Reliant Sabre, Scimitar and SS1 E-Book

Matthew Vale

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 215

Beschreibung

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 car. 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, owners' experiences and advice for buying and owning. Richly illustrated with 130 colour and 7 black & white photographs.

Leseprobe

Reliant Sabre, Scimitar and SS1

An Enthusiast’s Guide

Matthew Vale

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2018 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2018

© Matthew Vale 2018

All rights reserved. This e-book is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of thistext may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 78500 422 3

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank car owners Shaun Pierce, Guy Betts, John and Richard Valler, Chris Gallacher, Graham Fradgley, Geoff Richards, Tony and Jaki Heath and John Unwin for agreeing to be interviewed for this book, and for allowing me to photograph their cars. A big thank you goes to the RSSOC for help and assistance from the committee and members, as well as permission to use production figures given in the book. Thanks also to Dave Poole of ‘Sporting Reliants’ for some pictures, Graham Walker of Graham Walker Ltd for technical information and John Adams at racebears.com for his picture of the SX250. Finally, I’d like to thank my wife Julia and daughter Lizzie for putting up with me writing yet another book.

CONTENTS

Reliant Sports Cars Timeline

CHAPTER 1RELIANT AND ITS SPORTS CARS

CHAPTER 2RELIANT’S FIRST SPORTS CARS:

THE AUTOCARS SABRA (1961), RELIANT SABRE FOUR (1961–1963) AND THE SABRE SIX (1962–1964)

CHAPTER 3INTO THE GT MARKET:

THE SCIMITAR GT (1965–1969)

CHAPTER 4THE FIRST SPORTS ESTATE:

THE SCIMITAR GTE SE5 (1968–1975)

CHAPTER 5A BIGGER ESTATE AND A CONVERTIBLE:

THE SCIMITAR GTE SE6 (1975–1986), GTC SE8 (1980–1986) AND MIDDLEBRIDGE GTE (1988)

CHAPTER 6BACK TO BASICS:

THE SCIMITAR SS1 (1984–1989), SST (1990) AND SS2/SCIMITAR SABRE (1992)

CHAPTER 7OWNING AND RUNNING A RELIANT SPORTS CAR

Resources

Index

RELIANT SPORTS CARS TIMELINE

DATE

NOTES

1934

Reliant formed

January 1960

Autocars MD Yitzhak Shubinsky views Ashley body shell and Ballamy chassis at London's Sports and Racing Car Show and commissions Reliant to build the Sabra

April 1961

Prototype Sabra built and exhibited at New York Motor Show by Reliant

March 1961

Reliant starts production of the first 100 Sabras for direct export to the USA

1961

Autocars starts production of Sabra

October 1961

Reliant takes Sabras number 92 and 93, builds them in right-hand drive, and exhibits them at the London Motor Show (Earls Court) as Sabres Reliant Sabre (SE1) with open-top and 4-cylinder Ford engine introduced to UK market

June 1962

Fixed-head coupé version of Sabre Four introduced

October 1962

Reliant introduces the Sabre Six (SE2)

October 1962

Ogle show their SX250 at London Motor Show

September 1964

Reliant introduces the Scimitar GT (SE4) with Ford straight-six engine

October 1965

Ogle Triplex GTS – one-off Triplex glass demonstrator estate shown at Earls Court Motor Show

October 1966

Scimitar Coupé 3-litre (SE4a) introduced with Ford Essex V6

August 1967

Scimitar 2.5-litre (SE4c) introduced alongside lightly improved 3-litre Coupé (SE4b)

1967

SE3 project for Chrysler V8-powered Scimitar Coupé replacement concept in design phase but abandoned due to oil crisis

