I bought a 97 Robin last year and restored it, I have a bike licence, so suits me fine. Love it, about to respray it and get it to like new condition as much as possible.
Many of my biker mates had plastic pigs, warmer than a bike in Winter and good for carting about engines etc. I did a mushroom trip in one in the early eighties, listening to Ten Years After, hurtling along country lanes watching the lights at Donnington Airport... magic. When they changed the motorbike license it killed off a big chunk of the market for 2nd hand pigs. Fair play to My Heynes for giving it a go. Thanks for the upload.
A brave effort - and not a ridiculous gamble - yes an appeal on nostalgia from the fans maybe but a vision beyond that too. If we knock people for trying when will we ever succeed
That's us British I'm afraid. We are the biggest critics of what we do, have done or are about to do. Self deprecation is now what we do best. Brexit is a prime example, sadly.
I worked at a Reliant main dealer 76/77 and a couple of years later bought a Robin van to carry myself and my fishing tackle around! It was yellow, and my girlfriend called it the ' chunk of cheese'!
I worked at a garage with British leyland and reliant dealerships, and when the Robin was released a second mechanic was needed when busy and I drew the short straw and was sent to Reliant factory at Tamworth for training, so I ended working on Robins, Regals the one Del Boy had and Bond Bugs, and back to Land rovers when not required in Reliant work shop, both a joy to work on.
I've watched this many times and always admire those that put a lot of effort into what was really a doomed enterprise by 1996. A very British story really and a glimpse of how many UK motor manufacturers eventually ended up. It seemed he was determined for the 3-wheelers to effectively fund his dream of a new sports car but considering cars like the Mazda MX-5 where already well established by that time then that was really pie in the sky unfortunately.
Most interesting indeed - my late Grandad, late Father and myself have owned every model made since the girder forked van. I adored my '76 Robin van which was tastefully 'tweaked' by my Reliant agent/friend and was a total joy to drive over the 150,000 miles I put on her. Wish I still had her with all my heart.
By this time the Reliant three wheeler was a dead duck. Surprised a man like Jonathan Heynes couldn't see that. 60 mpg, motorbike tax and rust free body was a fantastic advantage compared to thirsty and quick rusting 70's cars. But, fast forward 20 years and your average medium sized family diesel will do 60mpg +, is free on road tax, and due to modern technology has fantastic corrosion resistance. Also, the typical reliant customers (older, northern, ex-miner types with a motorbike licence) were reducing massively in numbers by this time.
@supernumery I'll give the chap credit for one thing .... at least he faced people. I used to work for a technology incubator and 90% of the meetings we organised were unattended - people just couldn't be bothered turning up for whatever reason.
There was a point when the difference between a car and a motorcycle was a reverse gear. It was possible to drive a 3-wheeler to the test centre, take your driving test, blank off the reverse position and do your bike test as if in a sidecar combination. I think you're correct in your analysis of Reliant's 3-wheel demographic, Paul, people with a bike license who couldn't be bothered taking a car test and whose wives would no longer get on a bike. Common in the 60s, still plenty about in the 70s, but by the 1990s a dying breed. The Regal/Robin was an anachronism of the British licensing system, like the ridiculous necessity to put pedals on 50cc motorcycles to meet moped laws in the 70s.
Exactly the issue I saw, cars had moved on, but also with all the emissions regulations etc. the days of the small manufacturer of a cheap economy car were over.
@Gary Dodgson I agree about motorcyclists making the best drivers, as a motorcyclist you cannot afford to make a mistake and you have to learn how to ride defensively and be constantly aware. After 43 years, having started out with motorcycles before owning a car, I still drive a car or ride a motorcycle with the same attitude, I see and know many who drive cars without appreciation for the inherent dangers. Everyone seems to think if you ride a motorcycle death is inevitable, yet drive as if no one's ever been killed or seriously injured in a car.
My thoughts exactly, they are a fun little car but the "that's good enough" "make do with what we have" attitude of all the British car and motorcycle brands left them all falling behind. The average small European or Japanese car of the 90's early 2000's was quiet, fairly comfortable, fuel injected, didn't leak, had power steering, disc breaks and got reasonable mpg, the Reliant on the other hand was still using technology that was outdated 30 years ago and getting harder to source reliably.
Had a Bond Bug, a Reliant Regal and a Reliant Supervan III. the Regal would do over a ton flat out, but both the van and bug struggled around the 65/70 mark. All of them had the 700cc engine. Great little cars, cheap to run, easy to fix. Had a lot of fun in them.
Don't ask me how, I've no idea how it managed it, but the needle went past the 90 mark (last on speedo) and actually disappeared behind the chrome trim. I have witnesses.
In the early 80's I had two regal supervan 3 one was a 21E I believe that was top of the range (wow) then after them I had a Robin van & Robin saloon great cars that was because I only had a bike licence (the 850 Robin was quick)
Despite swimming against the tide they hung in there until 2001 finishing up with a facelifted robin with corsa headlights. The new legislation that disallowed 3 wheelers to be driven on a motorbike license and cheaper tax was the final nail in the coffin
Reliant never learned to embrace their weirdness and reach a younger market. By the end they were making an old-fashioned parts bin hatchback that happened to have one less wheel. You can't have conservative styling on a car that's missing a wheel. It needed a cooler, sportier image and some serious marketing to get away from the Woodbine and cloth cap image.
Everyone can drive a car, no one only gets a bike licence (maybe in the 30s). EU had no play in it, just the usual poor British running of a worn out idea. Too little too late... again.
@@matthewq4b and improvements to car safety in general, thanks EU. Why didn't they ditch the 3 wheel and promote 4, could still be fibreglass or whatever lightweight material was best. They fell behind in the end. Dad for thr brand and the employees who sat through 3 bankruptcies.
the robin supervan iii is the most collectible , there is a company in bolsover doing electric conversions for the robin , they replace the petrol tank with batteries and exchange the petrol engine for an electric one , you do have to leave the car with them for couple of hours but its worth it :-(
Terence Jay It’s not always the best idea to take back people who were part of a company that’s already failed twice. Quite the opposite. He should’ve advertised the position and asked how they’d do it with a minimum of labour.
had a reliant Regal supervan 111, put a reliant Robin 850 engine in it, Used to love leaving Ford escort 1.4i at lights as they would wheel spin , I could pull a wheely. Also had a Bond bug, put the same 850 engine in that , you should have seen the looks when some one doing 95 mph gets passed by a 3wheeler doing 107mph!
