Reliant Three-Wheelers - The Complete Story

Author: John Wilson-Hall, Hardbound, 176 Pages, ISBN: 9781847978066, Published, 2014

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

culture. Reliant Three-Wheelers — The Complete Story charts the development of these much-loved cars, and the company that brought us classics such as the Bond Bug and the most famous of all Reliants — the Robin.
In 1934, engineer Tom Williams left Raleigh Cycle Company's motor department and founded Reliant from his home in Tamworth. He went on to develop the girder fork Light Delivery Van during the 1930s. adding the 7HP Austin 7 engine to
the vans in 1937 — the basis for the design of Reliant's own aluminium alloy engine. Following the Second World War. Reliant began producing passenger vehicles and launched the Regal in 1953. The 1956 Mark 3 Regal was Europe's first mass-produced fibreglass-bodied vehicle.

After suffering a major fire in 1963. Reliant created three factories: Two Gates (the original). Shenstone and Kettlebrook. It was at these factories (and through acquired subsidiaries) that the company was producing 85 per cent of the cars itself. while other car manufacturers were producing less than 10 per cent. At its peak in the 1970s. Reliant employed more than
2.500 people and was the largest employer in the market town of Tamworth. The company went on to produce the Bond Bug in 1970. the iconic Robin in 1973 and the Rialto in 1982.

Reliant fell under new ownership from 1962 onwards — moving from the Hodge Group in 1962 to the Nash family in the late 1970s. In 2001. B&N Plastics began producing redesigned Robins. the Robin BN-1 and BN-2. However, the venture was not successful and 2002 saw the end of production for Reliant three-wheelers.

With historical photographs, detailed specification guides and owners' experiences, this book plots the journey of Tom Williams, the company he created and the three-wheeled vehicles it produced. The Reliant Owners' Club. believed to be the largest single marque owners' club in Britain. is summarized from its beginnings to its peak at over 4.000 members. and on to its stable