August 1968

Scimitar GTE SE5 introduced

November 1970

Production of Scimitar Coupé ended

October 1971

Scimitar GTE SE5a introduced

October 1975

GTE SE5a production ends

1975

Longer and larger Scimitar GTE SE6 introduced

1976

SE6a introduced with structural modifications

1979

SE6b with Ford Cologne 2.8 V6 engine introduced

1980

Scimitar GTC Convertible (SE8) introduced

1984

Scimitar SS1 (Small Sports 1) introduced with 1300cc engine

1984

SS1 1600 with Ford XR3 engine introduced

1986

Production of GTE and GTC ceases

1986

SS1 chassis now galvanized

1986

SS1 Ti with Nissan turbocharged 1800cc engine introduced

1987

SS1 gains new Ford 1400cc engine

1989

Last SS1 produced

1990–1992

SST and Mark 1 Scimitar Sabre produced

1993–1995

Mark 2 Scimitar Sabre produced

1988–1990

Middlebridge production of revamped GTE

CHAPTER 1

RELIANT AND ITS SPORTS CARS

INTRODUCTION

One of the UK’s small independent car manufacturers, Reliant concentrated on niche markets that could be exploited without competing directly with the big boys. The idea was to take advantage of the vagaries of the UK licensing and road tax rules to provide owners with cost-effective transport that was weatherproof, practical and cheap. In the 1930s, that meant small lightweight commercial three-wheelers that were more practical than a motorcycle and sidecar – and cheaper to run than the four-wheeled competition. After the war, the company came out fighting with a new range of vans powered by Reliant’s own design of small 4-cylinder engine. In 1953, the company introduced its first passenger car, the aluminium-bodied Regal; this was followed in 1956 by cars and vans with bodies produced in the new wonder material, glass fibre.

The prototype Sabra, produced in the early 1960s, was a neat two-seater with a 4-cylinder Ford engine.

Reliant’s first foray into the sports-car market was the design and development of the Sabra for Israel’s Autocars.

Reliant stood out from the competition as it had its own 4-cylinder 4-stroke engine while the other micro-car manufacturers tended to use Villiers single- or twin-cylinder 2-stroke units. While this meant that the Reliant product was usually more expensive, it was also more reliable and cleaner, and could offer better performance. In the 1940s and 1950s, Reliant’s lightweight three-wheeled small cars and vans could be driven by someone who held only a motorcycle licence, and provided an attractive alternative to a motorcycle and sidecar. Into the 1960s and 1970s, the company produced a range of small three- and four-wheeled cars and vans that were cheap to run both in terms of fuel economy and road tax, and remained Reliant’s core business, but the company also developed an unlikely but profitable sideline in producing a range of sports cars, from the early 1960s through to the 1990s.

The Sabra was released on the UK market as the Sabre. This is the rare soft-top Sabre Six, owned by Tony and Jaki Heath.

The majority of Sabre Sixes were produced as coupés.

Despite a historical reliance on small, economical three-wheelers, Reliant now has a long and illustrious record in the production of those sports cars. In view of the company’s humble beginnings as a purveyor of small trade-oriented goods vehicles and three-wheeler cars for the masses, the appearance at the 1961 London Earls Court Motor Show of an attractive sports car came as a bit of a surprise to Reliant’s customers and competitors. The two-seater Reliant Sabre was based on a project in association with the Israeli company Autocars, known as the Sabra. It came in two styles – an open-top with fold-down hood or a closed coupé – and was initially powered by a Ford straight-four 1703cc unit from the Ford Consul. In 1962 the Sabre gained the 2.5-litre straight-six from the Ford Zephyr and Zodiac range and was renamed the Sabre Six.

Reliant cemented its new car’s sporting image with some rallying success, competing in iconic events such as the 1962 Tulip and RAC rallies, and the 1963 Monte Carlo and Alpine events. However, although the Sabre was well received by the press of the day, the car did not sell as many units as expected. It was replaced in 1964 by a totally restyled coupé, the Scimitar, and at the same time Reliant also introduced its first fourseater passenger car for the UK market, the Rebel.

Replacing the Sabre was the Scimitar, an up-todate and modern GT car.