The Reliant was an anachronism that died between two epochs. Back in the 1950's, young working-class people often rode motorcycles and grafted a sidecar on when they got married. Threewheelers became a slightly more luxurious alternative that could be driven on a bike licence so long as the weight remained below 8cwt. That drastically limited what could be done. However, in 1959 came Issigonis's all-conquering Mini. It required a full car licence, but swept almost all before it. Reliant & Bond struggled on, determined but doomed. Today, with small, electric urban cars the height of fashion, they might have a chance - with sufficient investment - but they didn't last long enough to meet the electric revolution. Perhaps they should've looked around for a Japanese motorcycle engine instead of trying to resurrect and continue building their own mill...
I think another issue for a company like Reliant to survive would be the crash and safety requirements for vehicles today. Now buyers are also interested in the safety ratings of cars they buy, whereas when I was a kid in the 60's we didn't even wear seat belts and such things were given little thought.
the little reliant motor is magic i have been racing one for over 20 years , it is modified to the hilt , the box is magic to every thing is so small no other manufacture can make them this light and small
Nice story of a British icon and a lovely couple devoted to keep it alive. But is all that stress and emotion worth it? I'm self employed in Britain and yes I have my good days but sometimes I think to hell with it. Jack the business and stack shelves. Less out goings. Less stress.
It was worth it because if he had jacked it in too soon they’d be even less on the road. I happen to own a 1999 reliant robin. I think if they had modernised the car more it would’ve sold better and been more appealing to younger drivers.
@@grahamefreestone5309 the one on trademe here looks to be in very good condition , a reasonably priced classic and if i had healthier finances id deffo be tempted, cant be many of them in this country
Reliant sold the rights to that car in 1987.. sadly the next company failed with it. I used to work nearby, I rememebr the day of the liquidation auction - bodyshells and parts going off on trailers. www.sporting-reliants.com/Middlebridge%20Scimitar.htm
Ron Wylie....piss on electric vehicles, more green house gasses are expelled building electric cars than there are when building gasoline powered cars....Google that shit...
@@branon6565 what a ridiculously stupid comment. The average car has a life span of 10 years or more nowadays. The savings on emissions during that time more than compensate for the production emissions. A child of three could understand that
I wonder if it had survived till today. would it have stood a better chance with an electric engine and a little lithium battery pack as an electric city runabout. batteries, motor controller and electric motor production sourced outside.
Probably not. The car you describe was already made in 1987 in Denmark and called the "ellert" It was never a big succes. billeder.bazoom.dk/biler/galleri/479/wh/2000/2000/2394608/ellert-mini---el.jpg
I had an early model van in the mid-seventies. It was a rather fetching brown colour, which gave it the nickname 'The Flying Shite'. I remember that there was a big roundabout on my route to Technical College, where I could lift the left rear wheel on the entrance; the right rear wheel about half-way around; and then left again on the exit. Another party trick was, whilst having four mates packed into the back and stopped at a red light, holding the throttle to the floor until the valves bounced, then dumping the clutch. That manouver generated a 'wheelie' of about six inches... My favourite was, due to the dimensions in the back and the fact that the driver and passenger seat-backs hinged forwards, made it perfect for taking a young lady back there for... 'fun'. I'm 60 now. The 'young lady' has been my wife for many years.
An old friend of mine used to own a Reliant in some foul shade of robin's egg blue - he referred to it as his 'plastic pig'. One day we were motoring in the New Forest, and somehow (can't recall how) he managed to get the ridiculous vehicle wedged sideways in a ditch. We had to call upon some friendly locals to help us extricate the bloody thing and set it back on the tarmac on its three tiny wheels: truly one of the most mortifying moments of my life. On another occasion I came across a Bond Bug minus its front wheel - its female driver ejected through the windscreen and lying face down in the middle of the road. To be entirely truthful this is one British-manufactured car I DON'T miss!!
I drove a Bond Bug and the front wheel was bolted on just as sturdily as the seatbelt. Also I hope she was alright after missing the steering wheel and the metal bar between the centre console and the steering column. Quite an extraordinary feat, actually.
I had a reliant supervan when I was first married and we had our first baby, not a lot of money about for ordinary people then, I have to say it was a really good little car, it didnt tip over but I once gave a lift to several people and two heavy lads in the back and when I hit the first bump it did a sit up and beg lol, they were quick to lean forward and we were ok. The engine was alovely little thing
The young woman (Tara Fitzgerald) appearing several times at the beginning of this documentary played the role of an accountant engaged by the management of the coal mine of the small town of Grimmley with a view to its closure. The film "brassed off" is the moving story of the mine workers and their band. With Pete Posteltwaythe, Ewan McGregor. . .
@@jimgamble2429 I know , it`s crazy . Did you know Robin also made a version with four wheels called `the kitten`but I dont think it sold well as you needed a car licence to drive those :-(
Anyone here remember that Reliant owners always waved to one another if they passed on the road? Can you imagine that now with Audi A6's or RangeRovers? May be but a different kind of wave.
Not a word about 'Only fools and horses'. I was under the impression that popular program gave Reliant a huge publicity boost? Or have I got the story wrong..... haven't lived in the UK for almost 40 years.
Some programs did the opposite. The most widespread lie is that Reliants cannot go around corners. This was supposedly demonstrated on the BBC's Top Gear programme, but the always annoying Jeremy Clarkson himself admitted in The Sunday Times that the Robin only rolled over frequently because the production team messed with the differential. If it hadn't, the car would have been much more stable.
It's definitely given the second hand market a boost. Replicas of the fools and horses van regularly go for between £10,000-£20,000. One of the screen-used vehicles went for over £30,000. That particular model is very rare and even wrecks go for a couple of grand. Cushty.
All the millions the government put into BL if they had given Reliant some help maybe it would have survived but with all the legislation changes over resent years re emissions and safety it takes very deep pockets to comply even Morgan has now been sold to some Italian company
Spoke to a fireman many years ago who attended a car crash between a "normal" car and a Reliant. The Reliant was in bits with shredded bodywork all over the road. Both Reliant occupants died at the scene. The driver in the metal bodied car was fine. I remember him saying Reliants were "death traps" and should be banned!
If nostalgia was his only reason for buying Reliant, the effort was doomed from the start. These days automobile manufacturing is a hyper-competitive business requiring massive outlays of capital as well as massive investment in processes and human resources. And on top of that, you burden your enterprise with a brand reputation no less dubious than Edsel and Yugo? This enterprise has/had no chance to survive, much less succeed.
My own opinion, the robin was outdated by 1996. The Bond bug had a little known loop hole, it could be driven on a moped license, a missed opportunity.
