I was cycling down a country lane with my mate in the eighties. We'll never forget it. A Reliant Robin was sat in a layby as we came around the corner. We chuckled at the 'Turbo' badge on the back. The smiles were wiped from our faces as it shot off up the road at great speed! Kudos to the lad driving it.
I was following one down the A12 in the early 80s. The front suspension collapsed, and it tipped and rolled at 50 miles an hour. Astonishingly, the two elderly occupants crawled out reattled, but unscathed.
every one seems to forget at the time the choice was a cold wet motorbike with all the protective clothing or step straight into a nice warm dry car with your normal clothing for a price the working man could afford
supernumery Your “pathetic little death traps” is not really appropriate either. The chassis used on these cars are pretty strong, and none of the cars made then would fare well in a modern crash test. There is at least one 3-wheeler used regularly in Long Distance Trials and it seems to hold up well. My nephew and his family have several of the Scimitar and similar sports saloons, they also are well put together, on a par with vehicles of similar age - better than the Vauxhalls I used to work on in the 1960s/70s. And the engines from Reliant 3-wheelers have been used in sports and racing cars for decades. Pathetic? No.
My grandad gave me his supervan I learnt to drive in it I loved it I never tipped it over it was so much fun and it definitely helped me with driving skills
Our dad had a dellboy three wheeler van in the seventys. The front wheel collapsed on Waverly bridge in edinburgh. He then bought a bright yellow reliant robin. Which our neighbours called Davies yellow submarine. Horific memory where my youth
The main 'fire' problem, especially with the older Regal models, was that of the fuel pipe tapped direct into the carburettor and sealed with resin. Not a good idea in a bumpy car or road accident - the fuel pipe came out onto a hot engine. They fitted a flexible rubber'plastic coupling from then on eliminating that particular problem.
A mate of mine owns a reliant robin and he says he knows a young lad that bought everything from reliant when they sold up and he kept all the blue prints and now he makes new parts and is always restoring them
I'm in Colorado. I had both a Rialto and one of the very few Regal Convertibles made . Loved driving them and my Moggie around Denver but they vapor locked like buggers on our Ethanol mixed "fuel".
Between my Grandfather, Father and myself we owned nearly ever model made, from the girder forked van , to my last 1976 Robin. This was 'tweaked' by the local dealer/friend to provide very individual and very brisk transport (well, through the gears and up to about 80). That little car took myself and hubby over 150,000 trouble free , and VERY pleasurable miles. Work gave me a flash company car, and the Robin sat in it's garage. Reluctantly I ended up selling her. Within a very few days, the new owner had written her off. Lord how I wish I still had her ! ! !
Without the great little Reliant three wheeler my life would have been very different I bet! I started riding motorcycles at 16 and my Mum made my Dad buy me a Reliant to get me off motorcycles. But I just kept both lol, poor Mum. Even my dad loved it, even though he was an ardent 4 wheel car driver! He would often drive around Coventry and deliverately go round a corner an lift a back wheel to scare the shit out of pedestrians (love you Dad, RIP). In my time while still living in England, I owned two Regal cars, three Supervan and one MINI three wheeler kit car called a Ranger Cub. It's a shame Reliant didn't design a three wheeler with two wheels at the front. I had no problem working on them, I found them easy.
They did it was the Reliant Kitten produced from 1975 to 1982. You can see at a glance it's simply a 4 wheeled Reliant Robin. Never a great seller tho as many better & cheaper four wheel options out there.
This brought back a lot of memories. I had a Reliant Regal many years back, but prior to that a Bond Minicar. Both purely for economic/licence reasons, but they were both FUN! I especially wish I had the Bond today.
I had a Reliant Kitten Estate for nine years - it was fun trying to find parts to keep it on the road - eventually it succumbed to an engine fire same as the chap in the film - I'd quite like to have another but they've now become quite rare and finding spares for one would be even more difficult.
I'm in Canada but acquired a few issues of the British "CAR" magazine, which had a very brief opinion summary for every car model in each issue. The Reliant Robin said this:: PROS: "Cheap Insurance", "Cheap road tax" CONS: "Tends to trip and fall", "More stable if driven in reverse".
@@Shady-Shane Having owned a couple of Honda Wet Dreams I can attest to their atrocious handling and speed. I eventually swapped the last one for a rat CB650. The difference was startling. On my commute from home to work there was a series of tight bends that I found taxing on the 250 at 25mph. The first time out on the 650 I found myself effortlessly cruising round them at 40mph. So much that i then branched out into motorcycle courering. Love the job even in taxing weather conditions eg 100mph on the motorway in a storm!
I had a Regal for several years. I blocked out the rear windows with signs writen vynal for my gardening business. Best advertising going. Loved that car. I found that the micky takers soon wanted a lift when the weather turned. Many years ago my best friend and I even cut the roof off one.
I'm a French teacher and have been writing a French textbook in my head for 30 years. "It's hard to know where to begin with a plastic pig" is definitely going in there.
Great to mention the loophole so that it can be used on a motorcycle licence as Delboy also mentioned in an episode of Only fools and horses. I like them because they can be turned into really fun looking trikes.