The Scimitar was a two-door coupé with ample room for the two front-seat passengers and a small bench seat behind for a couple of children. With styling by David Ogle Associates, the new coupé was modern in appearance and, utilizing a modernized and lengthened Sabre chassis, provided Reliant with a firm base on which to move their four-wheel sporting range firmly up and into the GT marketplace. With its up-to-date styling and Ford engines, the Scimitar was seen as a smart and stylish coupé and sold in greater numbers than the Sabre. Reliant’s next sports car was the Scimitar GTE, which appeared in 1968. This three-door sports estate was responsible for defining and exploiting a completely new market sector – that of the practical sports car.

Based closely on the Scimitar Coupé, but with a new chassis with wider outriggers, to provide a lower seating position and decent space for two rear-seat adult passengers, the GTE had a Ford 3-litre V6 power plant. It was a true Grand Touring car. With its innovative fastback styling, practical three-door design and four proper seats, the GTE was an instant success and proved to be Reliant’s defining model through the 1970s and 1980s. Reliant dropped the Scimitar Coupé from the range in 1970, and then moved upmarket with the introduction of a larger and restyled GTE in 1975.

Probably the best-known of the Reliant sports-car family, the GTE was the first sporting estate car. This is a 1973 SE5a.

The GTE model was joined in 1980 by a four-seat convertible, the GTC. In 1986, after 18 years in production, the GTE was phased out, along with the GTC. By then Reliant had introduced the Scimitar SS1 (Small Sports 1), a small two-seat sports car designed to address a completely different market from that of the GTE. The SS1 retained Reliant’s traditional construction techniques of a steel chassis with plastic bodywork, in this case styled by Italian designer Michelotti. The glass-fibre bodywork was made up of a large number of separate panels and types of plastic, bolted on to the chassis, which was in itself of a complex design, produced by an outside company in Germany. Despite the car having decent performance and excellent handling and roadholding, Michelotti’s styling could not be considered a success, and potential customers stayed away. Despite the car’s performance being boosted by the fitting of the excellent Nissan 1800 Turbo engine, a major restyle was deemed necessary. This was carried out by William Towns for 1990, resulting in the Scimitar SST. After a final redesign, in 1992, the car was renamed as the Reliant Scimitar Sabre. Sales figures did not justify the car being kept in production, however, and the last Reliant sports car was finally dropped from the range in 1995.

The final members of the Reliant sports-car family were in the Small Sports range. This is one of the last, a 1991 SST owned by Graham Fradgley.

THE BACKGROUND

Reliant came into being in 1934, when engineer Tom Lawrence Williams left Raleigh to pursue his dream of creating a three-wheeled light commercial vehicle that would fit into the niche UK vehicle taxation class between a motorcycle and sidecar and a conventional four-wheeled van. Taxation classes for commercial vehicles in the UK in the 1930s were based around a vehicle’s weight and configuration, and there was a significant cost saving in running a three-wheeled vehicle in the under 8cwt (896lb/406kg) class over a four-wheeler of the same weight. In a small workshop in the back garden of his in-laws’ house in Tam-worth, Staffordshire, Williams produced a prototype three-wheeled van. It was based on a strong steel chassis and was powered by a 600cc JAP single-cylinder 4-stroke engine. The single seat straddled the engine and the front end had motorcycle-based girder front forks to support the single front wheel. A large wooden box body sat behind the driver’s saddle and above the chain-driven rear axle, giving a relatively large and flexible load space.

After a few refinements, including the replacement of the handlebars with a steering wheel, premises were leased in Two Gates, Tamworth, and in June 1935 production commenced. With its three-speed and reverse gearbox and unmatched running costs and convenience, the Reliant 7cwt (784lb/355.6kg) Van was an instant success and an open pick-up version was soon offered. However, the vehicle could struggle with heavier loads, so in 1936 a larger and more capable 10cwt (1120lb/508kg) model was introduced, powered by a more powerful water-cooled JAP 747cc ‘V’ twin 4-stroke engine. The new model also replaced the chain drive of the original van with a propeller-shaft-driven car-type rear axle, and had slightly larger all-round dimensions, as well as positioning the driver on the right-hand side of the cab, making room for a passenger. Even though the increased weight meant a higher tax to pay, the model proved to be even more successful than its predecessor.