I believe as you have made three wheeler on this chassis, you should have made a four wheeler On the same chassis, I reckon they would have sealed more, and, probably today as well.
So now after Brexit in future (without EU regulations hindering ?) time to try again..but this time of course with 100 % EV version ?!? Even if EU won't buy them, make a great special deal with Trump sell them as niche toy cars in the huge USA market + the rest of the world willing to try something different ?!
If A was for effort, we would have been living in iceage even today! I did alot of effort to solve the problem of peace, terrorism, interstellar travel and exploration, climate change and all the diseases in the world! Do i get A for effort even though i failed in all areas i did effort! Just because you see a documentary with sad talking and emotional people doesnt mean you straight away give A. Reliqnt was stupid and robin was a stupid idea!
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the 'entrenched attitudes of the staff. They knew their business better than anyone, and had to work within the limitations of the antiquated production line and machine tools they had. The way that Reliants were built was somewhat anarchronistic even in the mid 90s, (even Trabant were more modern in terms of the way they were produced). Laying up glassfibre is a skilled and very labour intensive process, for which there are no cutting corners, as it can't be mechanised. The programme mentioned that Reliant had gone bankrupt three times within a short space of time, but what was not mentioned was why. The order book was full, and that was part of the problem, as the factory site wasn't big enough to be able to store enough components in order to be able to produce enough to fulfill the demand. This was partially down to the car having a separate chassis, which was made offsite by a contracting company and were produced in production run in batches, which had to be stored, and storage space was limited. Also, such production required paying for with cash - and as is highlighted in the film, cash flow was an issue, which is basically what did for the company on at least one of the times it went bankrupt. It's very easy to blame the workers, but that always loses sight of the fact that it is upon the workers that companies whether the company makes it, or fails - and with companies such as Reliant, it is only the workforce that keeps the company going. The very fact that it is emphasised in the film that some staff gave up secure jobs in order to return to working for Reliant indicates the committment of staff to the marque.
I am not denying there weren't entrenched attitudes of the staff, but I think there was more of the typical arrogance from management who didn't really understand the business or man-management yet 'knew best'. Let's not forget those who actually built the cars knew what they were doing, and what's more understood what they were doing. Since Reliant had already gone bust three times or whatever it was before the new fellow got hold of it, indicates to me that there was no real business at all and the boss was clinging on to something that just wasn't there, then tried to blame those making them as being part of the problem. A romanticist if you like. It was a car merely of its time which died in the 70s due to natural wastage. Unfortunately I worked for 'management' who had all the theoretical training but simply did not understand the business they were in at all, far less those who actually made the whole thing work. Instead of listening to the staff, who knew, management ploughed on ahead with their university degrees and finished the whole thing off, leaving to f'off and ruin the next business.
I had the super van, had to say had more fun in that driving up to its of mull as a chaff then Cornwall with drilled holes under gutter to Bungie my surfboard, though most laughed , I had great memories, learnt how to put a wheel up going around a corner , snow was fun snake the back end but the front wheel went where it . I needed to go, though driving sideways was easier than riding up on the snow mound in the centre. slept in the back on my travels, Clarkson may have taken the piss but what a fun little car,, shame I think if the had reversed the drive it would be selling now look at the slingshot and all the other revers trikes, . would have been a world leader I think.
Reliants were relatively expensive and lived, rather parasitically, on nostalgia. If cars were built out of wattle and daub, they would still be supported by some enthusiasts........ that gives me an idea.
Had a Reliant Super Robin 850 a few years ago. It was faster than an XR3i to 60 mph, I know cos I raced one. The XR flew past me at 70mph, but I beat it to 60 xx
Why not electrify the car perhaps in partnership with an existing electric car company that has the electric technology. If Reliant make everything, therefore, they can make the electric skate board chassis and buy in the electric motors and batteries
Thanx 4 the film. In 1999 AD I saw for the first time this 3-wheel cars. It was in John O'Grotes ("Johan de Groot") far North Scotland. I toke a coupe of photos. It is bad that the entity did not made it. If I had stayed in England. I will have a Robbin bakkie (Pick-up) with a Diesel-engine... A TV-man of Top Gear. The tall one. "Germiny"- I think. He made a very bad remark on the Robbin. The Robin was a entry-level car. Not a super car. Not a Jag... Thanx 4 for the info of the licenses. With my ZA drivers licenses I could drive a Robbin..
Reminds me of a similar story about the ' Britten ' Motorcycle that was built from scratch by a New Zealander, John Britten. The Documentary is here on CZcams.
The design would lend itself to an electric vehicle with batteries way down and e-motors in of near the back wheels, fibreglass body. Low centre of gravity, simple construction, low weight.
Thanks, very sad to see all this effort fail, I only drove one once, but that was not a car I would enjoy. I know how hard it is to run this type of operation,so full marks to the team who did their best to preserve a British Icon. Making all your own bits, including engine, is very brave.
i always loved the Scimitar GTE. Nice GT cars. Good Ford V6 engine. The 3wheelers not so much. IMO 3 wheelers only work with 2 front wheels. The Robin was a nice effort. A company like this can only survive in a niche market. Like small city-BEV cars. Or slow 45km/h cars that you can drive without license. Or small electric urban/city delivery vans.
I had a blowout of the offside rear tire on a Scimitar GTE at 105mph on the M4 many years ago. it kept a straight line while the tire shredded itself through the wing.
Hi Fiveo waf, apart from the tire the other big point I remember is the size of the fuel tank. cost me a weeks wages to fill it up. also 100mph in 3rd was great.
Police chased a Robin Reliant across three counties, they couldn’t use stingers on it, the driver abandoned it in the greyhound archway in Blandford, I remember seeing it there. I was well chuffed when the chase was shown on some police chase tv programme.
John Doe that is right, the police deemed they were to unstable to use stingers, the idiot who used it as a getaway vehicle had stolen a charity box from a garage or cafe.
@@spotsterjon74cu Wow, what a star criminal. Even if they can not use the stingers it would be really hard to get away from police in a underpowered 3 wheel car. No accelerating away and no fast cornering or it would end up on it's side :) The thief would have to find some particular spot where the Robin would fit through but not a police car and hope no other units were around. Best bet would be to find such a spot and ditch the car in a hurry and run like hell. Prefereably somewhere, the sniffer dogs would loose your track, as well. All in all, not very likely unless you are very familiar with the area and have it all planned out :)
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz believe me or not Reliant Robins corner faster than normal cars in Britain. Due to the car being so narrow, you can use racing lines in one lane.
