McLaren were once partnered with Agg's Trojan which was a company that built its fortune on selling Trojan bubble cars and Lambretta Lambro 3 wheeler trucks. Agg kept losing his concession licence with Lambretta as he used to advertise his Lambretta scooters and trucks "Pair of new walking boots free with every one sold" adverts in papers etc and Innocenti got pretty fed up at this tongue in cheek stuff whilst ignoring the things that made Lambretta's as reliable as a Trump promise...
Have. . . You been paying attention at all for the last four years? Like, at all? I'd give you a list, but I'm on my phone and don't want my thumbs to fall off.
Looks like a fun toy. Now a joke you've probably heard: A man driving a Trabant suddenly breaks his windshield wiper. Pulling into a service station, he hails a mechanic. "Wipers for a Trabi?" he asks. The mechanic thinks about it for a few seconds and replies, "Ja, sounds like a fair trade."
9:11 I laughed so hard! As a British engineer, I am (for some reason) quite proud of the 'Duct tape and hope' era of our consumer products. They worked, they were easily attainable and easy to repair. With my current car (Audi), about once a month I need to plug in my laptop and give the fragile thing Digital Psychotherapy, where I press certain keys and code the equivalent of 'There, There, everything is OK, You are doing very well, no,,,, the microscopic glitch when you changed gears a week ago does not mean we hate you, we consider you an important part of our family. *Group HUG*
In 1999, I was driving North from Liverpool. The motorway was fairly empty at the time and I was sitting at 60 / 70 mph. I could hear this metallic buzzing coming from behind me. The sound went on for a few minutes it seemed, then, with amazement I realised I was being overtaken by a Robin. As it passed me, I looked into the car and saw at least three huge burly men in it. We were able to stare at each other for about a minute before it crawled ahead of me.
I will never forget being transported in the boot of a Reliant Robin from Whitby to Middlesbrough during a storm. This is in the UK and the reason we were being transported is because there was a terrible storm which stopped the trains running due to flooding so a friend's dad came to collect us. The journey was is across an incredibly isolated road and it was terrifying. We drove through flood waters, gale force winds and it only bloody made it.
@Thu Nell, this symbol is without "!" that is used for a handbrake. Almost the same, just no "!" Inside the circle - that is the "Brake failure" symbol. The old days of cars where you had to know the meanings of symbols, not just read the text from the display :D It was fun, especially with cars with many indicators in the cluster :)
@Thu Nell Ⓥ You are right... Well... this thing may have the handbrake wired to the brake warning light as well. 2 in 1 button/switch/light. All the normal cars have these things separate. Some vehicles are weird - I had a Kia Cerato which had two interior dome lights - only the light at the center of the roof would turn on when the doors open. I thought something was broken but it turned out the light next to the rear view mirror is just a reading light. I ran the wires and installed additional bulbs making both of the lights turn on with the door open.
It's a curious set up really, that brake fluid test switch. The lamp only illuminates if the circuit is made when the float falls too low, yet on a lot of cars the contacts on the float have corroded away already regardless, so the switch is literally just testing the bulb 😀
My stepdad only had a motorcycle license when my little brother was born in the early 90s. This led to us having several Reliant Robins as our family car for most of my childhood. In the UK they were fairly popular in the 70s and 80s meaning that by the 90s there were a lot of them available very cheap. My stepdad would buy one for around £50, drive it til it failed (which boy did they) and then buy another. By the time my sister was born in the late 90s we all had our own spot we had to sit in to keep the weight ratio inside even. My step dad in the drivers seat, my 4' 10" Mum behind him. My baby sister in her car seat in the front because the back had no seat belts. My brother in the middle and me, being the heaviest member of the family by that time, behind my sister. For anyone worried about there being no seat belts in the back, we were so crammed into the bench seat there was little chance of us moving out of it if we crashed. We never tipped over in one with us all in the car, but we did often find that local kids had picked them up and flipped them over whilst they were parked. Parts of them also fell off sometimes whilst driving around, but I think that was mainly due to them not really being maintained. My parents did flip over in one when it was just them in the front after someone hit them from behind on a hill. This was the day after that infamous Top Gear episode aired. I was working at the local newspaper then and the story came in around lunch time. As people started coming back from lunch they would see the story in our system, start commenting on the Top Gear episode they'd seen the night before, then get hushed by a colleague who told them it was my parents who were involved in the crash. Neither of them was hurt, just shaken up and after that experience they both got full car licenses and they've never driven in a Reliant Robin again. But my step Dad does have one in pieces in his garage, so they may still drive one again some day
Fascinating story, thanks for sharing. I find it somewhat hilarious that kids flipped them on their side, even though it's a dick move. But I think I find it funny in the same way as James May once told about the bicycle lock prank he did when he was young.
I love the Kitten. Lightweight, RWD, small car with far less rust problems than just about every other car its age. Shame they weren't more popular really.
I'll be honest, the Robin Hood pun flew over my head until you mentioned that it doesn't make sense if you call it a bonnet, then I thought it was GENIUS.
Also I was at the filming for Top Gear with the reliant episode....the reason why it fell over was because they fitted a 12inch wheel on the passenger side, a 13inch wheel on front and a 10inch wheel on the drivers side, thats why it only rolled on the drivers side throughout the episode they made a robin do a wheelie by welding a huge drum to the back and filling it with water
I remember watching some interview that said they also messed with the engine, either a swap or some modification to the diff, so that hitting the gas would cause it to flip
From what I remember it was a 12" wheel on one side, with some of the leafs from the suspension added from the other side too, front wheel was small, one wheel was small (10"), and the CoG was now poised to tip "over" the engine to one side when the brakes were mashed or he turned to the passenger side. 5th gear had a segment that basically called them out on it whilst having some fun in a couple of cheap reliants. It was also all that was discussed on the reliant forums and groups at the time lol. /watch?v=dwcLDvN-t_M
4:40 "the premiere collector of unusual slow and badly-made death traps!" The cheerfulness in that voice really sells it. XD But congratulations on the car. Now get a Bond Bug!
He needs a Bond Minicar, a 3 wheeler with the ENTIRE ENGINE attached to the front wheel.. When you turn you swivel the whole engine and wheel around. It can turn the front wheel to almost 90° to the car and spin round in little over its own length.
I replayed that bit several times! You really and truly made my evening> Thank you for risking your life both in and around these vehicles to share your stories, knack for comedy, knowledge, and adventures!
@@HermanVonPetri he's not Mr Bean's "arch nemesis". It's just that he manages to be at the receiving end of Mr Bean's dangerous driving, with his car getting stuck in some way or the other, being a sitcom.
I love how he's driving in circles going wweeeeeee wweeeeee that's what I do in my BMW I3S when her ass end slides in winter I seriously go wwweeeeeeeeee cause I find it so much fun
I got overtaken by one of these once. I can talk about it now, after thirty years of therapy. In my defence - it was a steep hill and I had six people (one of whom was called Big Si, for obvious reasons) and some amplifiers in it - a mk2 Escort estate with roughly 50bhp. Which means I overtook the Reliant on the flat, because it's compulsory. I could see the Reliant gaining on me in my mirrors and was thus prepared for the jibes of my passengers as the dastardly deed was done. The driver didn't look happy, as he vibrated past me in a classic 'elephant racing' style. But I suppose he had to take possibly the only victory of his driving career when he had the chance. For those that are unaware the three wheelers were what motorcyclists bought for winter transport, since you could drive one without needing to upgrade to a car licence - in the UK they are considered a motorcycle with sidecar for licencing porpoises. Reliant also made a four wheeled variant, called the Kitten, which seems pointless, a rather fine in its day thing called a Scimitar (the running gear of a Ford Capri 3L in a fibreglass body) and the bodyshell for the Ford RS200, which was a firebreathing monster of a group B rally car (the ones that were banned because of the 99% death rate). I haven't seen one for years, and they used to be fairly popular. Perhaps Top Gear bought all the remaining examples and made them unroadworthy-er.
I bought a fiesta 1ltr for £50 years ago. Was driving up a hill in Brighton getting overtaken by all insundry whilst beeping at me. . Never bought a vehicle with an engine smaller than 2 ltr after that.
When doing MPG comparisons, remember that the UK uses the Imperial gallon, which is larger than the US gallon. Therefore, MPG (Imperial) will be higher, since more fuel lets you drive farther.
How much Imperial gallon to liter? I know US gallon roughly around 4 liters but not the imperial ones. I live in Asia where we use SI units since early 20th centuries.
Also isn't UK fuel higher octane? Normal is 95, "super" is 98. If that's higher than the US stuff it would help with MPG, if the engine is tuned appropriately.
Two Robin stories, both relating to the same guy, who owned several. One time we drove his car in heavy falling snow into Central London. As snow settles on roads, two ruts form as cars compress the snow. Obviously this is hopeless for a Robin, which wants to ride the hump of snow in the middle, and fails to do so, endlessly falling off one side or the other, making for a hilarious driving experience! Another time, my friend came up to a T-junction on a country lane and didn't quite manage to stop at the line in time. Another car travelling on the main rode hit the front of his car side-on, and removed it entirely, in a simple clean break, which caused little damage to the other car (a Triumph Stag if I recall correctly). Remarkably, my friend was able to glue the front of the car back on and continue using it. (RIP John, still miss ya!)