I remember well the old Raleigh van, our neighbour had one but although it was a box trailer with a motorcycle grafted on the front end It fulfilled a gap in the market. These were the days when the bicycle was King and was the transport of choice because it was affordable. These were the days when most households did not own a car and those that did in any street , you could count on one hand. Gradually there was a move towards small motorcycles like the BSA Bantam, or the Raleigh Moped, and the N.S.U. Bus services back then were far more reliable and affordable, probably due to very few private cars on the roads. As people began to earn better wages and they got fed up being out in the weather they gradually looked for a bit of comfort. If they currently owned a moped or a motorcycle the three wheeler offered that without the need to take another driving test the Regal fulfilled the need again, and as insurance was similar to a motorcycle combination, they would cost around the same to run. It's a shame there is not a lightweight battery available as there would probably be a market for them once again today.
Excellent piece on a uniquely European car. As an American I only became aware of the Reliant Robin due to the humourus piece on the 2nd version of Top Gear feat. Jezza mocking it, so it's ironic that this programme ends with a teaser for Top Gear (v.1) with Jezza in the upper right-hand corner.
I owned numerous plastic pigs over a 12 year period (regals,robins and rialtos) and when I finally decided to take my driving test and move over to normal cars it was the best thing I ever did in my life.Sure they have their well known plus points,but the constant problems just got too much in the end. Fuel evaporation when the engine compartment was hot,causing spluttery starting and lumpy running,and of course the constant risk of fire. Poor engine access. Rear leaf springs forever snapping. Braced section of front radius arm cracking. Welds failing next to where handbrake cable adjusters go into plate,and eyelets distorting where cable goes onto rear axle resulting in loss of handbrake. Fibreglass breaking up where doors are mounted to body Plastic dashboard breaking where it mounts to body Starter motor Bendix seizing up Useless heater....the list goes on. And of course there was always the worry of finding the car tipped on its side by yobs,that happened to me on more than one occasion
I understand why people claim the poor access to the engine, But changing the HT Leads, Spark plugs and air filter can be done fairly easily from under the bonnet, With the two access panels inside giving you access to the starter motor, Oil filter, Exhaust manifold and carb, In some ways access is better than others, And engine removal again is easier than a lot of other cars, Yes I agree they are not really comparable to a modern car in terms of comfort and reliability, But as they say here on this video, A lot of owners don`t look after them as they should through lack of funds, Giving them a bit of a unfair review
True story: a Reliant Robin wrote my Morris Marina off in 1987 when the owner pulled out from a side junction & hit me in the side. It bent the chassis of my Marina but there was barely a scratch on the front of the Robin. I got a fair bit of piss taking from my mates lol. Not sure I'd like to drive a convertible 3 wheeler on a daily basis in case it rolled lol.
A work friend of mine had one, after a week it had starting problems, so we push started it for him, then a few days later he rolled it. He only bought it because he only had a motor bike licence. With his insurance money he bought a racing push bike, ha ha, I love the stories about these cars.
The government used to encourage us to purchase Diesels. Now, the prevailing wisdom is to avoid them. Quentin Wilson should also tell you to spell his surname correctly. 😁
@@phil955i No Quentin was deputy Editor of `Buying cars` magazine in the late 80`s / early 90`s and he was always banging on about diesels in every feature he wrote , Citroen BX , Peugeot 405 and the cost savings .
John Matthews yea but he never has anything good to say about any British built car. They may well have been crap but a lot of people loved driving them and still do. All he does is turn an interesting subject into a deeply depressing program.
marshalllucky He covered that in the programme. They were OK little vehicles. A friend drove one and I took it round a vehicle “agility course” once, went like a good’un! Ideal car for it. Les
The Robin had front seats that only reached halfway up the back of those sitting in them. Instant broken back in an accident, and probably neck too. Scary !!
You know you can do far worse then buying a Reliant, look at the Trabant. Yeah with a Trabant you can put in a VW Polo engine in it, but with a little bit imagination and a mechanical skills I suppose you could do better for a Reliant. Seriously I can't see anything wrong with the Reliant 3 wheeler.
For any of us that don't care about the presenter this video is as funny and entertaining as the Robin. The low cost of ownership seems to be its only reason for existence. Proof that people will buy anything if the Price Is Right. (Yugo 😮🤣🤔).
I'm 28 (just) I have had 3 I love them not as a daily driver I use my ls430 but I love my reliant robin can't sell it been offered silly money but cants take it
If all cars in the UK had tree wheels the car would be safe, Everybody would have to drive safe because they would not have any other choice. Heehh, i'm dying to see the first tree wheel Range Rover.
Motorbike in the summer, trade it in at the bike shop in the winter [they often sold Reliants as well] then trade the Reliant for a bike in the spring, happy days
750cc,later 850cc 85mph top speed, 60 miles per gallon, they sold well because you can drive one on a provisional license as they are classed as a motorcycle and sidecar [tricycle] Also cheap motorcycle road tax. I had 4 of them in the 1970s - early 80s
On those 3-wheelers all they had to do was have 2 wheels at the front and 1 at the back and it would've been a perfectly fine vehicle. As it was they made one of the most ridiculous vehicles ever devised. My mate had one and an old neighbour had lots of them. I never saw the appeal at all. It was only because of that stupid driving license loophole the things were even made.