Robert H....why? More green house gasses are expelled into the atmosphere when building an electric car compared to a gasoline car....google that shit....electric vehicles suck mansack....
@Demo The rules changed again allowing full car license holders and full motorcycle licence holders to drive the three wheel models so long as they are over 21.
He should have reversed the design so the one wheel was in back,modified for angle adjustment,and the two wheels in front. It seems to me this would have made it much more stable and more controllable.
@@chrisdavidson911 Of course it would there is MULTIPLE designs using the technique. Just look up "three wheeler"on wiki. All it would have taken is relatively minor modifications to the layout a reasonable expense to increase the odds of actually SELLING the car.
@@krisguntner4805 i'm familiar with 3 wheeled vehicles, the type you're talking about is called a "reverse trike", and you're trying to say it would be more stable than the conventional/reliant layout when there is an uneven load at the rear. Not only that, they're a packaging disaster, the central wheel makes the rear of the car basically unusable for anything worthwhile. The reverse trike layout does have merits, but not for load carrying
@@krisguntner4805 really? that's like a can-am spyder with a windscreen and pizza delivery box on the back! it can carry 160kg, in a narrow box, directly over the rear wheel. It actually proves my point
Me and my late dad had few, my last one was the rialtos in beige took it up to 90. big wheels on back. I buy one any time. never got stuck in snow, worked nights and remember a girl saying, well if any one phones in and say they can't get in. I just buggered there idea up. lol
Loved my Reliant van. Owned it for 12 years on L plates. Then one day I was stopped by the law saying I could only drive it with a qualified driver. I think in part this was part of Reliants downfall. I did not even have a full motorbike licence. Not sure about today's laws, but I think if you are lucky enough to own a Reliant today then you need a full car licence. I don't drive anything today. I failed my first driving test on a Lambretta scooter. Never botherd again after that. But I was able to take my wife camping all over Wales in the sidecar I fitted to the scooter. Back then you could do that with L plats. Them was the days.
I bought a 97 Robin last year and restored it, I have a bike licence, so suits me fine. Love it, about to respray it and get it to like new condition as much as possible.
Many of my biker mates had plastic pigs, warmer than a bike in Winter and good for carting about engines etc. I did a mushroom trip in one in the early eighties, listening to Ten Years After, hurtling along country lanes watching the lights at Donnington Airport... magic. When they changed the motorbike license it killed off a big chunk of the market for 2nd hand pigs. Fair play to My Heynes for giving it a go. Thanks for the upload.
A brave effort - and not a ridiculous gamble - yes an appeal on nostalgia from the fans maybe but a vision beyond that too. If we knock people for trying when will we ever succeed
That's a good motto to live by.
That's us British I'm afraid. We are the biggest critics of what we do, have done or are about to do. Self deprecation is now what we do best. Brexit is a prime example, sadly.
Paul b self hating, white liberal! England was great but this "vehicle" doesn't represent that
I worked at a Reliant main dealer 76/77 and a couple of years later bought a Robin van to carry myself and my fishing tackle around! It was yellow, and my girlfriend called it the ' chunk of cheese'!
Orson Kaart its a wonder you even had a girlfriend driving a pig 🐷 around 😂😂😂😂😂
What sort of cheese? Cheddar or Stilton?
You didn't sell it to a man called Trotter did you
I worked at a garage with British leyland and reliant dealerships, and when the Robin was released a second mechanic was needed when busy and I drew the short straw and was sent to Reliant factory at Tamworth for training, so I ended working on Robins, Regals the one Del Boy had and Bond Bugs, and back to Land rovers when not required in Reliant work shop, both a joy to work on.
Your girlfriend sounded like a right goer hahahahaha
Real people for whom their job meant something and incredible loyalty to the company..
I had no less than 5 Robins and Rialtos during the 1980's . They were great reliable little cars , never let me down . They were much under rated.
Stephen Bibby just lacked that 4 th wheel hahahahaha
@James Brennan My thought exactly...If they were reliable why then have so many
5 Robin, zero birds
the robin reliant was a great car , they made one with 4 wheels too but it was called the robin kitten :-(
@@marshalllucky robin is the car model reliant is the brand
Have fond - and not so fond - memories of working on these beasties in the 1970's. RIP, British Icon.......
No homegrown cars in the company carpark is always a bad sign.
I suspect Ferrari would disagree... (Enzo himself used an Alfa 164 as daily drive, toward the end of his life.... Ferraris were for clients).
Da Botz P38 Range Rover is a bit british. Enzo had a Lancia Thema 8.32 - look it up.
I've watched this many times and always admire those that put a lot of effort into what was really a doomed enterprise by 1996. A very British story really and a glimpse of how many UK motor manufacturers eventually ended up. It seemed he was determined for the 3-wheelers to effectively fund his dream of a new sports car but considering cars like the Mazda MX-5 where already well established by that time then that was really pie in the sky unfortunately.
Most interesting indeed - my late Grandad, late Father and myself have owned every model made since the girder forked van. I adored my '76 Robin van which was tastefully 'tweaked' by my Reliant agent/friend and was a total joy to drive over the 150,000
miles I put on her. Wish I still had her with all my heart.
By this time the Reliant three wheeler was a dead duck. Surprised a man like Jonathan Heynes couldn't see that. 60 mpg, motorbike tax and rust free body was a fantastic advantage compared to thirsty and quick rusting 70's cars. But, fast forward 20 years and your average medium sized family diesel will do 60mpg +, is free on road tax, and due to modern technology has fantastic corrosion resistance. Also, the typical reliant customers (older, northern, ex-miner types with a motorbike licence) were reducing massively in numbers by this time.
@supernumery I'll give the chap credit for one thing .... at least he faced people. I used to work for a technology incubator and 90% of the meetings we organised were unattended - people just couldn't be bothered turning up for whatever reason.
There was a point when the difference between a car and a motorcycle was a reverse gear. It was possible to drive a 3-wheeler to the test centre, take your driving test, blank off the reverse position and do your bike test as if in a sidecar combination.
I think you're correct in your analysis of Reliant's 3-wheel demographic, Paul, people with a bike license who couldn't be bothered taking a car test and whose wives would no longer get on a bike. Common in the 60s, still plenty about in the 70s, but by the 1990s a dying breed. The Regal/Robin was an anachronism of the British licensing system, like the ridiculous necessity to put pedals on 50cc motorcycles to meet moped laws in the 70s.
Exactly the issue I saw, cars had moved on, but also with all the emissions regulations etc. the days of the small manufacturer of a cheap economy car were over.