@@slitor The Trabant or Trabbi as we call them here in Germany is also now a classic on the same level as the 2CV, or maybe the Renault R4 or Fiat 500/Fiat 126. All of them were back in the 80s and early 90s very cheap cars, mostly driven by students. And they are all rusty death traps (in case of an accident)
I feel so proud to be British 😂 Also, no there wasn't any heat shielding on the passenger side engine cover. That would be luxury and give the working class ideas of grandeur 😂😂
Doesn't need a heat shield anyway because it's always cold in Britain, usually raining as well. Now you know why warm air is always blowing through the window defroster vent. That was a thoughtful feature for the home market.
The changes to the bodywork may seem “irrelevant” but they do improve the aerodynamics, which makes the later versions of the Reliant and Rialto more stable at speed, ie more than 30mph.
@Newsbender Trousers rolled up to just beneath the knees , shirt with the neck open and sleeves rolled up and a knotted handkerchief on his head . Look up some monty python videos and you will get the idea. Thats the seaside look
I remember taking day-trips and even weekend holidays riding in the back of my Dad's Reliant Regal, the precursor to the Robin, in the 1970s. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grampa, and me and my brother. SIX people in a vehicle that barely sat four. My brother (who was smaller) would sit on Mom's lap in the passenger seat, and I got the hump in the back, and all the day-trip or clothes would be behind the back seat. The Regal was actually a converted van, with nice, new windows installed in the side (easy to do with fiberglass as you just sawed out the panels). Dad would often joke that if there was a particularly steep hill, we might either have to get out, or he turn the car around and take it in reverse (due to the super-low gearing of the reverse gearing). It had a push-button radio that Dad pulled from a Ford Cortina at the local breaker's yard. I miss that powder-blue deathtrap… We considered getting the Robin after the Regal started having issues, but Dad ended up getting a rather fancy Ford Cortina Mk 2 in burgundy.
At 2:42 you mention the Robin having a reverse gear. The basis for the belief of no reverse gear stems from the popular 'modification' of putting a bolt through the reverse gear linkage thus making it unusable. This would then allow the owner to insure and drive the car on a motorbike licence in the UK. I am aware of this modification because my grandfather modified his Reliant this way.
When you said that you see yourself as sort of a "caretaker," you reminded me of Jay Leno. Then I realized that your channel is a lot like Jay Leno's Garage, except instead of reviewing top of the line antique vehicles, you dig for the bottom. Your channel is a lot of fun.
As stated in other comments, there was the loophole in the UK where you could drive one of these on a full Motorcycle license. I actually knew a man who exclusively drove reliant Robins from when they were first launched, all the way until he died around about 2005. Before that he only rode motorcycles with sidecars. This man had a wife and three kids and managed to get around and do mostly everything required of a family man of the times. The guy had a Mk3 exactly like this one. Some kids pushed it onto it's roof one night, However it was ok afterwards. It needed two new windows, which were bought and fitted the next day, it had some paint scoffs, which were either polished out or touched up with some rattle can paint, and it was serviceable again! Truly is a candidate for one of the UK's most simplest road vehicles for the common man. Cheap to run and maintain, and the parts until recent times, were quite cheap.
@@user-ut9ln4vd5m In the United Kingdom, Motorcycle licenses are now in stages and have been for a long time. I'm not exactly sure how it used to be 40 or 50 years ago though. In the modern age, you need to take three tests before you get the full Bike license and it could be argued it costs just as much to do as a car. Back then a Motorcycle license was cheaper to obtain. Some people who had been in WW2 and National service in the 50's would have had vehicle licenses transferred from when they were in the forces. The main drive for someone to be Reliant (ha!) on a reliant robin, is the fact that they were cheaper to run. The Vehicle Excise Duty (or road tax as it's known) was a lot less for a vehicle classed as a Motorcycle/tricycle than that of a car from the same era. That tied with a lower purchase cost, and lower fuel bills meant it was a winner in certain situations.
@@user-ut9ln4vd5m back then motorcycle licences were found in cereal boxes. My dad doing his, his examiner was on foot and he was asked to do a lap around the block, so on the back of the block where his mates were parked up, he pulled a wheelie deliberately showing off (he'd been riding without one for a while *on private land officer*) he didn't realise the examiner took a lane and was standing on the other side of the road, still passed and was just asked "had fun did you?". Sadly because of that lacklustre approach to the licence a lot... And I mean a hell of a lot of riders died very early in their motorcycle riding and slowly over time, things like the CBT (a training day you need to be seen as competent on before being allowed to ride light motorcycles no greater than 125cc with L plates) and the two part on and off road tests came in along with age limits and power limits as well as the two part theory/hazard perception test. A full bike licence is one that has no limits, it's known as a category A licence. This is awarded after either completing training and 2 part exam (+ 2 part theory test) on a more powerful bike and being over the age limit (I believe it might be 26 now but it was 21 when I did mine) or automatically after 2 years of riding a bike that falls within the A1 (restricted licence) power category limits. Biking is more dangerous these days, far more comfy cars on the road and far more inattentive drivers as a consequence. So as the death rate climbed, the path to riding one became more involved. And cost... When you throw in the £125ish CBT, £800ish of tuition (that's what I ended up doing 4 6hour days + mod 1 test), whatever the test fees cost and the cost of your gear because you will need to get some in addition to the vehicle. I'd say it's more expensive. My car licence I got after about 30 hours of lessons which cost like £25 a go. So yeah motorbike these days is a smidge more expensive I'd say.
@@BrucieMagik back in the day, you could drive up to a 250cc motorcycle on a car license, while always displaying L plates. Anything bigger than a 250cc and you had to take a bike test, that was it. Yes you could drive a Robin or Regal on a full bike license, but you had to have reverse gear removed. I took my bike test in 1993, and that was when you had to do your CBT, but if you took your test on a 125cc, you could then ride any size bike you like. After this came the system you’re talking about 👍🏻
I passed my UK motorcycle test in 1971 on a Lambretta Li125 scooter ( max speed an indicated 60mph). This licence allowed me (and still does) to ride a motorbike of any capacity/engine power. No instruction, no further tests, no helmet required (then). Had I the money and the inclination I could have jumped onto a Hondayamazuki 1100cc Ninja Widowmaker quite legally. But I wanted a roof on my transport and a Reliant was the next port of call.
The Reliant Robin was itself basically an update to the Reliant Regal which goes back to 1953. The yellow 3 wheeled van in British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, is a Reliant Regal Supervan mk3.
The way you deliver every single joke with such unenthusiastic-yet-joyful fervor, in near monotone no less, brings me indescribable amounts of entertainment
Ha takes me back. Living in Yorkshire (UK) and a mining community in the 70s and early 80s there were loads of these running about, cheap to tax and run especially if you only had a bike licence, funnest thing I ever saw was at knockoff at a large factory I worked at, the hooter went and every body made for the main gates, walking, cycling and in thier cars, one bloke in his "new" to him 3 wheeler, as he turned left out of the gates up a hill, he ever so gently rolled in on its side. I've never heard so many people laugh out loud at once. he never lived it down.
@aging wheels I've written a book about its design - I was the Mk3 designer. The book is called "Tipping Point -Designing a Great British Underdog". I can send you a copy if you like! This actual car is featured in the book.
I had a 1961 Mk6 Reliant Regal when I was a lad. It had a 4 cylinder 747cc Austin side valve engine, which had a separate cast iron cylinder head, cast iron cylinder block and aluminium crank case. I was a young biker and would take all my mates out in it. Great fun and a hell of a job to keep on three wheels!!
When i was 16, i saved up to buy one of these, as its 17 to drive a car in UK, but can ride this on a bike licence. My mum said, she roll it over if i parked one outside... i ended up with a 50cc moped for a year.
When I lived in England in the 1970s and early 1980s every Robin I saw on the road was driven by an elderly man with an elderly woman in the passenger's seat. Both were wearing hats and gloves and were dressed entirely in beige. I was told that their popularity was due to their cheapness, both initial and running costs, and because they were classified as motorcycles so the road tax rate and insurance was much lower.
I live in the North of England. Reliant 3 wheelers were still a common sight on the roads round here until about 15 years ago, and always seemed to be driven by opinionated retired men wearing flat caps. At no more than 35 miles per hour. More often than not used as a conveyance to take them from miserable little homes to miserable shops to buy meagre rations of miserable foodstuffs, with a miserable hatchet-faced other half in a headscarf sat looking glumly out at the world from the passenger seat, with a massive leatherette handbag on her knees. Either that or the owners were slowly driving on their own to grotty little pigeon lofts or allotments, by way of a betting shop. Most were in miserable colours like brown, beige, or (for the more daring miserabilist) pus yellow. Outlandish owners sometimes chose white. These Reliants must have been serious fun to drive, as the owners seemed to have no other joy in their lives. I suspect the demister being on all the time was a safety feature, as some owners wouldn’t have turned it on themselves, in case it caused their Reliant to use more fuel. Every pound was usually a prisoner to a Reliant owner. The owners, more than the cars, gave the words Reliant Robin a general air of meanness and an unfathomable “there’s nowt wrong wi’ it - it does me grand!” belligerence, that only a (now dying breed of) Northern British man could revel in the unremitting bleakness of.
