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Reliant Motor Club

The Club for Owners and Enthusiasts of Britain’s finest specialist car manufacturer”


No 20. March 2021

That will be £27k please...

Welcome to the latest RMC newsletter and I can't believe this is our 20th edition. We hope everyone has been keeping safe and well and I imagine that many of you, like myself and the rest of my family, have now had the Covid vaccination and can see light at the end of the tunnel as lockdown restrictions start to ease.

Perhaps the most notable story recently though was news of a 1973 Bond Bug 700ES selling at auction for a staggering £27,000.  The Bug had just 40,951 miles on the clock although only 700 miles following a full nut and bolt restoration included bodywork, engine, gearbox, rear axle and interior.  This in itself is a new record for an amount paid for a Bond Bug although it does make you wonder if this is a sign that that the tide is slowly turning and the value of Reliant vehicles in general will start to increased.  Due to the association with the BBC TV series, "Only Fools and Horses" Reliant Supervans have long had a somewhat inflated price whilst the likes of the Reliant Scimitar GTE just sit there so undervalued.  I have a feeling in another 10 years time, the value of Reliant vehicles will have jumped by quite a bit.

It was also great to see two new Reliant books hit the shelves recently both with Elvis' "Essential Buyers Guide to the Scimitar GTE" and Andy Plumb's superb book, "Tipping Point".  Both make great additions to the Reliant book case.

Our next newsletter will be in June and the RMC will be celebrating 5 years along with the 10th edition of the RMC magazine.  If you would like to have your Reliant story featured in the magazine, why not drop us an email.  It is always great to hear from you.

Until next time,

Take care and stay safe,

Caroline
RMC Secretary
The 1973 Bond Bug 700ES that sold for £27,000 (£29,160 inc Premium) at auction  (Photo Anglia Car Auctions)
John Tracey RIP

We are saddened to hear that John Tracey passed away last month at the grand age of 97.  John, and some of his memories, were featured in our June 2020 edition of the Reliant Motor Club Review as he joined Reliant just after the second World War in 1948.  

Before John joined, Reliant did not use part numbers for any of the components fitted to its vehicles and John was often amused by the variety of names that employees would have for parts.  He told Elvis that one example was  someone asking for a "Dog’s iron leg" and the store keeper immediately knowing they wanted a radius arm.

John was therefore instrumental in creating a part number for every single component, from a nut and bolt upwards, fitted to a Reliant.  He recalls it took a long, long time.  As such it was John who created the very first parts manual at Reliant.  John remained with Reliant well into the 1960s.

It was a pleasure to know John and we offer our deepest condolences to his family.

 
Tipping Point
By Andy Plumb


Written by Andy Plumb, the designer of the last Reliant vehicles with the Robin Mk3 being the last Robin ever made. The book features design development pictures and illustrations from the 1960s when the Robin was first conceived with contributions from all of the designers including Tom Karen. 

The foreword is by Patrick le Quement, who was Senior Vice President of Design for Renault.

The Robin has also been reverse engineered for this book with aerodynamic testing and stability testing too, answering myths about this cultural icon.
Available direct from the author, the book can be signed for the purchaser if required.

This book is a hardback book with 264 pages in full colour on quality paper in A4 landscape format. It makes an interesting coffee table item packed full of information and illustrations.

A fantastic book for the car enthusiast, designer or design student.

Click here for more details.
The Essential Buyers Guide: Reliant Scimitar GTE 
By Elvis Payne

Don't buy a Reliant Scimitar without this unique guide! Expert advice will help you to find the best car for your money.

A small investment in this book could save you a fortune. With the aid of expert step-by-step guidance, you'll discover all you need to know about the Reliant Scimitar you want to buy. A unique point system will help you to evaluate any potential purchase, and judge the car’s value in relation to condition. You will also find invaluable advice on how to spot a bad car quickly, how to buy at auction, useful facts and figures, and guidance on obtaining the correct documentation. Don't buy a Reliant Scimitar without first reading this book.