We're all entitled to our opinions. I'm sure some people would scoff at your choice of vehicles, but if you like them, why shouldn't you own and drive them? Personally, I look at big American land barges with incredulity and modern, 2 wheel drive, pseudo off road vehicles with sporty road tyres with contempt. The Chelsea Tractor phenomenon is also an abomination. Likewise the ever increasing size of "small" cars. But why shouldn't such legal loopholes be exploited? You get something a bit different and the loopholes get fixed if deemed necessary. They're not dangerous if driven properly. Some modern 3 wheel scooters can be driven on a car licence, no CBT or bike licence required. I'd love to see modern versions of 'bubble' cars, Bond Bugs, the original Mini or Fiat 500... not some overgrown retro pastiche. But hey no, legislation won't allow such things.
With it tapering to the one wheel at the back a full width rear seat would not be possible, that would only suit a two seater sports job like a Morgan.
trevor francis I watched that happen in front of me going down the M23 years ago. It tumbled sideways with fibreglass flying everywhere. Came to rest, luckily, on its wheels with the couple in it ok (they had seatbelts on) but most of the bodywork gone. Horrible to watch!
Regret that this is the only episode of this program that I have - I recorded and kept it because I used to own a Reliant Kitten - sorry that I am unable to help but hope that maybe other uploaders seeing this might have the editions that you seek.
I've not found them elsewhere yet hence asking. I'm trying to build a complete collection of The Car's The Star, and these are two of about 4 I don't yet have. :-)
Changing the law in respect of a provisional licence holder not being able to drive on their own in my opinion killed this useful little three wheeler, what foresight the Government had? I don't think, the last British people's car ruined by beurocràts.
first one we had a Van, painted in camo colour, I took it for spin with outon my Dad knowing had my mate in who is 6ft5 and had it on 2 wheels, he shit him self. I said James bond cant do this. lolThen got a saloon had it sprayed red with a white stripe on.
Was Reliant using the same electrics that the MG, Triumph and jaguar used ?.....What are the positions of the head lights of a British ( at that time ) car......Dim, Flicker and off. Why do the British drink warm beer. Because the refrigerators and the electrics were made by Lucas Electric. I would never own one unless it was rewired and rebuilt. Aside from that it might be fun just to see how easy I can get it to roll over and play dead.
Ignition, rear suspension, Brakes and wheels are classic Mini, Front headlights are MK 2 Ford Fiesta, Ford indicator front lens, Dash switches and steering column switches are British Leyland
Reliant got some fantastic free publicity when Princess Anne got pulled over by the Police for speeding in her Reliant Scimitar. The Scimitar still looks good today, and was a precursor of the Hatchback. I once rented a Robin for a few days, just for fun, and never felt safe.
I owned a Scimitar for a few years. Sadly it was the wrong engine. It overheated at speed (anything over 100mph) despite my modifications to the cooling system. The UK 3.0 litre lump (I forget the model name) was later superceeded by the German variant (?Cologne?) which was much better and more powerful. I've flirted with other marques in the intervening decades, but returned to my old love - Jaaaags! 😍
@@amanofmanyparts9120 The 'Essex' V6, as fitted to the Ford Zodiac, Mk. 1 Granada/Consul GT and the Capri 3000. Sadly there were too many fibre components in critical places on that engine, like the timing gears for the camshafts and the oil pump drive. Easily sorted now with metal replacements, but...
Or even the original Morgan 3 wheeler. But one wheel at the front has potential benefits. You should have more room to turn the front wheel further (theoretically up to 90 degrees), thereby reducing the turning circle. Plus, assuming RWD, you get two driven wheels rather than one, so more traction and reduced likelihood of oversteer. Which should suit both the "slow in, fast out" approach that's ideal on narrow, twisty, poorly sighted country roads in the UK and the delta configuration of a Reliant. The tadpole configuration of the Morgan generally has more stability going in to a bend than coming out. Horses for courses.
As difficult as the PP is to roll (Clarkson excluded), the 2-1 configuration is infinitely more stable. Saying that I know of a moron who managed to roll one. To be fair he *was* running from the fuzz.
If they ever got smart. Two wheels in the front and one wide wheel in the back. Why were they so stubborn with a bad design? We have cars today with 3 wheels.
Simon Jones - Happy to stand corrected but at about 12:12 it’s mentioned thar Princess Anne had a Scimitar and a Reliant Kitten, both vehicles having a wheel at each corner.
I dont need BMW, benz, ferrari, lamborghini, bugatti,, i dont need these shit,, I always want to have "reliant",, especially the regal supervan with light blue colored,, Who need 4 wheels if you can afford 3 wheels with roof & steering wheel,, Unfortunatelly reliant motor never export their product to asia,, especially to my country, indonesia
@@otakupetrolheadslife Let's forget just how ugly it looks. It's incredibly small, too small for any sort of practical use. Then, while it's safer than a motorbike, its handling is still pretty dangerous. Add that it was poor quality construction and I put my question again.
@@doubledee9675 You talk rubbish. It's no different in size to a Smart car. Poor quality? How would you know? Basic engineering yes, but not poor quality. You had to drive like an idiot to turn one over. I think you should try one :)
@@Darwinion It was never on the market here, as it would have been unsaleable. The only way I could try one is on a trip to the UK. Not seen any one advertising one available just to go and try. The ones I saw there looked well below the quality of basic cars here such as the Holden and Falcon. That's before you get to the size, and a Smart car (a market flop here) is not exactly a family car either.