@@SvenTviking Which is the real reason for their popularity with older gentlemen. Passing the test for a car licence would be expensive and potentially difficult at their age. If you've ever talked to a biker about their driving prowess you'd understand - no, no, no, no, no no, no - not opinionated and stuck in their ways at all ;-P
In case the International Geek Collective hasn't commented earlier, the mystery switch is a test for the brake warning light circuit. It was a way of meeting the regulation before someone realised you could use the handbrake switch..... Great channel 👍👍
These were really popular in the mining areas of Northern england (especially Yorkshire), a lot of the miners had a motorbike and as you could drive a robin on a bike licence they bought one to use in the winter. By all accounts they are brilliant in the snow! There used to be loads of these around when I was growing up in the 70's, but as the old miners retired they sold fewer and fewer of them as they were more expensive than a proper small car and eventually they went bust
My late father had various ones for many years, He drove as if it was a sports car and I have had many a white knuckle ride sitting in the tiny passenger seat beside him, Potholes could not be avoided due to there being only one front wheel and it was pretty uncomfortable too. Despite its faults, they were a regular sight on our roads here in the UK. Fond memories.
Was there a law in UK that required a test function for that brake warning light? Because all the brake warning lights I've seen are just the lights. They also double for a parking brake light so that you can test the bulb by simply applying handbrake.
@@mibars I don't know if it was mandatory for it to be testable, but that's how it was on a lot of old British cars. My classic Mini had a brake warning light in a test switch like that. It doesn't illuminate with the hand brake (like modern cars), only if there's a loss of brake fluid I think.
One of the dumbest loopholes... In the US our driving tests are crap, but at least we recognize that driving a motorcycle is actually more dangerous and requires more skill than driving a car...
@@William-Morey-Baker These days the UK motorcycle test is much harder than the car test. Back in the day more people had motorbikes or (like my grandfather) motorcycle combinations. This was a real alternative (although Grandad got his car licence and bought a Morris!)
I watched a few videos from your channel and I must say this is the most hilarious video about a car I've ever seen. I enjoyed it, how you are feeling joy like a kid and jiggling about the issues and driving fun the car has. Your humour is machted with the british design perfectly. Thanks!
Robert didn’t mentioned the luxurious accessory his Robin have: The moonroof or sunroof. Nice collection of weird cars. You should try to get a car produced here in Brazil by Gurgel, called Moto Machine. Would fit perfectly in your garage. Greetings from Brazil.
Fightre Flighte Was a nice project in the wrong time. They also produced an electric car in the beginning of the 70’s. Some how a similar story between the two men, Tucker and Gurgel. Although Gurgel was quite successful for many years producing cars on top of the VW bug platform. The MotoMachine and it’s “big brother” the BR800 had a 2 cilindro engine that was an air cooled VW engine “cut in half”.
I've read about Gurgel before (discovered them as they are mentioned in the English Wikipedia page for the lada niva) but dont quite remember this one. I probably just saw it under a different name. The off road ones I found more interesting. It would definitely be cool to see a Gurgel in an english speaking channel though, whatever model it is.
I'll bet that mystery switch is the brake pressure warning. You get a leak in one of the two circuits, you get a light. The switch merely tests the bulb. I just rebuilt that gimmick in my MG.
You are 100% correct, I found a copy of the Rialto II manual that features a "brake test switch" that looks the same. If it lights up, the hydraulic pressure is too low and flipping it is just for testing, as you said.
k halliday - Nope, these systems weren’t that fancy. The light is connected to a switch on a device called the “Pressure Differential Warning Assembly” or PDWA. If one side of the dual braking system develops a leak, there’s a shuttle in the PDWA that gets pushed from the stronger side to the weaker, tripping the switch and turning on the light.
4:18 Actually you'd be mistaken! I attended Radwood in Detroit earlier this past summer and I saw a Reliant Robin there. It's amazing how niche but interesting these little runabouts are. Love the vid as always! Edit: Radwood for those who don't know is a massive 80s-90s themed car show where ppl bring pre-2000s cars and show them off.
Had the pleasure to see this when I was out and about today ( not gonna say where, privacy has to count for something nowadays) and it made me smile from ear to ear. Cheers from a fellow little car buff!
Oh, and I almost forgot... I've been recommending your excellent presentations to friends. One of them asked for a brief description. You amply provided it in this episode - "The premier collector of unusual, slow and badly made death traps." 'Nuff said right there...
I had one for years. l loved it. My wife and kids did not. You could leave it unlocked anywhere and nobody would steal it. It always made me happy to drive it although the middle wheel in front made avoiding the many potholes in British roads impossible.
@@SockyNoob having spent time out west in the summer, and living most my life in mississippi, I can assure you, we actually have it worse with regards to ac, sweat works in dry climates
Great video... Back in the 70's, when the Reliant Robin was initially launched, most working class men only had a motorcycle licence, as cars were still very expensive to own, maintain and run. Therefore going to work on a motorcycle, given the typical crap weather in the UK, meant that they'd either get soaked and covered in dirt, or they'd have to wear a bulky rain suit, which would crumple their clothes. Also trying to transport groceries, and/or a wife and kids on a motorcycle can pose a few issues. The Reliant Robin offered an economical solution, they could drive on their motorcycle licence, so they could travel in some basic comfort, and be protected from the elements.
A new 1963 Reliant van helped my dad with his work as a decorator . I just remember being in the sidecar before that. On his M/C licence the reverse gear had to be blanked off !
My boss was a biker but he was entitled to a company car. He chose the Robin and commuted 50+ miles a day for a couple of years until he decided to take his car driving test. I had a van for a while, used to go away for weekends with a mattress in the back and sleep either on car-parks or out in the wilds. Great fun...and I never rolled it once
@@MrSpangle6564 Thanks for sharing. ❤❤ I definitely wouldn't fancy commuting 50+ miles in one of them every day, some idiot in a HGV would drive straight over you and never even notice.
Hey, does that have an "E" stamped at the end of the engine number at 8:26? If so it's had an engine swap for the higher compression yellow top engine from the GLS Rialto. A damn good engine I might add... If it is, and you have the matching diff swapped, you might actually achieve 100mpg!!!
How come lower compression yields better MPG? I always thought that compression adds engine efficency, which not only adds power but also lowers fuel consumption.
My older brother's first "car" was a Mk1 Robin, which he crashed by taking a roundabout too quickly - yep, he rolled it. A friend of his had a Mk2 Robin with a supercharged Rover V8 in it - his party piece was popping wheelies around town on a Saturday night but the car was built to do 1/4 mile runs at Santa Pod (a local drag strip). Yes, he was quite mad!
lol put a cherry bomb on it to make it louder that would be awesome to make it a screamer and try to race someone they will be just staring at you like fuck cause then they will get the experience of driving in canada
Youre missing a lil "tray like" piece below the carb!!! worstcase would be fuel leaking from the carb onto your exaust pipes. wich will result in a fire. these things are cheap on ebay. pls look it up. it currently really is a death trap
When I was at school in the mid 70s I was in the local post office when there was a loud bang outside. When we rushed out there was a Robin in the middle of the road with the steering column up through the roof. Braking too hard had broken something and the front wheel had gone up through the floor.
That was due to the steel chassis being rotted away. The driver was either driving it without legal registration or with a forged road safety certificate. In the UK every car must pass a safety check every year before it can be registered for use on public roads. A rusted chassis would fail the test.
@bilbo bostonian Maybe, but a chassis does not go from sound to rotted through in 12 months. It would not have passed that hypothetical 10 month old MOT.
@bilbo bostonian There were some bent MOT testers about. That could be a dealer passing his own cars,or a tester doing a favour for a mate. I used to go with friends to look at a car they fancied. Quite a few times I grabbed a dodgy looking spot to be rewarded with a handful of filler and rusty metal. Once I pulled the whole sill off as the dealer watched through the window. He didn't dare come out and say anything.
Love your enthusiasm. I understand completely how entertaining that car is to drive. I’ve been looking for a old truck for a long time (1930-1950) & know that it will probably drive like a wheelbarrow, but that’s what I’m excited about.
Actually not long after the Berlin Wall came down a Trabant was crash tested using the same standards that applied to European cars at the time and I believe it outperformed the Volkswagen Polo. Of course, no car of that time would even score one star on current tests, but it goes to show - most cars circa 1990 were pretty dangerous! Some time after the Trabant even out performed the Mercedes A class when it came to the Moose test - the failing of which sent Daimler-Benz back to the drawing board with the A class. That's not to commend the Trabant, it is a pretty awful car, but hardly worse than a lot of western European cars developed at the same time - the late 50s/early 60s, when most cars that ordinary people could get were pretty awful.