@Gary Dodgson I agree about motorcyclists making the best drivers, as a motorcyclist you cannot afford to make a mistake and you have to learn how to ride defensively and be constantly aware. After 43 years, having started out with motorcycles before owning a car, I still drive a car or ride a motorcycle with the same attitude, I see and know many who drive cars without appreciation for the inherent dangers. Everyone seems to think if you ride a motorcycle death is inevitable, yet drive as if no one's ever been killed or seriously injured in a car.
My thoughts exactly, they are a fun little car but the "that's good enough" "make do with what we have" attitude of all the British car and motorcycle brands left them all falling behind.
The average small European or Japanese car of the 90's early 2000's was quiet, fairly comfortable, fuel injected, didn't leak, had power steering, disc breaks and got reasonable mpg, the Reliant on the other hand was still using technology that was outdated 30 years ago and getting harder to source reliably.
I had a Robin in the early 80's
Drove it on my motorcycle licence
Btw Samantha Haynes is a real looker 😉
@Red Pilled Fox Definitely! 👍
Wonder if she has now had any plastic treatment to her bodywork?
@@michaelstevens630 the Reliant or Samantha Haynes 😉
I Googled a recent picture of her and she still looks great 👍
@@keithe8449 Link Please ?
I’d love too fold her over the bonnet of a reliant and serve her some south London sausage 😩😩😂😂👍👍
just a thank you for the upload and of course a thumbs up.
This car needed a set of out rigger wheels on the front of it like a B-52 bomber has on it's wings. Very good Documentary! 👍
Had a Bond Bug, a Reliant Regal and a Reliant Supervan III. the Regal would do over a ton flat out, but both the van and bug struggled around the 65/70 mark.
All of them had the 700cc engine.
Great little cars, cheap to run, easy to fix. Had a lot of fun in them.
A ton how ?being dropped out of an aeroplane .
Don't ask me how, I've no idea how it managed it, but the needle went past the 90 mark (last on speedo) and actually disappeared behind the chrome trim. I have witnesses.
In the early 80's I had two regal supervan 3 one was a 21E I believe that was top of the range (wow) then after them I had a Robin van & Robin saloon great cars that was because I only had a bike licence (the 850 Robin was quick)
Despite swimming against the tide they hung in there until 2001 finishing up with a facelifted robin with corsa headlights. The new legislation that disallowed 3 wheelers to be driven on a motorbike license and cheaper tax was the final nail in the coffin
We can thank the EU for the death of Reliant and the elimination of the B1 Licence.
@@matthewq4b Bring it Back
Reliant never learned to embrace their weirdness and reach a younger market. By the end they were making an old-fashioned parts bin hatchback that happened to have one less wheel. You can't have conservative styling on a car that's missing a wheel. It needed a cooler, sportier image and some serious marketing to get away from the Woodbine and cloth cap image.
Everyone can drive a car, no one only gets a bike licence (maybe in the 30s). EU had no play in it, just the usual poor British running of a worn out idea.
Too little too late... again.
@@matthewq4b and improvements to car safety in general, thanks EU. Why didn't they ditch the 3 wheel and promote 4, could still be fibreglass or whatever lightweight material was best. They fell behind in the end. Dad for thr brand and the employees who sat through 3 bankruptcies.
the robin supervan iii is the most collectible , there is a company in bolsover doing electric conversions for the robin , they replace the petrol tank with batteries and exchange the petrol engine for an electric one , you do have to leave the car with them for couple of hours but its worth it :-(
Reliant Regal Supervan III
I remember watching this and being quite annoyed at the bodyshop people refusing to use the chopper gun. No matter what, they wouldn't use it.
Terence Jay It’s not always the best idea to take back people who were part of a company that’s already failed twice. Quite the opposite.
He should’ve advertised the position and asked how they’d do it with a minimum of labour.
had a reliant Regal supervan 111, put a reliant Robin 850 engine in it, Used to love leaving Ford escort 1.4i at lights as they would wheel spin , I could pull a wheely.
Also had a Bond bug, put the same 850 engine in that , you should have seen the looks when some one doing 95 mph gets passed by a 3wheeler doing 107mph!
The Reliant was an anachronism that died between two epochs. Back in the 1950's, young working-class people often rode motorcycles and grafted a sidecar on when they got married. Threewheelers became a slightly more luxurious alternative that could be driven on a bike licence so long as the weight remained below 8cwt. That drastically limited what could be done. However, in 1959 came Issigonis's all-conquering Mini. It required a full car licence, but swept almost all before it. Reliant & Bond struggled on, determined but doomed. Today, with small, electric urban cars the height of fashion, they might have a chance - with sufficient investment - but they didn't last long enough to meet the electric revolution. Perhaps they should've looked around for a Japanese motorcycle engine instead of trying to resurrect and continue building their own mill...
I think another issue for a company like Reliant to survive would be the crash and safety requirements for vehicles today. Now buyers are also interested in the safety ratings of cars they buy, whereas when I was a kid in the 60's we didn't even wear seat belts and such things were given little thought.
the little reliant motor is magic i have been racing one for over 20 years , it is modified to the hilt , the box is magic to every thing is so small no other manufacture can make them this light and small
Lesbian friends and groups
Remember seeing this when it was first broadcast. Thanks for posting it again. Very interesting business case.
Nice story of a British icon and a lovely couple devoted to keep it alive. But is all that stress and emotion worth it? I'm self employed in Britain and yes I have my good days but sometimes I think to hell with it. Jack the business and stack shelves. Less out goings. Less stress.
It was worth it because if he had jacked it in too soon they’d be even less on the road. I happen to own a 1999 reliant robin. I think if they had modernised the car more it would’ve sold better and been more appealing to younger drivers.
It's a shame they couldn't carry on making the Scimitar. 🇬🇧
there is one for sale on NZ auction website Trademe and they want NZ$10.000 for it, a bargain
@@deepsouthNZ .. I've just looked on Ebay and they're not too expensive here either. What condition they're in is another story.
@@grahamefreestone5309 the one on trademe here looks to be in very good condition , a reasonably priced classic and if i had healthier finances id deffo be tempted, cant be many of them in this country
Reliant sold the rights to that car in 1987.. sadly the next company failed with it. I used to work nearby, I rememebr the day of the liquidation auction - bodyshells and parts going off on trailers. www.sporting-reliants.com/Middlebridge%20Scimitar.htm
The BUG would be a brilliant car for the electric treatment, it is light and it would fly along, just saying
Also not sure it’s gonna pass in the crash tests LOL
Ron Wylie....piss on electric vehicles, more green house gasses are expelled building electric cars than there are when building gasoline powered cars....Google that shit...
