed by Reliant to be a market test to push Reliant into other parts of the market instead of just 3-wheelers.

It was marketed as the smart alternative, because it had a rust-free glass-fibre body, a robust chassis and frugal fuel economy. Many models were produced from 600cc, 700cc, and 750cc with saloon, estate and van variants. It was considered a niche rival to the Austin Mini and Hillman Imp.

Reliant asked Ogle Design to design the Rebel, with the idea that it should look completely different from the Regal, but should save production costs by retaining some of the Regal's parts such as its doors and windscreen. 

The Rebel was a saloon with the same 598cc engine as used in the Reliant Regal 3/25 and only one trim level, but with an accessory list. These vehicles were only produced in two production batches in the Tamworth factory in November/December totaling in only around 100 original Rebel built. 

The Rebel 750 was the most popular Rebel as Reliant gave the Rebel a big marketing push in magazines and newspapers including full-page colour ads, because of this many people were only discovering the Rebel for the first time now with its large range of models.  In 1975 the Rebel would be replaced with the Reliant Kitten.

scimitar

The Reliant Scimitar name was used for a series of sports car models produced by British car manufacturer Reliant between 1964 and 1986. During its 22-year production it evolved from a coupe (GT) into a sports estate (GTE), with a convertible variant (GTC) launched in 1980. All have a fibreglass body mounted on a steel box-section chassis, and Ford engines.

gt se4 (1964–1970)

Reliant's first Scimitar was a coupé based upon the styling of a Daimler SP250 prototype (renamed the SX250) and the chassis of a Reliant Sabre. It was first displayed in 1964. It was powered by a 2.6-litre Ford straight six from the Ford Zephyr and Zodiac. In order to keep cost down, many components in addition to the engine were existing ones originally designed for competitor models, a point emphasized for buyers of the early Scimitars in which unfolding the sun visor involved knocking the rearview mirror out of adjustment.

In 1966 the SE4A was replaced by the SE4B, with a 3.0 L V6 Ford "Essex" engine. A year later, in September 1967, the cheaper SE4C was introduced with a 2.5-litre version of the same engine

gte se5 (1968–1972) and se5a (1972–1975)

The SE5 was conceived and ready for the 1968 Motor Show in less than 12 months. For the SE5 John Crosthwaite and his team designed a completely different longer chassis frame. The main change introduced in the SE5 was the sports estate hatchback body shape, although other car manufacturers had also produced hatchback models.

The SE5 came with the same 3.0-litre Ford Essex engine used in the SE4a/b. This gave the SE5 a claimed top speed of over 193 km/h.

4,311 SE5s were produced. It was an instant success; GT production was cut down and the proportion of GTEs to GTs being built was four-to-one.

gte se6 (1975–1976), se6a (1976–1980) and se6b (1980–1986)

More of a luxury model than the SE5, the SE6 series was promoted to the executive market. These models were two-door sports estates, again with the Ford V6 3.0 L engine as used in the SE5A with 135 bhp,: the wheelbase and the track was increased, making the cars correspondingly longer and wider than their predecessors.

Ford had stopped making the Essex engine for the Capri by 1981, and production stopped completely in 1988 so one of the major differences with the SE6B was the engine. The German-built Ford Cologne 2.8 L V6 was used instead. Introduced at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, only 407 SE6Bs were manufactured. Production ceased by 1986.

gtc se8 (1980–1986)

Reliant began planning a convertible in 1977 and commissioned Ogle Design to create a proposal. Tom Karen adapted his earlier GTE design and created a four-seater convertible with a good-sized boot. From the B-post back, all of the panels were new. The GTC was launched in March 1980, with a hardtop added after the Birmingham Motor Show that year. While it was well received by the motoring press, in 1980 the country was heading into a recession and Reliant struggled to sell its £11,360 convertibles in great numbers. As a result, many cars were left sitting at the factory for months until owners could be found. By 1986 the Scimitar GTC cost 20% more than a Ford Escort XR3i Cabriolet, a similar offering in respect of seats and performance.

A total of 442 production GTCs were manufactured by Reliant (+ 1 prototype) of which 340 were produced in the first year.

bond bug

Sharps Commercials Ltd was a British car maker based in Preston, Lancashire. It was founded in 1922 by Paul Sharp. It changed its name to Bond Cars Ltd in 1963. The company was taken over by the Reliant Motor Co Ltd of Tamworth, Staffordshire in February 1969, who eventually closed the Preston factory in August 1970, transferring the spare parts business for the Bond Minicar, 875 saloon, 875 Ranger van and Equipe models to a firm called Bob Joyner & Son in Oldbury in the English Midlands. Reliant nevertheless continued to use the Bond name until 1974 on Bond Bug models made at their own Tamworth plant.

