Reliant · 1973–2002

Reliant Robin

The Reliant Robin is a small three-wheeled car produced by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was offered in several versions (Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3) over a period of 30 years. It is the second-most popular fibreglass car in history after the Chevrolet Corvette, with Reliant being the second-biggest British car manufacturer for a time.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Reliant Regal · Successor: Reliant Rialto

All Reliant Robin data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

=== Mk. 1 === The Robin was first manufactured in October 1973 as a direct replacement for the Reliant Regal. These models feature a 750 cc engine, but in 1975, the car gained a number of improvements including an engine boost to 850 cc. The Reliant Robin was well received in the 1970s because of good work executed by Ogle Design (who had previously designed the Bond Bug, and Reliant Scimitar) and affordable price, considering 70 and 85 mph (113 and 137 km/h) was possible, and orders increased with the 1970s fuel crisis. The final original version of the Robin rolled off the production line in 1982, and after a number of limited editions, including the GBS and the Jubilee, it was replaced by the restyled Reliant Rialto designed by IAD in Worthing, UK. The vehicle was also produced under licence in Greece by MEBEA between 1974 and 1978. Mk. 2. In 1989, Reliant revived the Robin name, producing a new and totally revamped Robin featuring a new fibreglass body featuring a hatchback, with later an estate and van joining the range. The Rialto continued in production alongside the new Robin until 1996 as purely a cheaper model in saloon, estate and van models also. Later on in production, the Robin received new, 12 inch wheels, improved brakes (from the original mini) and an improved interior with new dials and interior trim. New models joined the range with the LX, SLX, BRG, and Royale models. Royale and BRG models were top of the range and cost over £9,000. New colours such as metallic silver, British racing green, royal blue and NightFire red were used, along with a range of retro-style optional extras such as minilite alloy wheels and jaguar custom seat patterns, which then became available on all Robin models. Mk. 3. The Robin was redesigned in 1999, with the design exec

In popular culture

Miss Shepherd owned one Reliant Robin in The Lady in the Van, a 1989 book, 1999 play and 2015 film by Alan Bennett, a real-life portrayal of a case of Diógenes syndrome. Joanna Lumley remarks, as the character Patsy Stone, that her friend Edina Monsoon's isolation tank "looks like a Robin Reliant" in the 1992 episode Iso Tank of the British sitcom Absolutely Fabulous. In both the 1990 novel by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett and the TV series released in 2019, the Reliant Robin makes an appearance in Good Omens. The character Pulsifer Newton (in series 1) drives the vehicle, which he names after Dick Turpin. Beginning on 24 October 2025, a pair of men, one, a Canadian from Victoria BC, attempted to drive a Mk. 3 Robin the 10,000 miles from London to Cape Town. The journey was undertaken in an effort to both break the world record for longest distance driven in a three-wheeled car, and to raise money for the England-based School in a Bag charity. Despite needing to replace the Robin's engine approximately halfway through the trip, the pair reached Cape Town on 11 March 2026, with the Robin having traveled approximately 10,000 miles across 22 countries in 130 days. Top Gear. On 18 February 2007 episode of Top Gear (series 9, episode 4), a Reliant Robin was used by Richard Hammond and James May in an attempt to modify a normal K-reg Robin into a reusable Space Shuttle. The booster rockets separated cleanly, but the fuel tank did not detach, and the Robin exploded on touchdown. In a subsequent episode of Top Gear (series 15, episode 1), a modified 1994 Reliant Robin was used by Jeremy Clarkson to drive 14 miles from Sheffield to Rotherham. He described driving it as dangerous as "inviting your mum 'round for an evening on Chatroulette", and that the Robin "wasn't funny, it

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Reliant Robin
Manufacturer: Reliant
Production: October 1973–1981 (UK), 1989–2001 (UK revamped), July 2001 – October 2002 (B&N Plastics)
Assembly: United Kingdom: Tamworth, England, United Kingdom: Burntwood, England, Greece: Athens (MEBEA: 1974–1978)
Predecessor: Reliant Regal
Successor: Reliant Rialto (MK.1)
Class: City car (A)
Body style: 2-door saloon, 3-door estate, 3-door hatchback , 3-door panel van
Layout: FMR (Front-mid engine with rear-wheel drive)
Engine: 748 cc OHV I4, 848 cc OHV I4
Transmission: 4-speed manual all-synchromesh
Wheelbase: 85 in
Length: 131 in (saloon)
Width: 56 in
Height: 54 in
Related: Reliant Regal Van, Reliant Kitten, Reliant Rialto
Designer: Ogle Design
sp: uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1367306CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reliant_RobinCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1374286510 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reliant_Robin_Green.jpgCC BY 2.5 · Photo: Oxyman · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.