@@doubledee9675 I'm sorry you have such a myopic view of cars, other than your native makes. The assumptions you make are made through ignorance, something that can be addressed through education and experience. These were designed as small runabouts, not luxury family cars. Such three wheeled vehicles, below a certain weight being exempt from needing a car licence. Ostensibly, British law at the time, classed them as motorbikes and side car. So only a motorcycle license needed, but you got a roof, heater, windows and 4 seats. Holden are/were a GM company, much like the European Opel/Vauxhall were until recently. Their contemporary cars ranged from tiny runabouts to sporty coupes, to big saloons and everything in between. The were even some rebadged Holdens you might recognise. But saying all their vehicles were high quality, safe, luxury family cars is silly. A little bit of knowledge, some common sense and an open mind will benefit you immensely.
r a forgot about the scimitar, 6 months to paint custom paint company even the yanks would of been impressed myra flake,metal flake flamed roof and 18 coats of clear laka it had it all. where is it now i would love a photo i lost my photo even the paint work change colour in the dark
I was cycling down a country lane with my mate in the eighties. We'll never forget it. A Reliant Robin was sat in a layby as we came around the corner. We chuckled at the 'Turbo' badge on the back. The smiles were wiped from our faces as it shot off up the road at great speed! Kudos to the lad driving it.
I was following one down the A12 in the early 80s. The front suspension collapsed, and it tipped and rolled at 50 miles an hour. Astonishingly, the two elderly occupants crawled out reattled, but unscathed.
We may laugh at Reliant, but it was Reliant that Ford outsourced to build the RS200 Group B rally car. It's utterly insane!
every one seems to forget at the time the choice was a cold wet motorbike with all the protective clothing or step straight into a nice warm dry car with your normal clothing for a price the working man could afford
Yeah was my dad's first car. Many happy childhood memories. Was what we could afford at the time and could drive it on his cycle licence.
supernumery Your “pathetic little death traps” is not really appropriate either. The chassis used on these cars are pretty strong, and none of the cars made then would fare well in a modern crash test. There is at least one 3-wheeler used regularly in Long Distance Trials and it seems to hold up well. My nephew and his family have several of the Scimitar and similar sports saloons, they also are well put together, on a par with vehicles of similar age - better than the Vauxhalls I used to work on in the 1960s/70s. And the engines from Reliant 3-wheelers have been used in sports and racing cars for decades. Pathetic? No.
But how much more could it have cost to put a 4th weel on it?
@@Shadow25720 they did it was called the "reliant rebel" and later was the "kitten".
@@trevorford9432 so it was like the regal and the robin but the 4 wheeled ones
I have had a Regal Supervan,a Regal and 2 Robins. All mad vehicle but I loved them all.
Have you had a mk2 robin by any chance?
My grandad gave me his supervan I learnt to drive in it I loved it I never tipped it over it was so much fun and it definitely helped me with driving skills
2:56 I definitely wants to know where is that Daniel boy in 2021.
He seems to have done alright for himself
Dr Dan Lockton is a British interaction designer and researcher, based in the Netherlands.
Our dad had a dellboy three wheeler van in the seventys. The front wheel collapsed on Waverly bridge in edinburgh. He then bought a bright yellow reliant robin. Which our neighbours called Davies yellow submarine. Horific memory where my youth
I live in Tamworth and the factory site is now a housing estate
I believe the streets are all named after reliant models but I may be wrong
Most of them are, George.
@@analystab1 oh ok
The main 'fire' problem, especially with the older Regal models, was that of the fuel pipe tapped direct into the carburettor and sealed with resin.
Not a good idea in a bumpy car or road accident - the fuel pipe came out onto a hot engine.
They fitted a flexible rubber'plastic coupling from then on eliminating that particular problem.
A mate of mine owns a reliant robin and he says he knows a young lad that bought everything from reliant when they sold up and he kept all the blue prints and now he makes new parts and is always restoring them
I'm in Colorado. I had both a Rialto and one of the very few Regal Convertibles made . Loved driving them and my Moggie around Denver but they vapor locked like buggers on our Ethanol mixed "fuel".
Between my Grandfather, Father and myself we owned nearly ever model made, from the girder forked van , to my last 1976 Robin. This was 'tweaked' by the local dealer/friend to provide very individual and very brisk transport (well, through the gears and up to about 80). That little car took myself and hubby over 150,000 trouble free , and VERY pleasurable miles. Work gave me a flash company car, and the Robin sat in it's garage. Reluctantly I ended up selling her. Within a very few days, the new owner had written her off. Lord how I wish I still had her ! ! !
Brough up backwards so..
Without the great little Reliant three wheeler my life would have been very different I bet!
I started riding motorcycles at 16 and my Mum made my Dad buy me a Reliant to get me off motorcycles.
But I just kept both lol, poor Mum. Even my dad loved it, even though he was an ardent 4 wheel car driver!
He would often drive around Coventry and deliverately go round a corner an lift a back wheel to scare the shit out of pedestrians (love you Dad, RIP).
In my time while still living in England, I owned two Regal cars, three Supervan and one MINI three wheeler kit car called a Ranger Cub.
It's a shame Reliant didn't design a three wheeler with two wheels at the front.