@@branon6565 what a ridiculously stupid comment. The average car has a life span of 10 years or more nowadays. The savings on emissions during that time more than compensate for the production emissions. A child of three could understand that
Sid Stevens Just a matter of branding. Reliant owned the marque.
@ Actually Sid, the Bond Bug was made by Reliant (Google it)
Hi Jonathan: You have a great wife. She stuck with you through thick and thin.
More of a romantic than a realist.
I wonder if it had survived till today. would it have stood a better chance with an electric engine and a little lithium battery pack as an electric city runabout. batteries, motor controller and electric motor production sourced outside.
Probably not.
The car you describe was already made in 1987 in Denmark and called the "ellert"
It was never a big succes.
billeder.bazoom.dk/biler/galleri/479/wh/2000/2000/2394608/ellert-mini---el.jpg
If only they`d used a chopper gun like jonathan asked them to ..
I had an early model van in the mid-seventies. It was a rather fetching brown colour, which gave it the nickname 'The Flying Shite'.
I remember that there was a big roundabout on my route to Technical College, where I could lift the left rear wheel on the entrance; the right rear wheel about half-way around; and then left again on the exit.
Another party trick was, whilst having four mates packed into the back and stopped at a red light, holding the throttle to the floor until the valves bounced, then dumping the clutch. That manouver generated a 'wheelie' of about six inches...
My favourite was, due to the dimensions in the back and the fact that the driver and passenger seat-backs hinged forwards, made it perfect for taking a young lady back there for... 'fun'.
I'm 60 now. The 'young lady' has been my wife for many years.
RESPECT for the Risk.
An old friend of mine used to own a Reliant in some foul shade of robin's egg blue - he referred to it as his 'plastic pig'. One day we were motoring in the New Forest, and somehow (can't recall how) he managed to get the ridiculous vehicle wedged sideways in a ditch. We had to call upon some friendly locals to help us extricate the bloody thing and set it back on the tarmac on its three tiny wheels: truly one of the most mortifying moments of my life. On another occasion I came across a Bond Bug minus its front wheel - its female driver ejected through the windscreen and lying face down in the middle of the road. To be entirely truthful this is one British-manufactured car I DON'T miss!!
I drove a Bond Bug and the front wheel was bolted on just as sturdily as the seatbelt. Also I hope she was alright after missing the steering wheel and the metal bar between the centre console and the steering column. Quite an extraordinary feat, actually.
Had one jump a crossroad on a dark wet night took the front clean off with my mini!
I had a reliant supervan when I was first married and we had our first baby, not a lot of money about for ordinary people then, I have to say it was a really good little car, it didnt tip over but I once gave a lift to several people and two heavy lads in the back and when I hit the first bump it did a sit up and beg lol, they were quick to lean forward and we were ok. The engine was alovely little thing
The young woman (Tara Fitzgerald) appearing several times at the beginning of this documentary played the role of an accountant engaged by the management of the coal mine of the small town of Grimmley with a view to its closure. The film "brassed off" is the moving story of the mine workers and their band.
With Pete Posteltwaythe, Ewan McGregor. . .
Klaatu 1949 you mean the owner's wife? That’s not Tara Fitzgerald. That’s his wife. I can’t tell if your comment is serious or not.
Love these old robin reliants, after Brexit we will be able to start making fine motors like this again :-)
marshalllucky 😂
Reliant robin!! Why do people always get it wrong?? 🤪
@@jimgamble2429 I know , it`s crazy . Did you know Robin also made a version with four wheels called `the kitten`but I dont think it sold well as you needed a car licence to drive those :-(
@@marshalllucky
Who is Robin?
marshalllucky yes, but I imagine they handled a lot better than the three wheelers...
6:29 Is that a Royal Mail design in the background?
Yep. Never happened as ldv stayed afloat.
I thought the pick up a great looking and very practical wee thing. Im sure there would be a market for nearly all their models today.
Anyone here remember that Reliant owners always waved to one another if they passed on the road? Can you imagine that now with Audi A6's or RangeRovers? May be but a different kind of wave.
I drive a 74' vw everyday,and I wave at everyone
still happens with Land Rover Defenders!
The biggest shock of this doc was realising it was narrated by robert lindsay....sounding so posh,and awfully british
@James Smith seems so
Not a word about 'Only fools and horses'. I was under the impression that popular program gave Reliant a huge publicity boost? Or have I got the story wrong..... haven't lived in the UK for almost 40 years.
Some programs did the opposite. The most widespread lie is that Reliants cannot go around corners. This was supposedly demonstrated on the BBC's Top Gear programme, but the always annoying Jeremy Clarkson himself admitted in The Sunday Times that the Robin only rolled over frequently because the production team messed with the differential. If it hadn't, the car would have been much more stable.
Not wrong it did give a little boost.
It's definitely given the second hand market a boost. Replicas of the fools and horses van regularly go for between £10,000-£20,000. One of the screen-used vehicles went for over £30,000. That particular model is very rare and even wrecks go for a couple of grand.
Cushty.
All the millions the government put into BL if they had given Reliant some help maybe it would have survived but with all the legislation changes over resent years re emissions and safety it takes very deep pockets to comply even Morgan has now been sold to some Italian company
New labour stance was not to get involved in private enterprise, MG rover was allowed to go to the wall
I think it will be better if they bought engines from an other manufacturer like honda
Many small companies do that
Loved it
Spoke to a fireman many years ago who attended a car crash between a "normal" car and a Reliant. The Reliant was in bits with shredded bodywork all over the road. Both Reliant occupants died at the scene. The driver in the metal bodied car was fine. I remember him saying Reliants were "death traps" and should be banned!
But still better than motorbikes
The same history here in Brazil. We had a car maker, named Gurgel. Fiberglass
If nostalgia was his only reason for buying Reliant, the effort was doomed from the start. These days automobile manufacturing is a hyper-competitive business requiring massive outlays of capital as well as massive investment in processes and human resources. And on top of that, you burden your enterprise with a brand reputation no less dubious than Edsel and Yugo? This enterprise has/had no chance to survive, much less succeed.
Didn’t expect to see Geoff Wardle in this video. He is now Executive Director of Transportation Design at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.
My own opinion, the robin was outdated by 1996. The Bond bug had a little known loop hole, it could be driven on a moped license, a missed opportunity.
How come a moped license? Bit over 50cc.