@@mzcymro "most cars circa 1990 were pretty dangerous!" Only if you are a snowflake... Cars in the 50s and 60s were kinda dangerous, cars from the 80s have front disc brakes, 3-point seat belts, safety glass and some even ABS and airbags. In the 50s and 60s it was normal to have drum brakes, normal glass and no seatbelts or at best lapbelts. I own 3 cars from the 80s and they are safe enough for daily driving.
@@waynekerrgoodstyle I’ve just found out that the Reliant Scimitar was in production in my lifetime! Still with a engine, though not from a Ford Zephyr. I was Five when it was being made and yet I’ve never seen one.
I was in a shop in Worcester once when two of the women working there were bitching about an absent colleague for something or other. "That's so typical for a Northerner, isn't it." one said. And the other seemed surprised "Oh, is she from the North?", to which the first one replied: "Yeah, she is from Birmingham." I may only be a tourist, but I learnt an important geographical lesson that day...
When I was little, I saw one of these do 4 x barrel role's and the amazing thing other than the driver surviving!! It was remarkably intact and could still drive...
![ลองสุ่มไอโฟน 990 โกงมั้ย? [ โกงมั้ยครับ ep.101 ] | DOM](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bfsWe0j492k/mqdefault.jpg)
Whoops. Tamworth is in the midlands, not the north. Sorry about that. That little mistake probably had several Reliant fans rolling over with anger
Most English people would make exactly the same mistake about where it's from, don't worry.
You sound so happy and I'm All for it 😁😁
tamworth is deffo the north
Did no one get that he said rolling over with anger??
@@conradmeinecke5861 Everything north of London is definitely North!
This remains one of the finest car channels on TH-cam. Only Harry's Garage is better.
I bet you're here to see the quirks and features
I wouldn't even say that. Not that Harry's garage isn't fantastic, though.
@@getchasome6230 Only quirks, no features.
Is Doug going to review this unmodified rarity?
Dont forget Hubnut, thats gotta make the list.
Midengine, rear wheel drive, Fiberglass body, made in England ... basicallly a McLaren!
Or a Lotus.
McLaren were once partnered with Agg's Trojan which was a company that built its fortune on selling Trojan bubble cars and Lambretta Lambro 3 wheeler trucks. Agg kept losing his concession licence with Lambretta as he used to advertise his Lambretta scooters and trucks "Pair of new walking boots free with every one sold" adverts in papers etc and Innocenti got pretty fed up at this tongue in cheek stuff whilst ignoring the things that made Lambretta's as reliable as a Trump promise...
No, it's nothing like a McLaren. The Robin is still mechanically sound after 20,000 miles
Ian, what's trump lied about though? Everything hes promised has been fulfilled to the extent of his authority..
Have. . . You been paying attention at all for the last four years? Like, at all? I'd give you a list, but I'm on my phone and don't want my thumbs to fall off.
Looks like a fun toy. Now a joke you've probably heard:
A man driving a Trabant suddenly breaks his windshield wiper. Pulling into a service station, he hails a mechanic. "Wipers for a Trabi?" he asks. The mechanic thinks about it for a few seconds and replies, "Ja, sounds like a fair trade."
🤣
A Robin with a sun roof is a wheelie bin
One of my favorite jokes:
How do you double the value of a Lada?
Fill the tank.
9:11 I laughed so hard! As a British engineer, I am (for some reason) quite proud of the 'Duct tape and hope' era of our consumer products. They worked, they were easily attainable and easy to repair. With my current car (Audi), about once a month I need to plug in my laptop and give the fragile thing Digital Psychotherapy, where I press certain keys and code the equivalent of 'There, There, everything is OK, You are doing very well, no,,,, the microscopic glitch when you changed gears a week ago does not mean we hate you, we consider you an important part of our family. *Group HUG*
This is the most beautiful car I've ever seen
Yeah right 😏
Maybe he'll trade you for the mclaren?
Thank you. I designed it about 23 years ago... Oh wait, you were being ironic :)
You should also get one and superbike engine swap it. I really wanna see someone superbike engine swap it. Please... 😀😀😀
Imma be honest, the front looks pretty good
In 1999, I was driving North from Liverpool. The motorway was fairly empty at the time and I was sitting at 60 / 70 mph. I could hear this metallic buzzing coming from behind me. The sound went on for a few minutes it seemed, then, with amazement I realised I was being overtaken by a Robin. As it passed me, I looked into the car and saw at least three huge burly men in it. We were able to stare at each other for about a minute before it crawled ahead of me.
Amazing lmao
Must have had a massive tail wind
There's some sickos, who modify them so they go a scary speed.
@@kevinshort3943 yeah to get to the scrapyard quickly
@@braveheart196
Not sure there's enough metal in them for the scrapyard to be interested.
Not only is Robert driving a suspiciously imported Robin in the US, he's doing so with "BOLLOCKS" splayed across the front of the car.
And in first shots of the video it was saying "Subscribe" instead. Is this some subliminal marketing, i have a sudden urge to subscribe...
I wonder how many of the American viewers even know what bollocks means :)
clearly the US government sees the Robin as the pinnacle of safety and emissions so they let it right in.
I'm told the Americans at one time did not know what these were; though they probably do now.
Never mind the bollocks...
I will never forget being transported in the boot of a Reliant Robin from Whitby to Middlesbrough during a storm. This is in the UK and the reason we were being transported is because there was a terrible storm which stopped the trains running due to flooding so a friend's dad came to collect us.
The journey was is across an incredibly isolated road and it was terrifying. We drove through flood waters, gale force winds and it only bloody made it.
What a story! 😵😵
11:36 - that button is actually your low brake fluid warning lamp, you push the button to test the bulb :D
Yep. I came here to say that. Same exact switch as my '80s mini.
Do they consume brake fluid or just leak it as part of the design?
@Thu Nell, this symbol is without "!" that is used for a handbrake. Almost the same, just no "!" Inside the circle - that is the "Brake failure" symbol. The old days of cars where you had to know the meanings of symbols, not just read the text from the display :D It was fun, especially with cars with many indicators in the cluster :)
@Thu Nell Ⓥ You are right... Well... this thing may have the handbrake wired to the brake warning light as well. 2 in 1 button/switch/light. All the normal cars have these things separate. Some vehicles are weird - I had a Kia Cerato which had two interior dome lights - only the light at the center of the roof would turn on when the doors open. I thought something was broken but it turned out the light next to the rear view mirror is just a reading light. I ran the wires and installed additional bulbs making both of the lights turn on with the door open.
I have something similar in my 96' Fiat Cinquecento, but the button is in engine compartment so you can't check the lamp alone xD
That mystery switch is a low brake fluid warning lamp. The switch is just to test that the lamp is OK. Cheers from the UK.
Exactly the comment I was hoping to find.
@@FirstFamilyCharger Cheer mate x
They used the same setup in 1960s VWs.
It's a curious set up really, that brake fluid test switch. The lamp only illuminates if the circuit is made when the float falls too low, yet on a lot of cars the contacts on the float have corroded away already regardless, so the switch is literally just testing the bulb 😀
Was about to post that. My old Mini has the same thing ... very British :)
My stepdad only had a motorcycle license when my little brother was born in the early 90s. This led to us having several Reliant Robins as our family car for most of my childhood.
In the UK they were fairly popular in the 70s and 80s meaning that by the 90s there were a lot of them available very cheap. My stepdad would buy one for around £50, drive it til it failed (which boy did they) and then buy another.
By the time my sister was born in the late 90s we all had our own spot we had to sit in to keep the weight ratio inside even.
My step dad in the drivers seat, my 4' 10" Mum behind him. My baby sister in her car seat in the front because the back had no seat belts. My brother in the middle and me, being the heaviest member of the family by that time, behind my sister. For anyone worried about there being no seat belts in the back, we were so crammed into the bench seat there was little chance of us moving out of it if we crashed.
We never tipped over in one with us all in the car, but we did often find that local kids had picked them up and flipped them over whilst they were parked. Parts of them also fell off sometimes whilst driving around, but I think that was mainly due to them not really being maintained.
My parents did flip over in one when it was just them in the front after someone hit them from behind on a hill. This was the day after that infamous Top Gear episode aired.
I was working at the local newspaper then and the story came in around lunch time. As people started coming back from lunch they would see the story in our system, start commenting on the Top Gear episode they'd seen the night before, then get hushed by a colleague who told them it was my parents who were involved in the crash.
Neither of them was hurt, just shaken up and after that experience they both got full car licenses and they've never driven in a Reliant Robin again. But my step Dad does have one in pieces in his garage, so they may still drive one again some day
Fascinating story, thanks for sharing.
I find it somewhat hilarious that kids flipped them on their side, even though it's a dick move.
But I think I find it funny in the same way as James May once told about the bicycle lock prank he did when he was young.
Great story! 👏👏👏
awesome! thanks for sharing :)
What a great story!
You should also look up the Reliant Kitten, which is the Robin, but with an extra wheel. I had one for a while. It was terrible. You'd love it.
I was going to mention the Kitten. For fun, search on TH-cam for "400bhp Reliant Kitten vs Locost Turbo" looks like it's fun to drive!!
That’s a cute name for a vehicle
Kittens love eating robins.
Yeah, it had a spare in the boot !