The Bond Bug, based on a Reliant Regal, became a fashion statement in the 1970s. The Bug was a three-wheeler with a Reliant 700 cc (later increased to 750 cc) four-cylinder engine and a top speed of 121 km/h. Finished in a lurid orange, the Bug had a "wedge" body styled by Tom Karen of Ogle Design. Lacking conventional doors, entry was gained by swinging the roof upwards on a pair of hinges.

robin

The Reliant Robin is a small three-wheeled car produced by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was offered in several versions (Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3) over a period of 30 years. It is the second-most popular fibreglass car in history, with Reliant being the second-biggest British car manufacturer for a time.

The Robin was first manufactured in October 1973 as a direct replacement for the Reliant Regal. These models feature a 750cc engine, but in 1975, the car gained a number of improvements including an engine boost to 850cc. The Reliant Robin was well received in the 1970s because of good work executed by Ogle Design, (who had previously designed the Bond Bug, and Reliant Scimitar) and affordable price, considering 113 and 137 km/h was possible, and orders increased with the 1970s fuel crisis.

In 1989, Reliant revived the Robin name, producing a new and totally revamped Robin featuring a new fibreglass body featuring a hatchback, with later an estate and van joining the range. The Rialto continued in production alongside the new Robin until 1998 as purely a cheaper model in saloon, estate and van models also.

The Robin received another facelift in 1999, with the design executed by Andy Plumb, chief designer at Reliant at that time. This final version was launched boasting the biggest changes since the original launch, with completely new panels and Vauxhall Corsa front lamps. It was the first Robin to be designed with the use of a computer. An electric and a diesel version along with a pickup variant were conceptualised, but never made. A hatchback van was manufactured.

rialto

The Reliant Rialto is a three-wheeled car that was manufactured by Reliant Motor Company, replacing the original MkI Reliant Robin in 1982. It featured a much squarer aerodynamic body, servicing panels, a single large windscreen wiper, a thicker fibreglass body and altered interior, but the chassis, engine and a lot of large components were from the previous model. The improvements gave the Rialto improved high-speed stability as well as improved fuel economy.

The Rialto was built in a number of different models from a saloon, estate, van, hatchback, pickup and flatbed. Rialtos also came in a number of different series: the MkI models from 1982 to 1983; the Rialto 2 series from 1983 to 1986 and the Rialto SE from 1987 until 1998 with the Robin Mk2 from 1989.

Upon release the Rialto had a 12-month waiting list and was one of Reliant's best-selling models ever, but it never gained as much praise as the better-known Robin. In the 1980s the Rialto was Reliant's only 3 wheeler model; the MkI Robin ended production in 1981 and only in 1989 was the MkII Robin introduced.

The sole available engine was Reliant's own four-cylinder 850 cc "red top" (so-called because of its red rocker cover) mated to a four-speed gearbox. It produces 40 hp and gave a top speed of 137 km/h.

kitten

The Reliant Kitten is a small four-wheeled economy car which was manufactured from 1975 to 1982 in saloon, van and estate variants by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was the company's fourth four-wheeled car to reach production, following the Reliant Sabre of 1961 and Reliant Rebel and Reliant Scimitar of 1964.

The Kitten uses Reliant's own four-cylinder 850cc engine, developing 40 hp, with the rear section of the chassis essentially the same as that of the three-wheeled Reliant Robin or Reliant Rialto, and like other Reliants has a glass-fibre body. However, from the middle forwards the car is significantly different, with the engine moved forward to where the Robin's single front wheel is and a Reliant-designed (but Lotus-inspired) double wishbone front suspension. Moving the engine forward increased driver and front passenger room, compared with the three-wheeled cars. The Kitten's chassis, engine, and running gear are the same (with minor modifications) as the later model Reliant/MEBEA Fox pickup introduced in 1982.

In 1982, after selling 4551 Kittens, "small numbers" of which had been built in left hand drive for export, the last Kitten rolled off the production line. It was "not replaced" by a new car but "The all new Reliant Fox" went into production in 1983. The Fox had similar mechanicals to the Kitten, but was a four-wheeled pickup with hard tops available to also make it into an estate or van type vehicle.

the end

The last Reliant made was the Robin 65 a Reliant Robin in metallic gold to celebrate 65 years of car production. The vehicles had every optional extra and sold for £10,000 - 65 of these vehicles were built up to Valentine's Day 2001.