Both the 10cwt and the 7cwt models were produced up to the end of 1937. Around this time, a need for more refinement led to an arrangement with Austin for supplies of their Austin Seven engine, an in-line 4-cylinder side-valve water-cooled unit. This led to the introduction of the 8- and 12cwt models in early 1938. Retaining the motorcycle front forks and the van style, as well as the two-seat driver and passenger cab of the 10cwt van, the new 8- and 12cwt models were increasingly successful in the UK. Reliant was also finding new export markets for the vehicles, selling increasing numbers in various territories, including Australia, South Africa, Latin America and India.

In 1939, Austin discontinued the Seven, and the supply of engines rapidly dried up. Undeterred, Williams decided to design and produce his own engine, and the result was a neat and compact 4-cylinder side-valve unit. Unsurprisingly, the new engine borrowed heavily from the Austin unit, but with some revised dimensions, as well as an alloy crankcase, repositioned distributor, and cast-iron cylinder block and cylinder head, it was sufficiently different to avoid any patent issues. It slotted conveniently into Reliant’s existing range as a direct replacement for the Austin unit. A side-valve straight-four displacing 747cc, and with a bore and stroke of 56 x 76mm (the same as the Austin unit), the new engine gave about 14bhp at 3,500rpm. The first of the new engines was produced and tested in September 1939 and a month later the first all-Reliant production engines were completed in the factory. Production was to be short-lived, however, as the Second World War intervened. In January 1940, all vehicle production was suspended and the factory was turned over to war work.

Post-war, production of the range of small commercial three-wheelers recommenced, along with production of the Reliant engine. In 1949, the commercials were joined in the range by Reliant’s first passenger three-wheeler, the alloy-bodied Regal.

MILESTONES

An important milestone in the company’s history came in 1954, with the introduction of the company’s first glass-fibre-bodied vehicle, the Regal Mark III. Glass fibre was a great material from which to make low-volume car bodies: moulds were cheap and easy to make; the material itself was easy to work; it produced a light and strong structure; and it did not require the expensive metal tooling of a steel body or the panel-beating skills of an alloy body. Glass-fibre bodies soon became standard on the whole Reliant range during the 1950s, and Reliant’s experience in using the new material played an important role in the company’s success thereafter.

Reliant also played a significant role in exporting vehicle technology, starting with the export of complete Regals to Israel through Autocars Ltd of Haifa during the 1950s. This was followed later by the supply of semi-knocked-down (SKD) kits. This method was used by a number of countries for a variety of reasons. Some countries imposed high taxes on imported vehicles, but these could be reduced if the vehicle had some local content. Others used the system to kick-start an indigenous vehicle-manufacturing industry. In the case of Autocars, it was a combination of the two that led to the relationship with Reliant, which effectively kickstarted Israel’s own car-building capability. There was no tax advantage in producing three-wheelers in Israel, so, as a development of the business, Reliant designed and developed a four-wheeled derivative of the Regal Mark 4 van for Autocars. Powered by a Ford side-valve engine and named the Sussita, the van was supplied to Autocars by Reliant in the form of many thousands of SKD kits over several years. It was followed by the Carmel, a family car design.

Reliant’s first passenger car was the Regal, which, with three wheels and an alloy body, offered basic but cheap motoring.

Reliant’s Sabre was a development of the Sabra. This Sabre Six has a 6-cylinder Ford engine and Triumph-based front suspension to make a useful little sports car.

The first of Reliant’s sports cars, the Sabra, was designed by Reliant in 1960 and 1961 for Autocars and introduced to the US and Israeli markets at the time. Reliant also identified its potential for the home market and built a pair of Sabras in right-hand drive. The model was renamed as the Sabre for the UK market, with the company designation of SE1, and launched at the 1961 Earls Court Motor Show. The Sabre was rapidly supplemented by the Sabre Six, powered by a 6-cylinder 2.5-litre Ford engine. The new Sabre Six, designated SE2, was introduced at the October 1962 Earls Court Motor Show and differed from the original Sabre SE1 in terms of engine choice, front suspension design and styling. Mainly supplied as a hardtop coupé (the Sabre Six GT), but also available as a convertible (the Sabre Six Sports), the Sabre Six had some success in international rallying.