I love the Kitten. Lightweight, RWD, small car with far less rust problems than just about every other car its age. Shame they weren't more popular really.
I'll be honest, the Robin Hood pun flew over my head until you mentioned that it doesn't make sense if you call it a bonnet, then I thought it was GENIUS.
That cracked me up
Reliant ROBIN HOOD
Ahhhhhh I understand it now 😅😅
@@Mi40xD ohhh ok
That pun flew over my head until I read your comment, then it flew over over my head for a second until it clicked.😂
Also I was at the filming for Top Gear with the reliant episode....the reason why it fell over was because they fitted a 12inch wheel on the passenger side, a 13inch wheel on front and a 10inch wheel on the drivers side, thats why it only rolled on the drivers side throughout the episode
they made a robin do a wheelie by welding a huge drum to the back and filling it with water
Still it was a funny episode.
Another reason why it rolled over so easily was because they messed up the weight distribution: they put Clarkson in it.
@@doabarrellroll69 Almost doubled the weight right there!
I remember watching some interview that said they also messed with the engine, either a swap or some modification to the diff, so that hitting the gas would cause it to flip
From what I remember it was a 12" wheel on one side, with some of the leafs from the suspension added from the other side too, front wheel was small, one wheel was small (10"), and the CoG was now poised to tip "over" the engine to one side when the brakes were mashed or he turned to the passenger side.
5th gear had a segment that basically called them out on it whilst having some fun in a couple of cheap reliants.
It was also all that was discussed on the reliant forums and groups at the time lol.
/watch?v=dwcLDvN-t_M
The delivery on "This is the rear wiper. It works exceedingly well." was amazing.
4:40 "the premiere collector of unusual slow and badly-made death traps!"
The cheerfulness in that voice really sells it. XD
But congratulations on the car. Now get a Bond Bug!
Yes - get a Bond Bug - the Robin's sportier uncle
No, he needs an Invacar Model 70 now, like HubNut.
Those thigs are cool, but I've never seen one in real life.
@@JeffDeWitt Which car are you referring to, Sir?
He needs a Bond Minicar, a 3 wheeler with the ENTIRE ENGINE attached to the front wheel.. When you turn you swivel the whole engine and wheel around. It can turn the front wheel to almost 90° to the car and spin round in little over its own length.
I like how you bought a car that obsoleted a two ramp system for the bus.
Eh, it's light enough, just pick up the front while loading 😉
Just chuck it on up there.
'Stability: I have more of it because I'm on antidepressants' had me laugh out loud in the office. Brilliant misdirection.
100% more stable in reverse.
This sent me, omg I'm wheezing LOL
Literally the best line of the video
16:34 That little "weeeee" was the exact sound effect I was expecting for that clip, and it was perfect
"Let's talk about stability. I have more of it...." - Damn you, I almost choked on my cookie and died from laughing!
That was a spit out the drink I was enjoying moment!
After almost choking I thought "yay mental health"
That was my highlight of this video 😅 unexpected mental health jokes are always great 😂
I replayed that bit several times! You really and truly made my evening> Thank you for risking your life both in and around these vehicles to share your stories, knack for comedy, knowledge, and adventures!
"I bought a Reliant Robin"
Mr Bean: so you have chosen death
I was looking for this comment.
Sounds more like a Black Adder comment... (Mr. Bean's virtually mute)
Clarkson brought us here
@@user-ut9ln4vd5m But Mr. Bean's arch nemesis drives a Robin.
@@HermanVonPetri he's not Mr Bean's "arch nemesis". It's just that he manages to be at the receiving end of Mr Bean's dangerous driving, with his car getting stuck in some way or the other, being a sitcom.
"Now lets talk about stability..... I have more of it, because I'm on anti-depressants" - pissing myself laughing here.
I love how he's driving in circles going wweeeeeee wweeeeee that's what I do in my BMW I3S when her ass end slides in winter I seriously go wwweeeeeeeeee cause I find it so much fun
This is still one of my favorite car videos on youtube, no joke.
HaVE yoU SeEN tHe TOp geaR EPiSOde?
@@orangejjay it'a funny but also very misleading
I got overtaken by one of these once.
I can talk about it now, after thirty years of therapy.
In my defence - it was a steep hill and I had six people (one of whom was called Big Si, for obvious reasons) and some amplifiers in it - a mk2 Escort estate with roughly 50bhp. Which means I overtook the Reliant on the flat, because it's compulsory.
I could see the Reliant gaining on me in my mirrors and was thus prepared for the jibes of my passengers as the dastardly deed was done. The driver didn't look happy, as he vibrated past me in a classic 'elephant racing' style. But I suppose he had to take possibly the only victory of his driving career when he had the chance.
For those that are unaware the three wheelers were what motorcyclists bought for winter transport, since you could drive one without needing to upgrade to a car licence - in the UK they are considered a motorcycle with sidecar for licencing porpoises.
Reliant also made a four wheeled variant, called the Kitten, which seems pointless, a rather fine in its day thing called a Scimitar (the running gear of a Ford Capri 3L in a fibreglass body) and the bodyshell for the Ford RS200, which was a firebreathing monster of a group B rally car (the ones that were banned because of the 99% death rate).
I haven't seen one for years, and they used to be fairly popular. Perhaps Top Gear bought all the remaining examples and made them unroadworthy-er.
I bought a fiesta 1ltr for £50 years ago. Was driving up a hill in Brighton getting overtaken by all insundry whilst beeping at me. . Never bought a vehicle with an engine smaller than 2 ltr after that.
It could well have been my late father. He drove his like a maniac. Pretty scary if you were a passenger.
His brakes had probably failed ?.
That's the reason he passed you.
Ps, I own a Reliant Kitten, great little car !.☺️🏴
This guy's sense of humour made my day. You're a blessing.
I can honk with my knee🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I was having a bad day but this video gave me a god laugh. All is well.
When doing MPG comparisons, remember that the UK uses the Imperial gallon, which is larger than the US gallon. Therefore, MPG (Imperial) will be higher, since more fuel lets you drive farther.
"Damn faithless Imperials..."
Even with the larger gallon - 100MPG is a pipe dream.
60 seems possible, but still unlikely unless you were in a competition for thriftyness.
How much Imperial gallon to liter? I know US gallon roughly around 4 liters but not the imperial ones. I live in Asia where we use SI units since early 20th centuries.
@@govinlock8568 About 4.5
Also isn't UK fuel higher octane? Normal is 95, "super" is 98. If that's higher than the US stuff it would help with MPG, if the engine is tuned appropriately.
Two Robin stories, both relating to the same guy, who owned several. One time we drove his car in heavy falling snow into Central London. As snow settles on roads, two ruts form as cars compress the snow. Obviously this is hopeless for a Robin, which wants to ride the hump of snow in the middle, and fails to do so, endlessly falling off one side or the other, making for a hilarious driving experience! Another time, my friend came up to a T-junction on a country lane and didn't quite manage to stop at the line in time. Another car travelling on the main rode hit the front of his car side-on, and removed it entirely, in a simple clean break, which caused little damage to the other car (a Triumph Stag if I recall correctly). Remarkably, my friend was able to glue the front of the car back on and continue using it. (RIP John, still miss ya!)
I think you need a Citroen 2CV. Any plans to get one?
Well, 2CV is a classic, not really the theme for his collection.
@@slitor The Trabant or Trabbi as we call them here in Germany is also now a classic on the same level as the 2CV, or maybe the Renault R4 or Fiat 500/Fiat 126. All of them were back in the 80s and early 90s very cheap cars, mostly driven by students. And they are all rusty death traps (in case of an accident)
A BX is really quirky, i like those!
2CV is not terrible and hence not meant for his collection
wait, why is my favorite foraging youtuber here? what a coincidence!
"I have bought a Reliant Robin"
Reliant Robin: BOLLOCKS
reliant robins made by bnn plastics eh they must have been is major trouble to only pump out 40 since even wheego made atleast 100 wheego life's
@@raven4k998 40 what
I'm wondering if 'Muricans know what "bollocks" means...
@@Your.Uncle.AngMoh i wonder if they realise their old cars where just as unstable as a reliant
What the plate says
*watches intro* Hey, you should watch Jeremy Clarkson roll that thing. Will make you roll with laughter!
I see what you did there... both things you did there.
I see what you did there ........... I respect that
dare you to roll it onto it's roof and back onto it's wheels in one single roll without getting out and pushing lol
Are you talking about that Top Gear episode? Yeah, you should watch that!
They welded the dif they don't roll that easy
The standard way to improve stability was always to keep a heavy toolbox in the passenger footwell to help balance the car
Or bricks or gym weights
bad idea because they will smack you in the head when you roll over
or cement bags
Or a dead body.
The one you hit after not turn fast away.
*Exactly* how Adrian Newey makes his F1 cars corner so well
I feel so proud to be British 😂
Also, no there wasn't any heat shielding on the passenger side engine cover. That would be luxury and give the working class ideas of grandeur 😂😂
I absolutely love this comment. Gave me a genuine laugh 😆
Doesn't need a heat shield anyway because it's always cold in Britain, usually raining as well. Now you know why warm air is always blowing through the window defroster vent. That was a thoughtful feature for the home market.
