MYTH BUSTER
Debunking the most common old wives’ tales
IT ONLY MADE THREE-WHEELERS
This myth is, of course, more prevalent among those who aren’t classic car aficionados. However, as well as four-wheelers such as the Scimitar, SS1, Sabre, Rebel, Kitten, Fox, Reliant’s expertise with glassfibre manufacture meant it also built Ford RS200 and MetroCab taxi bodyshells, lorry cabs, Ford Transit extending roofs, train bodies, kitchen worktops and maritime hulls. It did much more than people give it credit for.
THE COMPANY NO LONGER EXISTS
While Reliant stopped car production in 2001, one part of the original company continues to operate to this day, still under the Reliant title. Reliant Partsworld (which does exactly what its name suggests) is still based at the Cannock plant that Reliant Cars moved to in April 2001.
THE BOND FIRM WAS A BIG RIVAL
Reliant bought fellow threewheeler manufacturer Bond Cars in early 1969, but it was much less about it being a competitive threat, for Bond had just gone into liquidation and its 300 employees built 1500 three-wheeled machines per year, compared to Reliant’s 15,000 from 1600 workers. In reality, Reliant was keen to get its vehicles into Triumph dealerships using the agreement Bond had for its Equipe. Triumph becoming part of British Leyland scuppered that. So Reliant built the Bug instead.
NO REVERSE ON THREE-WHEELERS
All three-wheeler Reliants had reverse gears, but before 1964, those being driven on a motorcycle licence had to have them locked off. Then it was sensibly pointed out that this was rather unsafe and the rule was dropped. Richard Gunn