I believe as you have made three wheeler on this chassis, you should have made a four wheeler On the same chassis, I reckon they would have sealed more, and, probably today as well.
I'm surprised that they never put the Rover V8 in the GTE or the GTC.
He tried. A for effort.
So now after Brexit in future (without EU regulations hindering ?) time to try again..but this time of course with 100 % EV version ?!? Even if EU won't buy them, make a great special deal with Trump sell them as niche toy cars in the huge USA market + the rest of the world willing to try something different ?!
These 3 wheelers took out more 🐇🐇🐇 than mixamatosis.
@Martin Carter He is referencing an old joke about rabbits crossing the road.
If A was for effort, we would have been living in iceage even today! I did alot of effort to solve the problem of peace, terrorism, interstellar travel and exploration, climate change and all the diseases in the world!
Do i get A for effort even though i failed in all areas i did effort!
Just because you see a documentary with sad talking and emotional people doesnt mean you straight away give A.
Reliqnt was stupid and robin was a stupid idea!
I understand why he did it, but watching him fight the entrenched attitudes of the staff makes me think hiring them back was a bad idea.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the 'entrenched attitudes of the staff. They knew their business better than anyone, and had to work within the limitations of the antiquated production line and machine tools they had. The way that Reliants were built was somewhat anarchronistic even in the mid 90s, (even Trabant were more modern in terms of the way they were produced). Laying up glassfibre is a skilled and very labour intensive process, for which there are no cutting corners, as it can't be mechanised. The programme mentioned that Reliant had gone bankrupt three times within a short space of time, but what was not mentioned was why. The order book was full, and that was part of the problem, as the factory site wasn't big enough to be able to store enough components in order to be able to produce enough to fulfill the demand. This was partially down to the car having a separate chassis, which was made offsite by a contracting company and were produced in production run in batches, which had to be stored, and storage space was limited. Also, such production required paying for with cash - and as is highlighted in the film, cash flow was an issue, which is basically what did for the company on at least one of the times it went bankrupt. It's very easy to blame the workers, but that always loses sight of the fact that it is upon the workers that companies whether the company makes it, or fails - and with companies such as Reliant, it is only the workforce that keeps the company going. The very fact that it is emphasised in the film that some staff gave up secure jobs in order to return to working for Reliant indicates the committment of staff to the marque.
I am not denying there weren't entrenched attitudes of the staff, but I think there was more of the typical arrogance from management who didn't really understand the business or man-management yet 'knew best'. Let's not forget those who actually built the cars knew what they were doing, and what's more understood what they were doing.
Since Reliant had already gone bust three times or whatever it was before the new fellow got hold of it, indicates to me that there was no real business at all and the boss was clinging on to something that just wasn't there, then tried to blame those making them as being part of the problem. A romanticist if you like. It was a car merely of its time which died in the 70s due to natural wastage.
Unfortunately I worked for 'management' who had all the theoretical training but simply did not understand the business they were in at all, far less those who actually made the whole thing work. Instead of listening to the staff, who knew, management ploughed on ahead with their university degrees and finished the whole thing off, leaving to f'off and ruin the next business.
What a lovely Missus. Cool looking car but lacking in the wheel department. ;)
Agreed.
I own one and much more fun than a four wheeled car, sticks to the road like its on rails
I bet. There is one local to me and it can pull away at the lights alright.
I know which one I'd prefer to ride.
@@godfreypoon5148 >8^)
My stomach was in knots with tension just watching this 😳.
I'm guessing this doesn't end well.
I had the super van, had to say had more fun in that driving up to its of mull as a chaff then Cornwall with drilled holes under gutter to Bungie my surfboard, though most laughed , I had great memories, learnt how to put a wheel up going around a corner , snow was fun snake the back end but the front wheel went where it . I needed to go, though driving sideways was easier than riding up on the snow mound in the centre. slept in the back on my travels, Clarkson may have taken the piss but what a fun little car,, shame I think if the had reversed the drive it would be selling now look at the slingshot and all the other revers trikes, . would have been a world leader I think.
Very fuel efficient cars
I have vague memories of an hells angel that use to own one in the 1970s.
Why don’t they just put the single wheel in the rear? It will be more stable that way.
That doesn't work like that with this type of vehicle
Reliants were relatively expensive and lived, rather parasitically, on nostalgia. If cars were built out of wattle and daub, they would still be supported by some enthusiasts........ that gives me an idea.
wattle and daub, a woven lattice of strips, impregnated with sticky stuff
so, carbon fibre?
Had a Reliant Super Robin 850 a few years ago. It was faster than an XR3i to 60 mph, I know cos I raced one. The XR flew past me at 70mph, but I beat it to 60 xx
Bollocks
i live in the USA put lets all think on what how and do it I do like the thinking of a car show
Disgusting the government at time never offered money
Glad they never what a terrible idea.
Its not the governments job to throw money at manufacturers who are determined to make laughably outdated rubbish.
That Morris guy is one of those people that just say it won't work it can't happen its people like him company's like these go under.
I think Haynes took Morris with him to his next venture
He was only being pragmatic. The Bug needed updating to new safety regulations and they didn't have the money.
@@jamescooke3763 yeah maybe but I don't think so bro. What if? Just maybe? Never.... Just one of them things.👍👍
@@pod9538 I miss my old Bond Bug
@@jamescooke3763 well mate there is still a lot of Peep's out there looking after them and all I have to say is Good on them.👍👍
How did it all turn out Jonathan ,??a lot of pressure for one man .
I wonder if those workers who gave up secure jobs to go back to Reliant were able to get jobs again when the firm closed for good in 2002?
6:07 thats the way to do it 😂 big hammer!!!!!!
they should have gone electric... and revive a 1960's model...
Why not electrify the car perhaps in partnership with an existing electric car company that has the electric technology. If Reliant make everything, therefore, they can make the electric skate board chassis and buy in the electric motors and batteries
Thanx 4 the film. In 1999 AD I saw for the first time this 3-wheel cars. It was in John O'Grotes ("Johan de Groot") far North Scotland. I toke a coupe of photos. It is bad that the entity did not made it. If I had stayed in England. I will have a Robbin bakkie (Pick-up) with a Diesel-engine... A TV-man of Top Gear. The tall one. "Germiny"- I think. He made a very bad remark on the Robbin. The Robin was a entry-level car. Not a super car. Not a Jag... Thanx 4 for the info of the licenses. With my ZA drivers licenses I could drive a Robbin..
