Reliant Motors

A-Z of 3-Wheelers Tour

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Reliant

Reliant Regent

Reliant Regal Mk I - VI

Reliant 3/25, 3/30, Ant

Reliant Robin

Reliant Rialto

Reliant Robin 65

Why call it Plastic Pig

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	Reliant Motor Company.


	The Reliant Motor Company was formed in 1935 when T. L.

Williams built the first prototype vehicle in his garden at Kettlebrook, Tamworth (UK). A former Works Manager at Raleigh who had worked on their Raleigh Safety Seven T. L . Williams left the company to build his own 3-wheeler. He completed and licensed the vehicle on the 1st January 1935. This vehicle, "The Reliant", was a 3 wheeled 7 cwt van powered by a 600cc Jap engine. It is believed Williams called the company Reliant as some of the old Raleigh parts he used had the initial R on them and so he needed a company name starting with the same letter. It was during a visit to the 1937 Commercial vehicle show that Reliant acquired the supply of the Austin 7 engine for their vehicles which they continued to use until 1939 when they made their own engine based on the Austin 7. These were replaced in 1963 by Reliants own die-cast 600cc four-cylinder engine.

With the onset of the second World War Reliant continued to produce vehicles until early 1940 when their attention was then turned to machining parts for the various ministries. After the war Reliant started to reproduce vehicles in 1946. In 1952 T.L.Williams decided to modify the body of the Reliant van to accommodate four people, and so in 1952 the Regal Mk 1




The 1952 Reliant Regal Mk1. (Only two are now known to exist, the one above being displayed in the National Motor Museum, Beulieu. (UK))



The 1973 Reliant Super Robin. (This was my Robin that sadly met its end in a motor accident, 1993)

was exhibited at Earls Court. The Mk 1 had an aluminium body fixed to an Ash frame.Over the next few years the Reliant Regal took on many forms (See below for greater details) with the Mk2 in 1955 which started to use glass fibre body panels. In 1956 the Mk 3 was the first all glass-fibre Reliant. The Regal was continuously improved upon with the Mk 4 in 1958, Mk 5 in 1959 and the Mk 6 in 1960. In 1962 a major step forward was taken with the Regal 3/25. This had a unitary construction body of re-enforced glass fibre. Polyester was moulded in two major units (outer and inner) and then bonded together and bolted to a steel chassis. A year later Reliant developed their own 600cc overhead valve unit which was Britain's first flowline production light alloy motor engine.

In 1969 the 750cc engine was introduced and Reliant's production was such that it in 1969 the fifty thousandth 3/25 model was delivered. In 1973 Reliant introduced perhaps the most famous British 3-wheeler of all time, "The Reliant Robin". This vehicle showed completely different styling and was available as a Saloon or an Estate. These first Robins were produced until 1975 when the Robin received more minor changes and a larger 850cc engine with a S.U carburettor.

In 1981 Reliant introduced the Rialto which was then followed by a new range of Reliant Robins in 1993. The 1990's were a turbulent time for Reliant who called in the receivers on 0ctober 25th 1990. The company was then brought by Beans Engineering for an estimated figure of £1.5 million but Beans were to call in the receivers 4 years later in November 1994. Reliant was then acquired by the Avonex Group on 16th January 1995, who also had to call in the receivers in December 1995 Reliant was then purchased in April 1996 by "a consortium of Businessmen". From this point on business, for Reliant, had returned to normal and by the end of August 1996, production of the Reliant Robin had resumed. In the first full year 720 cars were built with Reliant also expanding into lightweight commercial vehicles. By 1999 Reliant had also moved into import and distribution with various new models that included the Ligier Microcar from France, the Piaggio Ape commercial vehicle from Italy.

Reliant production ceased in Tamworth in late 1998 and in January 1999 the Reliant company moved to new premises and to a new purpose built factory at Burntwood. (UK) In late February, Reliant introduced a new Robin Hatchback for the Millennium with a completely fresh design that was the first major change made to the Reliant Robin for 10 years. After an announcement on the 26th September 2000, Reliant ceased making 3-wheelers in February 2001 although original plans had been to stop production in December 2000. To mark 65 years (though it was actually 66 years by the time the last Reliant was made) of 3-wheeler production Reliant built Sixty five Special Edition Robins (Robin 65) that were individually numbered with a plaque on the dashboard. The last Reliant Robin was collected by its owner on February 14th 2001. In April 2001 B&N Plastics announced that they would continue to make the Reliant Robin under licence to Reliant and production officially started April 30th 2001. In the same month Reliant Cars moved their premises to Cannock. (UK)

In December 2000 Reliant unveiled its new 4-wheeled Scimitar sports car for 2001. Reliant have made 4-wheeler sports cars along side their 3-wheeler range over the years (the Sabre and the Scimitar etc) and in the 1980's there was even the Quasar Motorcycle that was a revolutionary covered motorbike capable of 100mph+ and used the Reliant 850cc engine.


More information on Reliant 3-wheeler models:

		Reliant Regent (1935 - 1953)

		Reliant Regal Mk 1 - Mk 6 (1953 - 1962)

		Reliant Regal 3/25 - 3/30 (1962 - 1973) Reliant Ant (?)

		Reliant Robin. (1973 - 1981) Reliant Robin (1990 - 2001)

		Reliant Rialto (1981 - 1998)

	Reliant Robin 65 (2000 - 2001)

	Bond Bug. (1970 - 1974)


	Related pages on this web site:


Article: The Robin is back.

Article: Why do we call the Reliant Robin a Plastic Pig.

Article: The end of an era for the Reliant 3-wheeler.

Article: Motorshow 2000.

Tour of Reliant works 1993.

Exclusive Reliant Photographs..

Images from the rare 1967 Reliant film.

Reliant newspaper cuttings 1935 - 1975.

Reliant Scale Models.

Reliant Advertisements.

	Reliant Press Photographs.

	Raleigh.

	B&N Plastics

Reliant Owners Club - 43rd National Rally

		Museums:

		The National Motor Museum, Beulieu (UK) has a 1954 Reliant Regal Mk 1

Further Information and related Web Sites: