Tom Williams, a former Raleigh works manager, built the first Reliant in his garden at Kettlebrook, Tamworth — a three-wheel van with a single-cylinder JAP engine, first delivered on 3 June 1935. Austin Seven engines followed in 1938–39, then Reliant’s own 747cc side-valve, closely modelled on the Austin, which ran from 1939 to 1962. The Regal car arrived in 1953. In Britain a three-wheeler could be driven on a motorcycle licence and taxed cheaply, which is why so many were sold. Reliant took over Bond in February 1969, built the Bond Bug from 1970 to 1974, and the last Robin left Tamworth on 14 February 2001.
The engine most Reliants share is the all-alloy overhead-valve unit of 1962 — a reverse-engineered copy of the 803cc Standard SC engine from the Standard Eight. It grew from 598cc to 701cc (1968), 748cc (1972) and 848cc (1975), and powers the Regal 3/25 and 3/30, Rebel, Robin, Rialto, Kitten, Fox and Bond Bug. Reliants are rare in New Zealand — one newspaper count found only seven Robins and three Regals registered here — though the Scimitar had an Auckland agent in the early 1970s. Many of the parts we list suit several Reliants at once, so if you cannot see your model, ask us.
Reliant — the range, and where the parts cross
- Regal — 1953 to 1973
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Mk I 1953: aluminium body on an ash frame, 747cc side-valve. Mk IV 1958: 12 volt and 13in wheels. Mk VI: hydraulic drums on all three wheels. 3/25 October 1962: glassfibre body on a steel chassis, reverse-rake rear window, the new OHV engine. 21E 1967. 3/30 701cc from August 1968. Just over 110,000 Regals.
- Robin & Rialto
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Robin November 1973, 750cc, 850cc from 1975. Mk II 1989 with a galvanised chassis; Mk III 1999 with Vauxhall Corsa front lamps. Later Robins on 12in wheels use Mini brake parts. Rialto 1982–96, on the Mk I Robin’s chassis, engine, gearbox and axle.
- Kitten & Fox
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Kitten 1975–82: 848cc, rack and pinion, Reliant’s own double-wishbone front — not Triumph Herald. Square headlamps are the Austin Allegro type; wheel cylinders are Mini 850 type (15/16in single-line, 13/16in dual-circuit). Fox utility, UK 1983–90, on the Kitten chassis.
- Rebel — the four-wheeler
- 1964–74, about 2,600 built. This is the one with Triumph parts: Herald front suspension, GT6/Vitesse ball joints, Courier brakes, and a Standard Ten steering box.
- Bond Bug
- June 1970 – May 1974, styled by Ogle. Regal mechanicals with coil-spring rear suspension; 700cc, 750cc from 1973.
- Engine sizes
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747cc side-valve 1939–62 · 598cc OHV 1962–68 · 701cc 1968–73 · 748cc 1972–75 · 848cc 1975 on.
- Earth polarity
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We cannot tell you for certain, and we will not guess. We could not find a source we trust that settles the earth polarity for any Reliant. Regals went to 12 volt with the Mk IV in 1958, so check the system on anything earlier. Check the car before you order a coil, a regulator or a radio.