I had no problem working on them, I found them easy.
My parents bought me a reliant regal for the same reason to get me off bike's. I did the same and kept both.
They did it was the Reliant Kitten produced from 1975 to 1982. You can see at a glance it's simply a 4 wheeled Reliant Robin. Never a great seller tho as many better & cheaper four wheel options out there.
Morgan and BMW got their three-wheeler car right since they put two wheels at the front.
I don't care I like the little car... one less wheel to go flat.
This brought back a lot of memories. I had a Reliant Regal many years back, but prior to that a Bond Minicar. Both purely for economic/licence reasons, but they were both FUN! I especially wish I had the Bond today.
I had a Reliant Kitten Estate for nine years - it was fun trying to find parts to keep it on the road - eventually it succumbed to an engine fire same as the chap in the film - I'd quite like to have another but they've now become quite rare and finding spares for one would be even more difficult.
I loved my Bond mark D, as a teenager I toured all around the uk. Marvellous!
supernumery Get with it! The Kitten is a four-wheeled car. Les
R.I.P Tom Karen 1926-2023😪
I'm in Canada but acquired a few issues of the British "CAR" magazine, which had a very brief opinion summary for every car model in each issue. The Reliant Robin said this::
PROS: "Cheap Insurance", "Cheap road tax"
CONS: "Tends to trip and fall", "More stable if driven in reverse".
I remember a discription of the honda CB250N super dream as "slow slugish wobbly and boring, they sold by the boat load" summed it up really,.
@@Shady-Shane Having owned a couple of Honda Wet Dreams I can attest to their atrocious handling and speed. I eventually swapped the last one for a rat CB650. The difference was startling.
On my commute from home to work there was a series of tight bends that I found taxing on the 250 at 25mph. The first time out on the 650 I found myself effortlessly cruising round them at 40mph. So much that i then branched out into motorcycle courering. Love the job even in taxing weather conditions eg 100mph on the motorway in a storm!
My first car (if you can call it that) was a 1973 reliant supervan lll 21E top of the range (hardly a Ghia) & later a 850cc Robin that was Fast. 🤗
I had a Regal for several years. I blocked out the rear windows with signs writen vynal for my gardening business. Best advertising going. Loved that car. I found that the micky takers soon wanted a lift when the weather turned.
Many years ago my best friend and I even cut the roof off one.
I'm a French teacher and have been writing a French textbook in my head for 30 years. "It's hard to know where to begin with a plastic pig" is definitely going in there.
"I'll try spinning - that's a good trick!" - Reliant Robin
Great to mention the loophole so that it can be used on a motorcycle licence as Delboy also mentioned in an episode of Only fools and horses.
I like them because they can be turned into really fun looking trikes.
I remember well the old Raleigh van, our neighbour had one but although it was a box trailer with a motorcycle grafted on the front end
It fulfilled a gap in the market.
These were the days when the bicycle was King and was the transport of choice because it was affordable.
These were the days when most households did not own a car and those that did in any street , you could count on one hand.
Gradually there was a move towards small motorcycles like the BSA Bantam, or the Raleigh Moped, and the N.S.U.
Bus services back then were far more reliable and affordable, probably due to very few private cars on the roads.
As people began to earn better wages and they got fed up being out in the weather they gradually looked for a bit of comfort.
If they currently owned a moped or a motorcycle the three wheeler offered that without the need to take another driving test the Regal fulfilled the need again, and as insurance was similar to a motorcycle combination, they would cost around the same to run.
It's a shame there is not a lightweight battery available as there would probably be a market for them once again today.
I think the original Raleigh van looks like a UK version of the Italian & Indian 3 wheeler 'tuk tuk' rickshaws...
Excellent piece on a uniquely European car.
As an American I only became aware of the Reliant Robin due to the humourus piece on the 2nd version of Top Gear feat. Jezza mocking it, so it's ironic that this programme ends with a teaser for Top Gear (v.1) with Jezza in the upper right-hand corner.
If ever there was a man who needs to shave his head and embrace baldness it's quintin!!!!!!
2 of the best car designs ever, was the bond bug, and the nova kit car, foget about lambo's etc
This was beautiful
i owned a regal, robin, and the orange bond bug
'911RS, 911RS, Plastic Pig, 911..Wait!' - I died laughing at that slide!
I owned numerous plastic pigs over a 12 year period (regals,robins and rialtos) and when I finally decided to take my driving test and move over to normal cars it was the best thing I ever did in my life.Sure they have their well known plus points,but the constant problems just got too much in the end.
Fuel evaporation when the engine compartment was hot,causing spluttery starting and lumpy running,and of course the constant risk of fire.
Poor engine access.
Rear leaf springs forever snapping.
Braced section of front radius arm cracking.
Welds failing next to where handbrake cable adjusters go into plate,and eyelets distorting where cable goes onto rear axle resulting in loss of handbrake.
Fibreglass breaking up where doors are mounted to body
Plastic dashboard breaking where it mounts to body
Starter motor Bendix seizing up
Useless heater....the list goes on.
