Reliant Car Books - History and Construction

Reliant Sports Cars

The Reliant Scimitar is one of the most successful and distinctive British sports cars. In almost 20 years, from 1968 to 1986, over 15,000 of these elegant machines were produced, and today the car is still highly regarded for its timeless looks and effective design. Don Pither's pictorial history of the Scimitar and its predecessor, the Sabre, shows in detail their conception, development and career, and it celebrates their enduring qualities.

This book is essential reading for Scimitar owners and enthusiasts, and provides a keen insight for readers who are fascinated by the history of British sports cars. The author recalls how, after 25 years of producing three-wheeled vehicles, Reliant experimented with the production of a four-wheeled sports car, the Sabre, in 1961. The company was so encouraged by the sales potential of this nimble Ford-engined two-seater, which they went on to produce the more ambitious Scimitar coupe of 1964.

This innovative car, which carried a stylish Ogle-designed body, was developed into the most famous and most powerful Scimitar of all, the 3-litre GTE sporting estate of 1968. This car sold consistently well throughout the 1970s because of its good looks, practicality and rapid performance. It also gained for the company a valuable royal endorsement as Scimitars were owned by the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Anne.
The car was seen as a classic of its time.

Reliant Scimitar GTE - SE5, SE6, SE8 (1968-1986), Middlebridge (1989-1990)

Finding a classic car that has prestige and performance can be hard, and few would expect a marque more famous for its three-wheelers to be included in such company. Yet few cars meet these criteria better than the Reliant Scimitar Grand Turismo Estate. When the GTE arrived on the scene in September 1968, it heralded the world's first sporting estate car.

The GTE sprang from the Scimitar range of sports cars, with production spanning 22 years. With a body shape designed by Ogle's Tom Karen, and mounted onto a new, longer wheelbase chassis designed by John Crosthwaite, and constructed of non-rusting fibreglass, the sport estate hatchback body, with it's waistline rising towards the rear, was an automotive first.
The original GTE SE5 was powered by a sporty 3.0-litre Ford Essex V6 engine, and with over 4000 cars produced, it was an instant success. The model went on to receive a number of updates and improvements during its life, with the SE5A model of 1972 outselling all other models.

This The Essential Buyer's Guide covers all Scimitar GTE models produced between 1968 and 1986, including SE5/SE5a, SE6/SE6a, SE6b, GTC/SE8b, and the Middlebridge Scimitar GTE produced between 1989 and 1990. Don't buy a Reliant Scimitar without this book!

Contents:
- Packed with expert advice from a marque authority
- See where and how to buy a good Reliant Scimitar
- Covers all the GTE models from 1968 up to the Middlebridge models of 1990
- Includes key checks - how to spot a bad car quickly
- Choosing the right model for you and your budget
- Includes Veloce's unique evaluation system for assessing a potential purchase
- Advice on whether a car Is worth buying as a restoration project
- Get advice on paperwork, relative values, and buying at auction
- Details of club backup, parts suppliers and support organisations.

Reliant Three-Wheelers - The Complete Story

Despite a reputation for being eccentric and dangerous, Reliant three-wheelers are ever-present in the classic car scene and are now seen as icons of British popular culture.

This book charts the development of these much-loved cars from 1935 onwards and includes the development and production of the Regal, Robin, Bond Bug and Rialto.

Contents include:
- Origins of Reliant and the girder fork Light Delivery Van in the 1930s
- Post-war passenger cars and the groundbreaking fibreglass body of the Mark 3 Regal
- Development and production of the Regal, Robin, Bond Bug and Rialto
- Reliant under new ownership and the redesigned BN Robins
- Reliant three-wheelers in popular culture
- The Reliant Owners' Club.

The Reliant Robin : Britain's Most Bizarre Car

Spanning four decades, the Reliant Robin was a familiar, if eccentric, fixture on Britain's roads; an object of amusement to those who didn't understand its ultra-thrifty ways and a source of pride to the many thousands of owners who did.

During a time of deep recession in 1970s Britain, this stylish little car from Tamworth became a massive hit, boasting low fuel consumption and cheap tax. Reliant couldn't make them fast enough, until a culture of more sophisticated car buyers saw it go into eventual decline.

From its beginnings in 1973 to its demise almost thirty years later, Giles Chapman traces the colourful history of the most famous and iconic three-wheeled car in Britain.

Reliant Sabre, Scimitar and SS1 - An Enthusiast's Guide

Reliant produced a range of sports cars from the 1960s to the 1990s which complemented their well-established three-wheeled cars. Starting with a design for Israel's Autocars in 1961, Reliant went on to produce many successful cars, including the Sabre, a raw two-seat sports car; the Scimitar GT, a solid GT car; the Scimitar GTE, a market-defining sporting estate car; and the SS1, a small two-seat sports car.

"Reliant Sabre, Scimitar and SS1 - An Enthusiast's Guide" explores the history, design and development of the Reliant sports cars.
Beginning with the Autocars Sabra, the Sabre, Scimitar, Scimitar GTE and SS1 are each explored in depth. This book includes full technical specifications for every major model owner's experiences and advice for buying and owning.