You know a car is british when they removed every feature they can to save costs but it still comes with front and rear fog light switches.
The plate saying bollocks is amazing
@@Jaml321 Or European/made for Europe.
You got a new sub for 3 reasons:
- ...fuel tank back here Pinto style
- ..."Bollocks" plate
-...I can honk with my knee
So funny.
What did you think about
“Hotter than volcanos during mating season” lol. Glad to have you here Tobotine
How about the “Robin Hood” joke at 7:43
He has stability because he's on antidepressants.
Lmao
paul angeli
An embarrassment of Reliant Robins.
The changes to the bodywork may seem “irrelevant” but they do improve the aerodynamics, which makes the later versions of the Reliant and Rialto more stable at speed, ie more than 30mph.
An 850cc engine in such a light body made them pretty nifty, used to average 50mph on narrow twisty country roads between Peterborough and Nottingham.
I've done 90 mph in mine ...
@@supocarta74 My dad did 80 with me and it already was scary
@@supocarta74 only on an straight road.
15:08 As Rodney said on Only Fools and Horses "that van wouldn't reach 70 if you pushed it off a cliff"
As a Reliant owner, I think this is the best most entertaining review I've ever seen. Also, mostly spot on accurate.
Please tell us what the red button does. My theory is that it turns on the brake lights..
@@jmkhenka I think it’s rear fog lights.
@@jmkhenka It's used to check whether the brakes worm. If there isn't enough brake fluid or it's oxidised it will not light up.
You people in the uk 🇬🇧 always get fun cars. In canada 🇨🇦 all our cars are as boring as staring at wallpaper.
SS1 owner, waving in Norwegian :)
It can’t get any more British than “bollocks” written on the licence plate 😂
oh yes it can he can say bollocks while holding a cup of tea dressed as a British man
@Newsbender Trousers rolled up to just beneath the knees , shirt with the neck open and sleeves rolled up and a knotted handkerchief on his head .
Look up some monty python videos and you will get the idea. Thats the seaside look
Never mind the testicles, it's just the way I'm sitting.
@@SubTroppo Bollocks you've got piles 😉
@Newsbender See my reference to ''Monty Python'', I grew up 8 miles from the coast and spent way to much time going there , a mis spent youth )))
I remember taking day-trips and even weekend holidays riding in the back of my Dad's Reliant Regal, the precursor to the Robin, in the 1970s. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grampa, and me and my brother. SIX people in a vehicle that barely sat four. My brother (who was smaller) would sit on Mom's lap in the passenger seat, and I got the hump in the back, and all the day-trip or clothes would be behind the back seat. The Regal was actually a converted van, with nice, new windows installed in the side (easy to do with fiberglass as you just sawed out the panels). Dad would often joke that if there was a particularly steep hill, we might either have to get out, or he turn the car around and take it in reverse (due to the super-low gearing of the reverse gearing). It had a push-button radio that Dad pulled from a Ford Cortina at the local breaker's yard.
I miss that powder-blue deathtrap…
We considered getting the Robin after the Regal started having issues, but Dad ended up getting a rather fancy Ford Cortina Mk 2 in burgundy.
7:12 The rear wiper is hilarious, made my day. 😂
At 2:42 you mention the Robin having a reverse gear. The basis for the belief of no reverse gear stems from the popular 'modification' of putting a bolt through the reverse gear linkage thus making it unusable. This would then allow the owner to insure and drive the car on a motorbike licence in the UK.
I am aware of this modification because my grandfather modified his Reliant this way.
When you said that you see yourself as sort of a "caretaker," you reminded me of Jay Leno. Then I realized that your channel is a lot like Jay Leno's Garage, except instead of reviewing top of the line antique vehicles, you dig for the bottom. Your channel is a lot of fun.
A bottom feeder.
As stated in other comments, there was the loophole in the UK where you could drive one of these on a full Motorcycle license. I actually knew a man who exclusively drove reliant Robins from when they were first launched, all the way until he died around about 2005. Before that he only rode motorcycles with sidecars. This man had a wife and three kids and managed to get around and do mostly everything required of a family man of the times. The guy had a Mk3 exactly like this one. Some kids pushed it onto it's roof one night, However it was ok afterwards. It needed two new windows, which were bought and fitted the next day, it had some paint scoffs, which were either polished out or touched up with some rattle can paint, and it was serviceable again!
Truly is a candidate for one of the UK's most simplest road vehicles for the common man. Cheap to run and maintain, and the parts until recent times, were quite cheap.
What's the advantage of a "full Motorcycle license?" Is it a lot cheaper than a regular car, by how much?
@@user-ut9ln4vd5m In the United Kingdom, Motorcycle licenses are now in stages and have been for a long time. I'm not exactly sure how it used to be 40 or 50 years ago though. In the modern age, you need to take three tests before you get the full Bike license and it could be argued it costs just as much to do as a car. Back then a Motorcycle license was cheaper to obtain. Some people who had been in WW2 and National service in the 50's would have had vehicle licenses transferred from when they were in the forces. The main drive for someone to be Reliant (ha!) on a reliant robin, is the fact that they were cheaper to run. The Vehicle Excise Duty (or road tax as it's known) was a lot less for a vehicle classed as a Motorcycle/tricycle than that of a car from the same era. That tied with a lower purchase cost, and lower fuel bills meant it was a winner in certain situations.
@@user-ut9ln4vd5m back then motorcycle licences were found in cereal boxes.
My dad doing his, his examiner was on foot and he was asked to do a lap around the block, so on the back of the block where his mates were parked up, he pulled a wheelie deliberately showing off (he'd been riding without one for a while *on private land officer*) he didn't realise the examiner took a lane and was standing on the other side of the road, still passed and was just asked "had fun did you?".
Sadly because of that lacklustre approach to the licence a lot... And I mean a hell of a lot of riders died very early in their motorcycle riding and slowly over time, things like the CBT (a training day you need to be seen as competent on before being allowed to ride light motorcycles no greater than 125cc with L plates) and the two part on and off road tests came in along with age limits and power limits as well as the two part theory/hazard perception test.
A full bike licence is one that has no limits, it's known as a category A licence. This is awarded after either completing training and 2 part exam (+ 2 part theory test) on a more powerful bike and being over the age limit (I believe it might be 26 now but it was 21 when I did mine) or automatically after 2 years of riding a bike that falls within the A1 (restricted licence) power category limits.
Biking is more dangerous these days, far more comfy cars on the road and far more inattentive drivers as a consequence. So as the death rate climbed, the path to riding one became more involved.
And cost... When you throw in the £125ish CBT, £800ish of tuition (that's what I ended up doing 4 6hour days + mod 1 test), whatever the test fees cost and the cost of your gear because you will need to get some in addition to the vehicle. I'd say it's more expensive.
My car licence I got after about 30 hours of lessons which cost like £25 a go. So yeah motorbike these days is a smidge more expensive I'd say.
@@BrucieMagik back in the day, you could drive up to a 250cc motorcycle on a car license, while always displaying L plates. Anything bigger than a 250cc and you had to take a bike test, that was it. Yes you could drive a Robin or Regal on a full bike license, but you had to have reverse gear removed. I took my bike test in 1993, and that was when you had to do your CBT, but if you took your test on a 125cc, you could then ride any size bike you like. After this came the system you’re talking about 👍🏻
I passed my UK motorcycle test in 1971 on a Lambretta Li125 scooter ( max speed an indicated 60mph). This licence allowed me (and still does) to ride a motorbike of any capacity/engine power. No instruction, no further tests, no helmet required (then). Had I the money and the inclination I could have jumped onto a Hondayamazuki 1100cc Ninja Widowmaker quite legally. But I wanted a roof on my transport and a Reliant was the next port of call.
The Reliant Robin was itself basically an update to the Reliant Regal which goes back to 1953.
The yellow 3 wheeled van in British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, is a Reliant Regal Supervan mk3.
The way you deliver every single joke with such unenthusiastic-yet-joyful fervor, in near monotone no less, brings me indescribable amounts of entertainment
Ha takes me back. Living in Yorkshire (UK) and a mining community in the 70s and early 80s there were loads of these running about, cheap to tax and run especially if you only had a bike licence, funnest thing I ever saw was at knockoff at a large factory I worked at, the hooter went and every body made for the main gates, walking, cycling and in thier cars, one bloke in his "new" to him 3 wheeler, as he turned left out of the gates up a hill, he ever so gently rolled in on its side. I've never heard so many people laugh out loud at once. he never lived it down.
@Ian Temple That scene wouldn't have been out of place in the series All Creatures Great and Small.
@aging wheels I've written a book about its design - I was the Mk3 designer. The book is called "Tipping Point -Designing a Great British Underdog". I can send you a copy if you like! This actual car is featured in the book.
Did you ever get to send the book?
@@ToTheGAMES No, sadly not, I will if he asks, but I didn't want to hassle him!
@@3wheeler1000 let's hope that he reads your message 😉😉
He needs that book
I had a 1961 Mk6 Reliant Regal when I was a lad. It had a 4 cylinder 747cc Austin side valve engine, which had a separate cast iron cylinder head, cast iron cylinder block and aluminium crank case. I was a young biker and would take all my mates out in it. Great fun and a hell of a job to keep on three wheels!!