And of course there was always the worry of finding the car tipped on its side by yobs,that happened to me on more than one occasion
I understand why people claim the poor access to the engine, But changing the HT Leads, Spark plugs and air filter can be done fairly easily from under the bonnet, With the two access panels inside giving you access to the starter motor, Oil filter, Exhaust manifold and carb, In some ways access is better than others, And engine removal again is easier than a lot of other cars, Yes I agree they are not really comparable to a modern car in terms of comfort and reliability, But as they say here on this video, A lot of owners don`t look after them as they should through lack of funds, Giving them a bit of a unfair review
Thank you for your unbiased comments!
True story: a Reliant Robin wrote my Morris Marina off in 1987 when the owner pulled out from a side junction & hit me in the side. It bent the chassis of my Marina but there was barely a scratch on the front of the Robin. I got a fair bit of piss taking from my mates lol. Not sure I'd like to drive a convertible 3 wheeler on a daily basis in case it rolled lol.
Fibreglass is quite stiff. Interesting story.
A work friend of mine had one, after a week it had starting problems, so we push started it for him, then a few days later he rolled it. He only bought it because he only had a motor bike licence. With his insurance money he bought a racing push bike, ha ha, I love the stories about these cars.
Hear hear! good old Ormskirk! (Town crier at the time.. rip )
Surely Reliant did well in the 80’s and early 90’s. They sold loads of Rialto’s and mk 2 robins.
Goddamn what a well-spoken 13-year-old
They still look like the old mobility cars - the flid cars as we called them as kids in the 1970's
not a nice name but better than `spak chariots` that lots of kids used to call them
What year was this ?
1996 - (Roman number MCMXCVI at the end of the end credits)
@@oldelephantstew
*Quentin Willson.*
And he was the Reliant Robin of Strictly Come Dancing in 2004
He has been labelled the worst ever dancer in Strictlys history
😂😂
Quentin Wilson told us all to buy diesels......
I would.
The government used to encourage us to purchase Diesels. Now, the prevailing wisdom is to avoid them. Quentin Wilson should also tell you to spell his surname correctly. 😁
@@another3997 well buff my buttons......is that you quentin?
No, the UK government did
@@phil955i No Quentin was deputy Editor of `Buying cars` magazine in the late 80`s / early 90`s and he was always banging on about diesels in every feature he wrote , Citroen BX , Peugeot 405 and the cost savings .
I’m surprised North Korea hasn’t tried licensing the Robin reliant.
Oh god! Quintin Wilson is in it! This will be depressing!☹️
Better than Clarkson.
At least Quentin can drive so he did not turn the car over like Clarkson did.
John Matthews yea but he never has anything good to say about any British built car. They may well have been crap but a lot of people loved driving them and still do. All he does is turn an interesting subject into a deeply depressing program.
@@TheMentalblockrock he did it on purpose. Are you really that gullible?
as well as the reliant , robin also made one with 4 wheels called the `` kitten`` :-(
marshalllucky He covered that in the programme. They were OK little vehicles. A friend drove one and I took it round a vehicle “agility course” once, went like a good’un! Ideal car for it. Les
The Robin had front seats that only reached halfway up the back of those sitting in them. Instant broken back in an accident, and probably neck too. Scary !!
You know you can do far worse then buying a Reliant, look at the Trabant. Yeah with a Trabant you can put in a VW Polo engine in it, but with a little bit imagination and a mechanical skills I suppose you could do better for a Reliant. Seriously I can't see anything wrong with the Reliant 3 wheeler.
Ricky Anthony When did you last drive one?
@Ricky Anthony The Top Gear ones were modded to flip
Bond bug with hyabusa engine on tube mental
For any of us that don't care about the presenter this video is as funny and entertaining as the Robin. The low cost of ownership seems to be its only reason for existence. Proof that people will buy anything if the Price Is Right. (Yugo 😮🤣🤔).
Love it.
gee couldn't have picked a worse person to present this
I'm 28 (just) I have had 3 I love them not as a daily driver I use my ls430 but I love my reliant robin can't sell it been offered silly money but cants take it
Genesis designer Ogle made some superb cars
The scimiter looked reeeeallly good!!
I had a Scimitar, 3 Litre V6 125mph.0-60 8 seconds, not bad for 1968.
Eric Rodrigues They still do look good, and go well if looked after.
Still looks allot better than any modern day car
R.I.P Tom Karen designer of the Robin, Bond Bug and scimitar died new years eve 2022
I'd love to own a Bond Bug as a hobby car!
MarkVL Would be lots of fun I'm sure.
You’ll need about £7000 in your bank account. They are not cheap especially ones in decent condition.
@@underneonloneliness2 In my country they ask a lot more.
@@MarkGelderland You could get a reliant Rialto or robin instead.
@@underneonloneliness2 I know but i like the quirky Bond Bug much more
Is that Rodney with the bowl hair cut
If all cars in the UK had tree wheels the car would be safe, Everybody would have to drive safe because they would not have any other choice. Heehh, i'm dying to see the first tree wheel Range Rover.
Tree wheels, hey! Shades of The Flintstones?
Motorbike in the summer, trade it in at the bike shop in the winter [they often sold Reliants as well] then trade the Reliant for a bike in the spring, happy days
Fascinating stuff, although the Trotters’ van in Only Fools And Horses is actually a Regal, as is the one Mr Bean always has some kind of beef with.
. . . . . . . And I wish a pox on Jeremy Clarkson ! ! !
Agree!