Click here for more details
810 Documents
 
For those who have not visited our website recently we had a large update in January which saw another 81 documents added to the site taking the total documents available to just over 810. 

It is quite possible the largest collection of Reliant documents from 1936 onwards available on the Internet and we still plan to add a lot more.

You can visit the site at www.reliant.website 
RELIANT MOTOR CLUB REVIEW: No 9

The latest edition of the Reliant Motor Club Review (No 9 December 2020) is available to all members and can be downloaded from our website.

As always it contains all our usual features along with a host of other articles including with an interview with Charlotte Oliver (Reliant co-founder E.S.Thompson's grand daughter) and former Reliant employee Robert Pickett who used to work in the wood yard at Reliant in the days they were built with wooden frames.  

For those who have recently joined or opted out of our mailing list, this and past editions that can be viewed here.

We are now working on our next edition due June 2021. Remember. this is your club so if you have a story or anything you would like to share with club members via the magazine then please let us know. 

The June 2021 edition will be emailed to all current RMC members as soon as it is ready.
A reminder to all our members looking for insurance for their vehicles.  We have partnered with classicline insurance to find the best deal and better still, RMC members receive 10% off.  To find out more information visit their website at www.classiclineinsurance.co.uk
 
Membership Update March 2021

With well over 420 members, membership is still continuing to grow and so many existing members are renewing their membership with a 2 year option, which is wonderful, we cannot thank people enough for their continued support. We welcome all our new members and indeed welcome back those who have renewed.  The RMC now has members in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey. UK and the USA.   For those who are still thinking about it, remember that the club is for both Reliant owners and enthusiast and so you do not need to own a Reliant to join.

Thank you again to everyone for their continued support.

Supporting Reliant Clubs & Historical Organisations

One of the key aims of the RMC is to co-exist and work alongside other clubs and so we feel compelled to also thank the Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners Club, the Bug Club and the Kitten Register for all their encouragement and cooperation.  The RMC is also a member of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs, the Tamworth and District Civic Society, the Tamworth Heritage Trust and shares resources with the Staffordshire County Council Archives Department. 
Reliant Motor Club Window Sticker

Our RMC window stickers make a great addition to any car.  What better way to show your affiliation to the Reliant Motor Club.

For more information on a RMC window sticker for your car(s), please click here.
Membership Discounts:

Amongst other benefits RMC members are also eligible for the following discounts:
  • Big Dug (10% off)
  • The car-wash .co (10% off)
  • classicline insurance (10% off),
  • Northern Radiators (10% off)
  • Fertan Products UK (15% off)
  • James Mann (£4 off How to photograph cars book)
Please click here for further details.
Club Merchandise:

Reliant Motor Club  Mugs


The perfect way to enjoy a cuppa when you have been busy in the garage or indeed to have at hand whilst browsing the RMC website.

Mugs cost £5 each plus £3 Post & Packing (for overseas orders please enquire).  For more details please contact mark@reliantclub.co.uk 
 
The Reliant Motor Company

Elvis Payne's book entitled The Reliant Motor Company has been receiving some very positive praise for both its wide coverage of Reliant and for its historical accuracy. With a foreword by H.R.H The Princess Royal, this is the first book to cover the whole of Reliant, both three wheeler and four wheeler models,  in a single volume. It also includes numerous projects in addition to vehicles created for the car industry in Turkey and Israel.

Click here for more info. The book is priced at £18.95 and is available at all good book shops.
We are also delighted to announce the following Reliant Specialist who support the RMC:
Reliant Partsworld
UK's largest range of Reliant parts and spares.
Tel: 01543 431 941
BERRYBROOK
Specialist offering servicing, repairs and MOTs.
Tel: 01392 833301
If you have not already done so please come along and join us, our online signup process takes just a few minutes. Membership is £8.50 for 1 year or £15.50 for 2 years. 
For more information  please visit www.reliant.website.

 
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Reliant Motor Club · 61 Burford Road · Kingstanding · Birmingham, B44 8ED · United Kingdom

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