Brilliant and innovative vehicle sunk by an ordinary and tunnel visioned legislature
The nicest model is at 26:20 ... nothing like a beautiful, clean & lubricated body. :)
Reminds me of a similar story about the ' Britten ' Motorcycle that was built from scratch by a New Zealander, John Britten. The Documentary is here on CZcams.
What? Nothing in this is like the inspirational and visionary Britten.
Pk Quick
John Britten were a genious and the Britten motorcycle was a true innovative piece of art.
The Reliant Robin? Never mind.
The design would lend itself to an electric vehicle with batteries way down and e-motors in of near the back wheels, fibreglass body.
Low centre of gravity, simple construction, low weight.
"I`ve never done it before ".....oh shit ..
I would like to believe the design of the car is to drive with care
Dreamer!
1:35 a 70 year old Robert Llewelyn time travelling back to 1993
The reliant robin is a symbol of Britain insignificant and barmy and yet enticing and intriguing
Thanks, very sad to see all this effort fail, I only drove one once, but that was not a car I would enjoy.
I know how hard it is to run this type of operation,so full marks to the team who did their
best to preserve a British Icon.
Making all your own bits, including engine, is very brave.
My 21E van was brilliant.
The reason the company got back on its wheels is because it only had 3 wheels to get back onto
Being that Heynes owned a Range Rover say's he was no stranger to adverse situations.
If they had restarted building Scimitars I would have bought one
Yes indeed they are such fascinating cars.
The engine used in scimitars were obsolete, mostly the ford V6 engines
I wanted to buy a three wheel car in the early 70s, but my mother said they are for handicap people. So I bought a Mini
What your mother said is exactly what I thought when I first saw them in the 70s!
Have a look at the Invacar. They was the cars for the disabled. I think they were owned by the government. 🇬🇧
@@grahamefreestone5309 I do know about those cars , in the early 60s a disabled man had one and all his family got in. How I do not know ! Laugh /
Wtf is a reliant to do with handicap
i always loved the Scimitar GTE. Nice GT cars. Good Ford V6 engine.
The 3wheelers not so much. IMO 3 wheelers only work with 2 front wheels.
The Robin was a nice effort.
A company like this can only survive in a niche market. Like small city-BEV cars. Or slow 45km/h cars that you can drive without license. Or small electric urban/city delivery vans.
I had a blowout of the offside rear tire on a Scimitar GTE at 105mph on the M4 many years ago. it kept a straight line while the tire shredded itself through the wing.
The Scimitar GTE was a nice car in its day, my Dad had two of them in the early 80's.
Hi Fiveo waf, apart from the tire the other big point I remember is the size of the fuel tank. cost me a weeks wages to fill it up. also 100mph in 3rd was great.
Police chased a Robin Reliant across three counties, they couldn’t use stingers on it, the driver abandoned it in the greyhound archway in Blandford, I remember seeing it there. I was well chuffed when the chase was shown on some police chase tv programme.
Why could they not use stingers ? Because it was legally a motorcycle ?
John Doe that is right, the police deemed they were to unstable to use stingers, the idiot who used it as a getaway vehicle had stolen a charity box from a garage or cafe.
@@spotsterjon74cu Wow, what a star criminal.
Even if they can not use the stingers it would be really hard to get away from police in a underpowered 3 wheel car.
No accelerating away and no fast cornering or it would end up on it's side :)
The thief would have to find some particular spot where the Robin would fit through but not a police car and hope no other units were around.
Best bet would be to find such a spot and ditch the car in a hurry and run like hell.
Prefereably somewhere, the sniffer dogs would loose your track, as well.
All in all, not very likely unless you are very familiar with the area and have it all planned out :)
@@JohnDoe-bd5sz believe me or not Reliant Robins corner faster than normal cars in Britain. Due to the car being so narrow, you can use racing lines in one lane.
Can't help thinking if they had brought in an engine supplier then maybe....just maybe the new concept could have progressed?
Like a motorcycle engine ? czcams.com/video/yWZcMlLdfpI/video.html
perhaps the one for royalty should be made again?
Jonathan Haynes? Nah, that's Stephen King.
I lived in a Robin for eight years and it was super evrn had a full toilet areas!
Yes an ev Reliant would be great to build now !!
Robert H....why? More green house gasses are expelled into the atmosphere when building an electric car compared to a gasoline car....google that shit....electric vehicles suck mansack....
@@branon6565 it wouldn’t work for the planet but it would work for the market
He looks so like Harry Enfield I kept expecting a punchline.
@Demo The rules changed again allowing full car license holders and full motorcycle licence holders to drive the three wheel models so long as they are over 21.
He should have reversed the design so the one wheel was in back,modified for angle adjustment,and the two wheels in front.
It seems to me this would have made it much more stable and more controllable.
not as a load/passenger carrying vehicle
@@chrisdavidson911 Of course it would there is MULTIPLE designs using the technique.
Just look up "three wheeler"on wiki.
All it would have taken is relatively minor modifications to the layout a reasonable expense to increase the odds of actually SELLING the car.
@@krisguntner4805 i'm familiar with 3 wheeled vehicles, the type you're talking about is called a "reverse trike", and you're trying to say it would be more stable than the conventional/reliant layout when there is an uneven load at the rear. Not only that, they're a packaging disaster, the central wheel makes the rear of the car basically unusable for anything worthwhile. The reverse trike layout does have merits, but not for load carrying
@@chrisdavidson911 Arcimoto's "deliverator" Is a clear example you're wrong.
@@krisguntner4805 really? that's like a can-am spyder with a windscreen and pizza delivery box on the back! it can carry 160kg, in a narrow box, directly over the rear wheel. It actually proves my point
Now you can’t even buy a kit car set?
Me and my late dad had few, my last one was the rialtos in beige took it up to 90. big wheels on back. I buy one any time. never got stuck in snow, worked nights and remember a girl saying, well if any one phones in and say they can't get in. I just buggered there idea up. lol
Cute British bird.
He drives a Range Rover, its very thirsty and also visits the garage more than it stays at home
Loved my Reliant van. Owned it for 12 years on L plates. Then one day I was stopped by the law saying I could only drive it with a qualified driver. I think in part this was part of Reliants downfall. I did not even have a full motorbike licence. Not sure about today's laws, but I think if you are lucky enough to own a Reliant today then you need a full car licence. I don't drive anything today. I failed my first driving test on a Lambretta scooter. Never botherd again after that. But I was able to take my wife camping all over Wales in the sidecar I fitted to the scooter. Back then you could do that with L plats. Them was the days.
Only Fools and Horses!
you plonker