Hi, i am from indonesia, i want to know more about this funny looking car, i knew it from mr bean 😂😂
750cc,later 850cc 85mph top speed, 60 miles per gallon, they sold well because you can drive one on a provisional license as they are classed as a motorcycle and sidecar [tricycle] Also cheap motorcycle road tax. I had 4 of them in the 1970s - early 80s
9:10 song??
Spanish Flea (Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass).
@@oldelephantstew thanks👍
On those 3-wheelers all they had to do was have 2 wheels at the front and 1
at the back and it would've been a perfectly fine vehicle. As it was
they made one of the most ridiculous vehicles ever devised. My mate had
one and an old neighbour had lots of them. I never saw the appeal at
all. It was only because of that stupid driving license loophole the things were even made.
We're all entitled to our opinions. I'm sure some people would scoff at your choice of vehicles, but if you like them, why shouldn't you own and drive them? Personally, I look at big American land barges with incredulity and modern, 2 wheel drive, pseudo off road vehicles with sporty road tyres with contempt. The Chelsea Tractor phenomenon is also an abomination. Likewise the ever increasing size of "small" cars. But why shouldn't such legal loopholes be exploited? You get something a bit different and the loopholes get fixed if deemed necessary. They're not dangerous if driven properly. Some modern 3 wheel scooters can be driven on a car licence, no CBT or bike licence required. I'd love to see modern versions of 'bubble' cars, Bond Bugs, the original Mini or Fiat 500... not some overgrown retro pastiche. But hey no, legislation won't allow such things.
With it tapering to the one wheel at the back a full width rear seat would not be possible, that would only suit a two seater sports job like a Morgan.
Lived in Tamworth all my life …site is now houses at two gates on the A5
Still own a bug and still turns heads
These cars will out live a person
yeah only if he`s on a life support machine thats about to be unplugged :-O
1:37
*Go Go Reliant Robins*
Newcastle qualify for Europe... Whoa this video must be quite ancient....
are you a member of the roll over club. I am
trevor francis I watched that happen in front of me going down the M23 years ago. It tumbled sideways with fibreglass flying everywhere. Came to rest, luckily, on its wheels with the couple in it ok (they had seatbelts on) but most of the bodywork gone. Horrible to watch!
Still a better idea than the Chevy Volt.
VBN437H 5000 miles in 15 days is in the MOT history database but without an MOT history. Perhaps its been off the road for many years.
It looks like a fake story. The photos with their signs and symbols have been faked.
Of course car dealers llved selling the Reliant line. Great turnover.
where is he know
Do you have any more The Car's The Star features? Particularly after Volvo and Jeep, but there are a few more I'm keen to see!
Regret that this is the only episode of this program that I have - I recorded and kept it because I used to own a Reliant Kitten - sorry that I am unable to help but hope that maybe other uploaders seeing this might have the editions that you seek.
I've not found them elsewhere yet hence asking. I'm trying to build a complete collection of The Car's The Star, and these are two of about 4 I don't yet have. :-)
TheYorkMan I have it on VHS. When I work out how to transfer to digital I shall upload it for you.
Changing the law in respect of a provisional licence holder not being able to drive on their own in my opinion killed this useful little three wheeler, what foresight the Government had? I don't think, the last British people's car ruined by beurocràts.
first one we had a Van, painted in camo colour, I took it for spin with outon my Dad knowing had my mate in who is 6ft5 and had it on 2 wheels, he shit him self. I said James bond cant do this. lolThen got a saloon had it sprayed red with a white stripe on.
Was Reliant using the same electrics that the MG, Triumph and jaguar used ?.....What are the positions of the head lights of a British ( at that time ) car......Dim, Flicker and off. Why do the British drink warm beer. Because the refrigerators and the electrics were made by Lucas Electric. I would never own one unless it was rewired and rebuilt. Aside from that it might be fun just to see how easy I can get it to roll over and play dead.
Ignition, rear suspension, Brakes and wheels are classic Mini, Front headlights are MK 2 Ford Fiesta, Ford indicator front lens, Dash switches and steering column switches are British Leyland
There's nothing like a few silly stereotypes to liven up TH-cam, or indeed to make it dull. If you were aiming for the latter, you succeeded. 😁
You're somewhat of a dingbat!
Better quality programme.👍🏻
Believe or not reliant it be forever in car history, not sure a safe car but in the 70 all cars are caskets
Wonder if Kath is still around....?
Her car was last taxed in 1997
@@MrStabby19812 Only a year after this was filmed. What happened to all the hype of being unique and standing out from the crowd?
Welcome to the Quentin Wilson trying to be Jeremy Clarkson show.
Rather have quentin
Yes, The League of Tossers!
I drove a reliant Rialto for 35 miles on dual carriageway once and was exhausted on arrival. 🥵
Reliant got some fantastic free publicity when Princess Anne got pulled over by the Police for speeding in her Reliant Scimitar. The Scimitar still looks good today, and was a precursor of the Hatchback.
I once rented a Robin for a few days, just for fun, and never felt safe.
I owned a Scimitar for a few years. Sadly it was the wrong engine. It overheated at speed (anything over 100mph) despite my modifications to the cooling system. The UK 3.0 litre lump (I forget the model name) was later superceeded by the German variant (?Cologne?) which was much better and more powerful.