The Israelis’ Sabra was marketed extensively in the USA as a lifestyle accessory. Its quirky looks, unusual leading-arm front suspension and kit-car origins resulted in relatively low sales.

Alongside all the work on the sports cars during the late 1950s and early 1960s, Reliant continued to produce the three-wheelers that represented the main part of its domestic business. Those vehicles were still popular with the British public. The company was also developing a new all-alloy overhead-valve engine to power them, to replace the existing Austin Seven-based side-valve unit. The new engine went on to power the Regal 3/25, which was a complete redesign of the previous Regal model, and would go on to spawn a whole family of cars, vans and pick-ups that were produced well into the 1970s.

Reliant’s financial position changed for the better in 1962, when Gwent and West of England Enterprises bought 76 per cent of the company’s shares. Run by entrepreneur Julian Hodge, Gwent and West had holdings in finance, merchant banking, engineering and vehicle distribution. Hodge saw Reliant as a good fit with his automotive interests.

The Rebel was both Reliant's first domestic market four-wheeler and its first car styled by Ogle Design.

At the 1962 Earls Court Motor Show, David Ogle, founder of Ogle Design, exhibited the Ogle SX250, a smart two-door closed coupé based on the Daimler SP250 sports car chassis. While only two examples of the Daimler-based car were produced, Reliant engaged with Ogle to style its first domestic four-wheeler, the Rebel, and then to modify the SX250 design to fit on the longer Sabre chassis. This project marked the start of a long collaboration between Ogle Design and Reliant; the result was a reworked Ogle-styled body on a stretched Sabre chassis, providing an elegant and stylish 2+2 closed coupé.

Named the Scimitar GT, with the company code of SE4, the new sports coupé was debuted at the 1964 Earl’s Court Motor Show and went into production in 1964. After four years of producing the Scimitar GT, Reliant announced the Scimitar GTE, coded SE5. Styled by Ogle and based on an all-new chassis, this three-door Sports Estate was the car that would carry Reliant’s sports range through the 1970s and 1980s. With Royal patronage – Princess Anne was one celebrated owner – and seen as the first ‘sports hatch’ that showed that a family car did not have to be staid and boring, the GTE proved to be a success. With a reliable Ford Essex V6 engine and proven running gear, the GTE was a car with good performance and handling. It also afforded a good degree of practicality, with its four adult seats and versatile load area accessed through the opening rear window. In typical Reliant fashion, it defined its own market niche, and had no real competitors at its launch.

The Scimitar was a two-door coupé that replaced the Sabre. Designed by Ogle and engineered by Reliant, it was a successful GT car in the 1960s.

The GTE was a development of the Scimitar coupé, with an all-new chassis and body shell. The sporting estate design would see Reliant’s sports-car range through to the 1980s.

During the 1960s, Reliant had not neglected its core three-wheeler market, and production of the Regal 3/25 commenced in 1962. This featured Reliant’s new all-alloy overhead-valve 4-cylinder engine and was followed in 1963 by the car that was to epitomize Reliant in the 1980s: Del Trotter’s Super-van, which featured so memorably on the BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Sadly, in 1964 Tom Williams, the company’s founder and subsequently Managing Director, died after suffering a heart attack at the works and Assistant Managing Director Ray Wiggin was called upon to step into the breach. Reliant had three factories in Staffordshire at the time: the assembly of complete cars was carried out at the Two Gates plant in Tamworth; engine assembly and casting were done at a plant in Shenstone; and all bodies were produced at Kettlebrook.

In 1969 Reliant bought its main rival in the three-wheel business, Bond Cars of Preston. Production of Bond’s 875 was stopped, but Reliant did use the name for an unusual and slightly bizarre entry into the youth market: the Tom Karen-designed wedge-shaped Bond Bug. However, the Bug’s price, two-seat configuration, three-wheel chassis and limited luggage space meant that sales were poor and production stopped by 1974 with just over 2,000 produced.

