Discussion
The following is a Wiki extract relating to Reliant. Can it really be correct that they were producing more cars in the '70's than either Ford or Vauxhall?
Reliant was a large manufacturing company that mainly produced vehicles for niche markets, such as small three-wheeled vehicles and sports cars. It was best known for the three-wheeled Reliant Robin, but produced a variety of vehicles over 60 years, including sports cars, convertibles and commercial vehicles. Approximately half a million Reliant vehicles were produced and sold in at least nine countries. For a period from the 1970s until the 1990s, Reliant was the UK's second biggest British-owned car manufacturer behind British Leyland.[1]
Reliant was a large manufacturing company that mainly produced vehicles for niche markets, such as small three-wheeled vehicles and sports cars. It was best known for the three-wheeled Reliant Robin, but produced a variety of vehicles over 60 years, including sports cars, convertibles and commercial vehicles. Approximately half a million Reliant vehicles were produced and sold in at least nine countries. For a period from the 1970s until the 1990s, Reliant was the UK's second biggest British-owned car manufacturer behind British Leyland.[1]
A couple of other not so well-known facts/quotes...
In the 1960s Reliant was the largest user of GRP (glassfibre/fibreglass) in Europe.
'A great many people tend to forget that it was Reliant who produced Britain's first-ever small capacity light-alloy engine.'
Jim Clark
(Yes, 'that' Jim Clark! He had such a liking for the company that he drove a Reliant Regal 3/25 through the tape to open Reliant's new factory at Shenstone in 1963).
In the 1960s Reliant was the largest user of GRP (glassfibre/fibreglass) in Europe.
'A great many people tend to forget that it was Reliant who produced Britain's first-ever small capacity light-alloy engine.'
Jim Clark
(Yes, 'that' Jim Clark! He had such a liking for the company that he drove a Reliant Regal 3/25 through the tape to open Reliant's new factory at Shenstone in 1963).
dandarez said:
A couple of other not so well-known facts/quotes...
In the 1960s Reliant was the largest user of GRP (glassfibre/fibreglass) in Europe.
'A great many people tend to forget that it was Reliant who produced Britain's first-ever small capacity light-alloy engine.'
Jim Clark
(Yes, 'that' Jim Clark! He had such a liking for the company that he drove a Reliant Regal 3/25 through the tape to open Reliant's new factory at Shenstone in 1963).
The people who made the blue "invalid cars" must have been a close second in the GRP league. Also Lotus.In the 1960s Reliant was the largest user of GRP (glassfibre/fibreglass) in Europe.
'A great many people tend to forget that it was Reliant who produced Britain's first-ever small capacity light-alloy engine.'
Jim Clark
(Yes, 'that' Jim Clark! He had such a liking for the company that he drove a Reliant Regal 3/25 through the tape to open Reliant's new factory at Shenstone in 1963).
Keep it stiff said:
dandarez said:
A couple of other not so well-known facts/quotes...
In the 1960s Reliant was the largest user of GRP (glassfibre/fibreglass) in Europe.
'A great many people tend to forget that it was Reliant who produced Britain's first-ever small capacity light-alloy engine.'
Jim Clark
(Yes, 'that' Jim Clark! He had such a liking for the company that he drove a Reliant Regal 3/25 through the tape to open Reliant's new factory at Shenstone in 1963).
The people who made the blue "invalid cars" must have been a close second in the GRP league. Also Lotus.In the 1960s Reliant was the largest user of GRP (glassfibre/fibreglass) in Europe.
'A great many people tend to forget that it was Reliant who produced Britain's first-ever small capacity light-alloy engine.'
Jim Clark
(Yes, 'that' Jim Clark! He had such a liking for the company that he drove a Reliant Regal 3/25 through the tape to open Reliant's new factory at Shenstone in 1963).
wpa1975 said:
I might be wrong but were they not also involved in the Ford RS200 project.
Yes they built all of them for ford.They needed a certain amount for homlogation and hadnt quite done it, so sent the guys checking to one site to count the finished ones, then while the guys were having lunch they transported the very same cars to a 2nd site where they were 'added' to the tally so it looked like enough had been made.
wpa1975 said:
I might be wrong but were they not also involved in the Ford RS200 project.
This is largely legend, an old wives tale that has been spread by lazy journalists. Read a decent book like the one by the late Graham Robson & you'll see.
In summary,
194 RS200's were assembled at Shenstone.
Shenstone was a former, already empty Reliant factory.
Some former Reliant employees were employed on contract by Ford Motor Company.
The assembly of the cars was managed by Ford Motor Company.
So, no Reliant didn't build the production cars.
Regards Steve
Edited by gt40steve on Tuesday 25th April 19:39
Edited by gt40steve on Tuesday 25th April 19:46
A500leroy said:
wpa1975 said:
I might be wrong but were they not also involved in the Ford RS200 project.
Yes they built all of them for ford.They needed a certain amount for homlogation and hadnt quite done it, so sent the guys checking to one site to count the finished ones, then while the guys were having lunch they transported the very same cars to a 2nd site where they were 'added' to the tally so it looked like enough had been made.
No subterfuge was used to homologate the cars.
Reliant didn't build the cars.
Reliant did make some of the body pieces.
A500leroy said:
Yes they built all of them for ford.
They needed a certain amount for homlogation and hadnt quite done it, so sent the guys checking to one site to count the finished ones, then while the guys were having lunch they transported the very same cars to a 2nd site where they were 'added' to the tally so it looked like enough had been made.
I'm sure I've heard the same story about the 2nd site after lunch about an Italian car company too. I think it was Lancia and I've no idea if true.They needed a certain amount for homlogation and hadnt quite done it, so sent the guys checking to one site to count the finished ones, then while the guys were having lunch they transported the very same cars to a 2nd site where they were 'added' to the tally so it looked like enough had been made.
Edited by OverSteery on Wednesday 26th April 07:06
Reminds me: Many moons ago I worked for a trucking company, we had a TV news crew visit us one day seeking a moving backdrop for a reporter to be filmed, I forget what the exact transport topic was. Anyway, we only had three trucks in the yard, so we came up with the idea of them circulating out the exit gate and straight back in the entrance gate. So this reporter stood there doing his bit to camera standing near the entrance whist these three trucks drove round and round in a circle. It looked good on the news!
Keep it stiff said:
Reminds me: Many moons ago I worked for a trucking company, we had a TV news crew visit us one day seeking a moving backdrop for a reporter to be filmed, I forget what the exact transport topic was. Anyway, we only had three trucks in the yard, so we came up with the idea of them circulating out the exit gate and straight back in the entrance gate. So this reporter stood there doing his bit to camera standing near the entrance whist these three trucks drove round and round in a circle. It looked good on the news!
Would you say then, keeping this on topic, that news reports aren't quite as Reliant as most people believe them to be?Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff