Reliant Rebel
Encyclopedia
The Reliant Rebel was a small car produced by Reliant
between 1964 and 1973, conceived as an alternative to the Austin
Mini
and Hillman Imp
. It was produced in saloon, estate and van variants.
engines are retro-fitted) and the maximum speed was around 70 mi/h.
Even the 748 cc engine introduced in 1972 offered only a claimed power output of 35 bhp (SAE) and published fuel consumption figures also indicated a car significantly more frugal than similarly sized metal bodied contemporaries.
, but the Rebel featured a conventional four wheel configuration which involved a significantly larger section to its rails and conventional steering. In the Rebel's case this used the steering box from a Standard Ten
with wishbones, trunnion
s and ball-joints from the Triumph GT6
/ Vitesse
.
The standard 12" steel wheels have a PCD of 4x4" (4x101.6mm).
and 35% lighter than the early Renault 5
introduced in 1972.
Reliant
Reliant was a British car manufacturer. The company was traditionally based at Tamworth in Staffordshire, England, but in 2001 it moved to nearby Cannock. It ceased manufacturing cars shortly afterwards.-History:...
between 1964 and 1973, conceived as an alternative to the Austin
Austin Motor Company
The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles. The company was founded in 1905 and merged in 1952 into the British Motor Corporation Ltd. The marque Austin was used until 1987...
Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
and Hillman Imp
Hillman Imp
The Hillman Imp is a compact, rear-engined saloon car that was manufactured under the Hillman marque by the Rootes Group from 1963 to 1976...
. It was produced in saloon, estate and van variants.
Body
The Rebel had a body made of fibreglass. Because of this, the car's body did not rust, and it was proclaimed in advertising to be "its own garage".Engines
The car was launched with a 598 cc engine which was increased to 701 cc in time for the October 1967 London Motor Show and at the 1972 Motor Show to 748 cc (although sometimes later 848 cc ReliantReliant
Reliant was a British car manufacturer. The company was traditionally based at Tamworth in Staffordshire, England, but in 2001 it moved to nearby Cannock. It ceased manufacturing cars shortly afterwards.-History:...
engines are retro-fitted) and the maximum speed was around 70 mi/h.
Even the 748 cc engine introduced in 1972 offered only a claimed power output of 35 bhp (SAE) and published fuel consumption figures also indicated a car significantly more frugal than similarly sized metal bodied contemporaries.
Chassis, suspension and steering
The chassis was similar to that of the three-wheeled Reliant RegalReliant Regal
The Reliant Regal was a small three-wheeled car manufactured from 1953 until 1973 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. As it was a three-wheeler, and it was fairly lightweight, the vehicle could be driven on a motorcycle licence in the United Kingdom...
, but the Rebel featured a conventional four wheel configuration which involved a significantly larger section to its rails and conventional steering. In the Rebel's case this used the steering box from a Standard Ten
Standard Ten
thumb|right|250px|A 1934 Standard 10/12 SpeedlineThe Standard Ten was a small car produced by the British Standard Motor Company from 1906 to 1961....
with wishbones, trunnion
Trunnion
A trunnion is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting and/or pivoting point. In a cannon, the trunnions are two projections cast just forward of the centre of mass of the cannon and fixed to a two-wheeled movable gun carriage...
s and ball-joints from the Triumph GT6
Triumph GT6
The GT6 was a 6-cylinder sports coupé built by Standard-Triumph and based on their popular Triumph Spitfire convertible. Production ran from 1966 to 1973.- Development history :...
/ Vitesse
Triumph Vitesse
The Triumph Vitesse was a compact six-cylinder car built by Standard-Triumph from 1962 to 1971. The car was styled by Michelotti, and was available in saloon and convertible variants....
.
The standard 12" steel wheels have a PCD of 4x4" (4x101.6mm).
Gearbox
The car was introduced with a four-speed gearbox which featured synchromesh on the top three ratios. By 1972 synchromesh had been extended to all four forward speeds. The light-weight body material and the aluminium engine block meant that the car was some 15% lighter than the (slightly shorter) MiniMini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
and 35% lighter than the early Renault 5
Renault 5
The Renault 5 was first unveiled on 10 December 1971, being launched at the beginning of 1972.The Renault 5 was styled by Michel Boué, who died before the car's release, the R5 featured a steeply sloping rear hatchback and front dashboard...
introduced in 1972.