In 1973, the Regal was replaced by the updated and Ogle-restyled Robin, still a three-wheeler but now sporting an opening rear window (just like the GTE) to give it some hatchback practicality. The four-wheeler Rebel was replaced by a similarly updated Kitten in 1975. At the peak of Robin and Kitten production, in 1975, Reliant was producing around 330 cars every week.

SOME MIGHT HAVE BEENS

At the end of the 1960s, Reliant explored a mid-engined sports-car concept using its own 750cc twin-carburettor engine, the FW7. A mock-up of the car was built in 1970, with a wedge nose, sharp lines, pop-up headlights and a pronounced central roll hoop and fixed rear window. It looked similar to Fiat’s X1/9 but actually pre-dated the Fiat design by a couple of years. It soon became clear, however, that Reliant’s own engine would not be powerful enough and the project was abandoned.

During the mid-1970s Reliant began to look at replacing the GTE. Bertone was commissioned to carry out some styling exercises in a project codenamed SE82, destined for introduction in 1982. The car was a four-seat three-door hatchback with a 106-inch (265cm) wheelbase, longer than the GTE’s 103.5 inches (258.75cm). Keen to use a British-built engine, Reliant chose a Rover 3.5-litre V8, and went for the classic Reliant layout of a fabricated steel chassis and glass-fibre body shell, with unequal-length wishbone suspension up front, and a rear axle fitted to a subframe and located by semi-trailing arms. The car’s design had progressed far enough for a full-sized version to be completed, albeit without electrics, when the project was cancelled in 1980 following a slump in the high-priced sports-car market. The car was rather uninspiring in appearance, with a wedge nose, and a roofline extending to above the rear wheels, which then sloped down to the tail to give a large hatchback. It actually looked similar to the aborted British Leyland Lynx project of the later 1970s, which was a lengthened TR7 with four seats and a sloping rear hatchback and also sported a Rover V8 engine.

Another ‘might have been’ was the Stevens Cipher, a design for a small two-seat open-topped sports car by Tony Stevens. It was based on Kitten mechanicals with its own chassis and glass-fibre body, and appeared at the 1980 UK motor show. Unfortunately, the attractive little car could not find a backer and never made it into series production.

The Stevens Cipher was a small sports car designed by Tony Stevens, using Reliant Kitten mechanicals and Stevens’ own body and chassis. It never made it into series production.

The SS1 family was the last of the Reliant sports cars. Styled by Michelotti, the styling was not to everyone’s taste.

Alongside the continuing activity on the three-wheeler front, the sports cars were not forgotten. The GTE grew in both length and width, to become the SE6 variant in 1975, and in 1979 the Essex V6 was replaced by the Cologne V6 in the GTE. The GTE in turn spawned a four-seat convertible version, the GTC SE8, in 1980. Production of both models ceased in 1986. Prior to this date, Reliant had introduced the Small Sports range, with the SS1 in 1300 and 1600cc versions in 1984. The SS range was produced up to 1990, when it was replaced by the simplified and arguably better-looking SST. Production of the SST, renamed the Scimitar Sabre in 1992, ended in 1995.

In 1973, Reliant’s parent company was sold to Standard Chartered Bank, and in 1977 Reliant was sold on to J. F. Nash Securities. Within six months, Ray Wiggin had left the company; he was replaced by Ritchie Spencer. Sales of the bread-and-butter Robin had stalled in the first half of 1977, and Reliant was further hit by a scandal over the car’s safety, when it emerged that the steering box could work loose, with catastrophic consequences. The matter was raised in the press and on the television, and was even discussed in Parliament in May 1979, forcing Reliant to issue a recall and to strengthen the steering-box mountings. This was enormously costly for Reliant, both in terms of hard cash and reputation, and sales of the Robin were badly affected. Following the drop-off in orders, the Shenstone plant was closed, and around two-thirds of the workforce were laid off.