I loved when you petted the car and told it "it's ok"
That's Was Hilarious!
That's the best part
The "bollocks" front plate had me going. 😂
A nice Reliant automobile!
If I had a million dollars...
Hey v fancy seeing you here and lol
But not a real green dress, that's cruel.
The song was referring to a Plymouth Reliant though
Hey! A TH-camr who I actually know!
The Robin Hood joke at 7:40 is one of the most perfect jokes I've ever heard in my life.
When i was 16, i saved up to buy one of these, as its 17 to drive a car in UK, but can ride this on a bike licence.
My mum said, she roll it over if i parked one outside...
i ended up with a 50cc moped for a year.
they could have put a giant spike coming out of the front 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
When I lived in England in the 1970s and early 1980s every Robin I saw on the road was driven by an elderly man with an elderly woman in the passenger's seat. Both were wearing hats and gloves and were dressed entirely in beige.
I was told that their popularity was due to their cheapness, both initial and running costs, and because they were classified as motorcycles so the road tax rate and insurance was much lower.
Indeed. We got rid of that but it seems the tax rule still applies in the US!
I live in the North of England. Reliant 3 wheelers were still a common sight on the roads round here until about 15 years ago, and always seemed to be driven by opinionated retired men wearing flat caps. At no more than 35 miles per hour.
More often than not used as a conveyance to take them from miserable little homes to miserable shops to buy meagre rations of miserable foodstuffs, with a miserable hatchet-faced other half in a headscarf sat looking glumly out at the world from the passenger seat, with a massive leatherette handbag on her knees. Either that or the owners were slowly driving on their own to grotty little pigeon lofts or allotments, by way of a betting shop.
Most were in miserable colours like brown, beige, or (for the more daring miserabilist) pus yellow. Outlandish owners sometimes chose white.
These Reliants must have been serious fun to drive, as the owners seemed to have no other joy in their lives.
I suspect the demister being on all the time was a safety feature, as some owners wouldn’t have turned it on themselves, in case it caused their Reliant to use more fuel. Every pound was usually a prisoner to a Reliant owner.
The owners, more than the cars, gave the words Reliant Robin a general air of meanness and an unfathomable “there’s nowt wrong wi’ it - it does me grand!” belligerence, that only a (now dying breed of) Northern British man could revel in the unremitting bleakness of.
A lot of bikers had them cos you could drive one on a bike licence.
@@SvenTviking Which is the real reason for their popularity with older gentlemen. Passing the test for a car licence would be expensive and potentially difficult at their age. If you've ever talked to a biker about their driving prowess you'd understand - no, no, no, no, no no, no - not opinionated and stuck in their ways at all ;-P
Motorcyclist likes them because they can be driven in winter on a bike licence.
Your DMV office must groan when you come bounding in with a grin. :-)
"What are you registering this time Robert?"
"A Robin!"
*sighs* " Here's the title, now let me get back to my candy crush game....."
In case the International Geek Collective hasn't commented earlier, the mystery switch is a test for the brake warning light circuit. It was a way of meeting the regulation before someone realised you could use the handbrake switch.....
Great channel 👍👍
These were really popular in the mining areas of Northern england (especially Yorkshire), a lot of the miners had a motorbike and as you could drive a robin on a bike licence they bought one to use in the winter. By all accounts they are brilliant in the snow!
There used to be loads of these around when I was growing up in the 70's, but as the old miners retired they sold fewer and fewer of them as they were more expensive than a proper small car
and eventually they went bust
That explains why we had a RR dealership in our town. Northern mining community.
My late father had various ones for many years, He drove as if it was a sports car and I have had many a white knuckle ride sitting in the tiny passenger seat beside him, Potholes could not be avoided due to there being only one front wheel and it was pretty uncomfortable too.
Despite its faults, they were a regular sight on our roads here in the UK. Fond memories.
Maybe he's so late because his car is slow
11:37 - That's the mandatory brake warning light. You press the switch just to test the light.
Was there a law in UK that required a test function for that brake warning light? Because all the brake warning lights I've seen are just the lights. They also double for a parking brake light so that you can test the bulb by simply applying handbrake.
@@mibars I don't know if it was mandatory for it to be testable, but that's how it was on a lot of old British cars. My classic Mini had a brake warning light in a test switch like that. It doesn't illuminate with the hand brake (like modern cars), only if there's a loss of brake fluid I think.
The funniest thing is that this is, indeed, the most reliable car in his collection so far. So it lives up to being "reliant".
They are very reliable if well maintained. Notice how much abuse the Top Gear Reliant survived.
The reason it was so popular in the UK was the fact you could drive it on a full motorcycle license, without having to pass the car test.
One of the dumbest loopholes... In the US our driving tests are crap, but at least we recognize that driving a motorcycle is actually more dangerous and requires more skill than driving a car...
I thought that only applied if there was no reverse gear? Or am I thinking of something else?
@@William-Morey-Baker These days the UK motorcycle test is much harder than the car test. Back in the day more people had motorbikes or (like my grandfather) motorcycle combinations. This was a real alternative (although Grandad got his car licence and bought a Morris!)
and it did not rust and the road tax was a lot cheaper
@@tnticesp The chassis rusted admirably !
Ah yes, the nemesis of Mr. Bean, the Reliant Robin.
Just so you know the Reliant in Mr Bean is a Reliant Supervan 3, not a Robin
@@danielletheprotogen well actually the reliant in mr bean is the reliant regal not the supervan III
@@Someone-ib3iw Nope, the van is a Reliant Regal Supervan 3, the vans are called Supervans
It’s actually the reliant regal SuperVan iii so I guess you and me are both right
@@danielletheprotogen so was Del Trotters
13:24, so it once was a proper "Chav Mobile", having the Corsa headlights was not enough apparently.
I watched a few videos from your channel and I must say this is the most hilarious video about a car I've ever seen. I enjoyed it, how you are feeling joy like a kid and jiggling about the issues and driving fun the car has. Your humour is machted with the british design perfectly. Thanks!
Robert didn’t mentioned the luxurious accessory his Robin have: The moonroof or sunroof. Nice collection of weird cars. You should try to get a car produced here in Brazil by Gurgel, called Moto Machine. Would fit perfectly in your garage. Greetings from Brazil.
I looked up the Gurgel Motomachine and instantly said "holy shit."
And now I want one.
Fightre Flighte Was a nice project in the wrong time. They also produced an electric car in the beginning of the 70’s. Some how a similar story between the two men, Tucker and Gurgel. Although Gurgel was quite successful for many years producing cars on top of the VW bug platform. The MotoMachine and it’s “big brother” the BR800 had a 2 cilindro engine that was an air cooled VW engine “cut in half”.
I've read about Gurgel before (discovered them as they are mentioned in the English Wikipedia page for the lada niva) but dont quite remember this one. I probably just saw it under a different name. The off road ones I found more interesting. It would definitely be cool to see a Gurgel in an english speaking channel though, whatever model it is.
Or a Gurgel Itaipu, to put the Weego on the shame
Elliott Savva I’ll try to find something. If successful I’ll put the link here.
If it ever comes up, most of the parts in there are the same as late mini. From the switches to the stalks.
@chris younts ah the Mustie1 stash
chris younts he means the late original Mini. Not the new one which is essentially a FWD BMW.
I'll bet that mystery switch is the brake pressure warning. You get a leak in one of the two circuits, you get a light. The switch merely tests the bulb. I just rebuilt that gimmick in my MG.
You are 100% correct, I found a copy of the Rialto II manual that features a "brake test switch" that looks the same. If it lights up, the hydraulic pressure is too low and flipping it is just for testing, as you said.
k halliday - Nope, these systems weren’t that fancy. The light is connected to a switch on a device called the “Pressure Differential Warning Assembly” or PDWA. If one side of the dual braking system develops a leak, there’s a shuttle in the PDWA that gets pushed from the stronger side to the weaker, tripping the switch and turning on the light.
4:18 Actually you'd be mistaken! I attended Radwood in Detroit earlier this past summer and I saw a Reliant Robin there. It's amazing how niche but interesting these little runabouts are. Love the vid as always!
Edit: Radwood for those who don't know is a massive 80s-90s themed car show where ppl bring pre-2000s cars and show them off.
"It's about as hot and loud as a volcano during mating season" - I snorted hearing that line.
"Me, the premier collector of unusual, slow and badly made death traps." LOL
.... And the all time winner in history goes to the Isetta . Fortunately, they were broken most of the time which limited their carnage.
Hey the Isetta saved BMW.
this guy is like the technology connections of cars and I'm living for it
Had the pleasure to see this when I was out and about today ( not gonna say where, privacy has to count for something nowadays) and it made me smile from ear to ear.
Cheers from a fellow little car buff!
Oh, and I almost forgot... I've been recommending your excellent presentations to friends. One of them asked for a brief description. You amply provided it in this episode - "The premier collector of unusual, slow and badly made death traps." 'Nuff said right there...