I've flirted with other marques in the intervening decades, but returned to my old love - Jaaaags! 😍
@@amanofmanyparts9120 The 'Essex' V6, as fitted to the Ford Zodiac, Mk. 1 Granada/Consul GT and the Capri 3000. Sadly there were too many fibre components in critical places on that engine, like the timing gears for the camshafts and the oil pump drive. Easily sorted now with metal replacements, but...
Mr Bean bought me to the Robin
Not a huge fan of the Robin, but I'd love a Kitten, Rebel, Fox or Scimitar SS1
So you want a Reliant, but only a 4 wheeler.
What about a Rialto?
Two wheels in the front and one in the back seems more practical. Look at the BMW Isetta.
Or even the original Morgan 3 wheeler. But one wheel at the front has potential benefits. You should have more room to turn the front wheel further (theoretically up to 90 degrees), thereby reducing the turning circle. Plus, assuming RWD, you get two driven wheels rather than one, so more traction and reduced likelihood of oversteer. Which should suit both the "slow in, fast out" approach that's ideal on narrow, twisty, poorly sighted country roads in the UK and the delta configuration of a Reliant. The tadpole configuration of the Morgan generally has more stability going in to a bend than coming out. Horses for courses.
As difficult as the PP is to roll (Clarkson excluded), the 2-1 configuration is infinitely more stable. Saying that I know of a moron who managed to roll one. To be fair he *was* running from the fuzz.
@@another3997 Not theoretically - that was the selling point of the Bond Three Wheeler.
whats this 13 y old up to now.
Hopefully still driving reliants
If they ever got smart. Two wheels in the front and one wide wheel in the back. Why were they so stubborn with a bad design? We have cars today with 3 wheels.
The 'plastic' Piglet perhaps.
Ernie ball had one
Wilson's bad enough, but I had to switch off when the spotty brat appeared.
Such a great vehicle we used to have one that we would use to bury the bodies up on the moors.
Princess Ann had a three wheeler
Simon Jones - She may indeed have, but Princess Anne (the Queen’s daughter) had a Reliant Scimitar.
@@AtheistOrphan yes she had a sliver one but she also had a reliant robin in black
Though she had a “Kitten” - a four-wheeled version of the Robin?
@@MorgoUK no a three wheeler
Simon Jones - Happy to stand corrected but at about 12:12 it’s mentioned thar Princess Anne had a Scimitar and a Reliant Kitten, both vehicles having a wheel at each corner.
Masih mending reliant daripada bajai, reliant pakek mesin 700cc 4 tak kalok bajai pakek mesin 150cc 2 tak
Disliker other driver that car with broken wheel (3 wheeler) reliant
This guy is a BOZO! He is too rude towards the robin
Even then, most British people aren't a fan of it.
He had to make some compromises. Like, leave off a wheel and safety.
I dont need BMW, benz, ferrari, lamborghini, bugatti,, i dont need these shit,,
I always want to have "reliant",, especially the regal supervan with light blue colored,,
Who need 4 wheels if you can afford 3 wheels with roof & steering wheel,,
Unfortunatelly reliant motor never export their product to asia,, especially to my country, indonesia
Who on earth would have bought one of these?
Anyone who thinks microcar is a good idea.
@@otakupetrolheadslife Let's forget just how ugly it looks. It's incredibly small, too small for any sort of practical use. Then, while it's safer than a motorbike, its handling is still pretty dangerous. Add that it was poor quality construction and I put my question again.
@@doubledee9675 You talk rubbish. It's no different in size to a Smart car. Poor quality? How would you know? Basic engineering yes, but not poor quality. You had to drive like an idiot to turn one over. I think you should try one :)
@@Darwinion It was never on the market here, as it would have been unsaleable. The only way I could try one is on a trip to the UK. Not seen any one advertising one available just to go and try. The ones I saw there looked well below the quality of basic cars here such as the Holden and Falcon. That's before you get to the size, and a Smart car (a market flop here) is not exactly a family car either.
@@doubledee9675 I'm sorry you have such a myopic view of cars, other than your native makes. The assumptions you make are made through ignorance, something that can be addressed through education and experience. These were designed as small runabouts, not luxury family cars. Such three wheeled vehicles, below a certain weight being exempt from needing a car licence. Ostensibly, British law at the time, classed them as motorbikes and side car. So only a motorcycle license needed, but you got a roof, heater, windows and 4 seats. Holden are/were a GM company, much like the European Opel/Vauxhall were until recently. Their contemporary cars ranged from tiny runabouts to sporty coupes, to big saloons and everything in between. The were even some rebadged Holdens you might recognise. But saying all their vehicles were high quality, safe, luxury family cars is silly. A little bit of knowledge, some common sense and an open mind will benefit you immensely.
r a forgot about the scimitar, 6 months to paint custom paint company even the yanks would of been impressed myra flake,metal flake flamed roof and 18 coats of clear laka it had it all. where is it now i would love a photo i lost my photo even the paint work change colour in the dark
Laka?
The Reliant Robin is the worst British car ever made. Everything Tom Karen said about it is total horses*** and he knows it.
Joker mouth. Slime ball
It is a piece of shyt and if you where not paid to say it's great. You would have the same opinion
I don't see any part that he like the Robin.
No one was paid to say it's good. It was just an old design.