I had one for years. l loved it. My wife and kids did not. You could leave it unlocked anywhere and nobody would steal it. It always made me happy to drive it although the middle wheel in front made avoiding the many potholes in British roads impossible.
This not-car interests me, but the lack of A/C in my home state with the boiling AZ heat makes me interested from afar. 🌵🏜☀
That, or open a window. 1st world problems. 🙃
Same for here in MS
@@SockyNoob having spent time out west in the summer, and living most my life in mississippi, I can assure you, we actually have it worse with regards to ac, sweat works in dry climates
@chris younts My oven is a dry heat too.
Boi. Try humid heat you'll wish you were back in Arizona
Great video...
Back in the 70's, when the Reliant Robin was initially launched, most working class men only had a motorcycle licence, as cars were still very expensive to own, maintain and run. Therefore going to work on a motorcycle, given the typical crap weather in the UK, meant that they'd either get soaked and covered in dirt, or they'd have to wear a bulky rain suit, which would crumple their clothes. Also trying to transport groceries, and/or a wife and kids on a motorcycle can pose a few issues.
The Reliant Robin offered an economical solution, they could drive on their motorcycle licence, so they could travel in some basic comfort, and be protected from the elements.
@@a1c3c3u in the UK they were popular in the 60's and 70's
A new 1963 Reliant van helped my dad with his work as a decorator . I just remember being in the sidecar before that. On his M/C licence the reverse gear had to be blanked off !
My boss was a biker but he was entitled to a company car. He chose the Robin and commuted 50+ miles a day for a couple of years until he decided to take his car driving test. I had a van for a while, used to go away for weekends with a mattress in the back and sleep either on car-parks or out in the wilds. Great fun...and I never rolled it once
@@MrSpangle6564 Thanks for sharing. ❤❤
I definitely wouldn't fancy commuting 50+ miles in one of them every day, some idiot in a HGV would drive straight over you and never even notice.
Look at it this way: at least you'll never miss a pothole. 😆
Or you would hit them all.. LOL
“Oh no, I’ve crashed it almost immediately” -Jeremy Clarkson and probably not you at all ever
Yeah, he likes his terrible cars.
I wish I could say that, I want a Robin.
"I bet your car didn't come with a shirt!"
Priceless.
Woow, what a great review LOL! I would not imagined to be so glued to the screen to watch a video about Reliant Robin :)))
Hey, does that have an "E" stamped at the end of the engine number at 8:26? If so it's had an engine swap for the higher compression yellow top engine from the GLS Rialto. A damn good engine I might add... If it is, and you have the matching diff swapped, you might actually achieve 100mpg!!!
Imperial gallons, I bet.
@@torstenpersson5629 Looking at about 85mpg US give or take a slosh.
I'd settle for 85 mpgs
It's a bit suspicious how a lower compression was supposed to achieve better economy.
How come lower compression yields better MPG? I always thought that compression adds engine efficency, which not only adds power but also lowers fuel consumption.
My older brother's first "car" was a Mk1 Robin, which he crashed by taking a roundabout too quickly - yep, he rolled it.
A friend of his had a Mk2 Robin with a supercharged Rover V8 in it - his party piece was popping wheelies around town on a Saturday night but the car was built to do 1/4 mile runs at Santa Pod (a local drag strip). Yes, he was quite mad!
16:49 That's the most roundabout way of calling Jeremy Clarkson fat. lmao
There IS the 4th wheel! In the back! My dreams came true!
"Its as loud as a volcano during mating season", That was hilarious!
lol put a cherry bomb on it to make it louder that would be awesome to make it a screamer and try to race someone they will be just staring at you like fuck cause then they will get the experience of driving in canada
“As hot and loud” is the exact quote.
Youre missing a lil "tray like" piece below the carb!!!
worstcase would be fuel leaking from the carb onto your exaust pipes. wich will result in a fire.
these things are cheap on ebay. pls look it up. it currently really is a death trap
When I was at school in the mid 70s I was in the local post office when there was a loud bang outside. When we rushed out there was a Robin in the middle of the road with the steering column up through the roof. Braking too hard had broken something and the front wheel had gone up through the floor.
That was due to the steel chassis being rotted away. The driver was either driving it without legal registration or with a forged road safety certificate. In the UK every car must pass a safety check every year before it can be registered for use on public roads. A rusted chassis would fail the test.
@bilbo bostonian Maybe, but a chassis does not go from sound to rotted through in 12 months. It would not have passed that hypothetical 10 month old MOT.
@bilbo bostonian There were some bent MOT testers about. That could be a dealer passing his own cars,or a tester doing a favour for a mate. I used to go with friends to look at a car they fancied. Quite a few times I grabbed a dodgy looking spot to be rewarded with a handful of filler and rusty metal. Once I pulled the whole sill off as the dealer watched through the window. He didn't dare come out and say anything.
Love your enthusiasm. I understand completely how entertaining that car is to drive. I’ve been looking for a old truck for a long time (1930-1950) & know that it will probably drive like a wheelbarrow, but that’s what I’m excited about.
This is a wonderful addition. Exactly what the collection needed
seeing the wheego just sit there half dead is making me sad :(
It shall get new life as a go-kart, or a garage door opener. I’m excited to see what he does with it even though it’s a shame it’s mostly dead now.
It is just a bad EV. No need to feel sad about it.
@@adammiller8133 thats a pretty good outlook on the future!
@@macdaniel6029 Its not "just a bad EV" its the W H E E G O
It should get a little diesel engine, so it becomes a diesel-electric vehicle like a locomotive.
“It’s like a warming oven.... but carbureted”
The T-shirt that came with the car, should have had that as a tagline.
Original comment!
just put your toast down there and you can make toast while you drive lol
Your love for old crappy cars is so endearing. Thank you for these videos!.
I’m English and I had no idea they made these till 2001 !?
P.s I love the bollocks number plate
Imagine calling a tire shop for prices. You need how many ?
Oh right! I need a spare too so give me 4 please.
We have a Farm and Fleet store where you buy 3, get 1 free tire special. This would solve the need for his missing spare.
Lmao
Not a big deal where I work, often people will have to do 1 tire as a repair and will later need only 3
you forgot the spare Tire
And here I thought I was concerned for your safety in the Trabant.
Actually not long after the Berlin Wall came down a Trabant was crash tested using the same standards that applied to European cars at the time and I believe it outperformed the Volkswagen Polo. Of course, no car of that time would even score one star on current tests, but it goes to show - most cars circa 1990 were pretty dangerous! Some time after the Trabant even out performed the Mercedes A class when it came to the Moose test - the failing of which sent Daimler-Benz back to the drawing board with the A class. That's not to commend the Trabant, it is a pretty awful car, but hardly worse than a lot of western European cars developed at the same time - the late 50s/early 60s, when most cars that ordinary people could get were pretty awful.
@@mzcymro That's all well and good, but you can't get the Trabant up to 85mph or run it on the interstate lol
@@NickCharles I mean you /could/ take it on the interstate but only if you’ve got a death wish.
@@mzcymro "most cars circa 1990 were pretty dangerous!" Only if you are a snowflake...
Cars in the 50s and 60s were kinda dangerous, cars from the 80s have front disc brakes, 3-point seat belts, safety glass and some even ABS and airbags. In the 50s and 60s it was normal to have drum brakes, normal glass and no seatbelts or at best lapbelts. I own 3 cars from the 80s and they are safe enough for daily driving.
@@NickCharles maybe not a stock one, but for a Trabant with a swapped engine 85mph is nothing.
Our family had two of the little 4 wheel Reliants, the Kitten and the Rebel, both estates. Fun to drive and full of character.
They actually made a 4 wheel version of this called the kitten. I dont know why, but they did
There was also the Rebel which had four wheels and also the Scimitar which also had four wheels and a V6 engine made by Ford.
I like the way it looks
@@waynekerrgoodstyle I’ve just found out that the Reliant Scimitar was in production in my lifetime! Still with a engine, though not from a Ford Zephyr. I was Five when it was being made and yet I’ve never seen one.
@@elton1981 They used the V6 Essex engine and I think the V6 Cologne engine too.
@@waynekerrgoodstyle Aah - the Scimitar. I recall our economics & IT teacher at college drove one in the early 80s.
I live in Tamworth! Never thought I’d hear you mention that on this channel. I can’t believe you called us North though.
Anything north of Watford, is "up north" to southerners.
@@StuartJ If only there were a way to describe _lands_ that are in the _middle._
Ah well, a man can dream.
chris younts I can’t dispute that!
I was in a shop in Worcester once when two of the women working there were bitching about an absent colleague for something or other. "That's so typical for a Northerner, isn't it." one said. And the other seemed surprised "Oh, is she from the North?", to which the first one replied: "Yeah, she is from Birmingham."
I may only be a tourist, but I learnt an important geographical lesson that day...
@@drunkenhobo8020 Awful?
“..It doesnt mean much. I can draw something in Microsoft paint. And I could say I designed it on my computer..” I’m dying here! 😂🤣
When I was little, I saw one of these do 4 x barrel role's and the amazing thing other than the driver surviving!! It was remarkably intact and could still drive...