Whoops. Tamworth is in the midlands, not the north. Sorry about that. That little mistake probably had several Reliant fans rolling over with anger

This remains one of the finest car channels on KZfaq. Only Harry's Garage is better.

Midengine, rear wheel drive, Fiberglass body, made in England ... basicallly a McLaren!

9:11 I laughed so hard! As a British engineer, I am (for some reason) quite proud of the 'Duct tape and hope' era of our consumer products. They worked, they were easily attainable and easy to repair. With my current car (Audi), about once a month I need to plug in my laptop and give the fragile thing Digital Psychotherapy, where I press certain keys and code the equivalent of 'There, There, everything is OK, You are doing very well, no,,,, the microscopic glitch when you changed gears a week ago does not mean we hate you, we consider you an important part of our family. *Group HUG*

My stepdad only had a motorcycle license when my little brother was born in the early 90s. This led to us having several Reliant Robins as our family car for most of my childhood. In the UK they were fairly popular in the 70s and 80s meaning that by the 90s there were a lot of them available very cheap. My stepdad would buy one for around £50, drive it til it failed (which boy did they) and then buy another. By the time my sister was born in the late 90s we all had our own spot we had to sit in to keep the weight ratio inside even. My step dad in the drivers seat, my 4' 10" Mum behind him. My baby sister in her car seat in the front because the back had no seat belts. My brother in the middle and me, being the heaviest member of the family by that time, behind my sister. For anyone worried about there being no seat belts in the back, we were so crammed into the bench seat there was little chance of us moving out of it if we crashed. We never tipped over in one with us all in the car, but we did often find that local kids had picked them up and flipped them over whilst they were parked. Parts of them also fell off sometimes whilst driving around, but I think that was mainly due to them not really being maintained. My parents did flip over in one when it was just them in the front after someone hit them from behind on a hill. This was the day after that infamous Top Gear episode aired. I was working at the local newspaper then and the story came in around lunch time. As people started coming back from lunch they would see the story in our system, start commenting on the Top Gear episode they'd seen the night before, then get hushed by a colleague who told them it was my parents who were involved in the crash. Neither of them was hurt, just shaken up and after that experience they both got full car licenses and they've never driven in a Reliant Robin again. But my step Dad does have one in pieces in his garage, so they may still drive one again some day

Not only is Robert driving a suspiciously imported Robin in the US, he's doing so with "BOLLOCKS" splayed across the front of the car.

Looks like a fun toy. Now a joke you've probably heard: A man driving a Trabant suddenly breaks his windshield wiper. Pulling into a service station, he hails a mechanic. "Wipers for a Trabi?" he asks. The mechanic thinks about it for a few seconds and replies, "Ja, sounds like a fair trade."

I will never forget being transported in the boot of a Reliant Robin from Whitby to Middlesbrough during a storm. This is in the UK and the reason we were being transported is because there was a terrible storm which stopped the trains running due to flooding so a friend's dad came to collect us. The journey was is across an incredibly isolated road and it was terrifying. We drove through flood waters, gale force winds and it only bloody made it.

The standard way to improve stability was always to keep a heavy toolbox in the passenger footwell to help balance the car

"I bought a Reliant Robin" Mr Bean: so you have chosen death

16:34 That little "weeeee" was the exact sound effect I was expecting for that clip, and it was perfect

This is still one of my favorite car videos on youtube, no joke.

In 1999, I was driving North from Liverpool. The motorway was fairly empty at the time and I was sitting at 60 / 70 mph. I could hear this metallic buzzing coming from behind me. The sound went on for a few minutes it seemed, then, with amazement I realised I was being overtaken by a Robin. As it passed me, I looked into the car and saw at least three huge burly men in it. We were able to stare at each other for about a minute before it crawled ahead of me.

"I have bought a Reliant Robin" Reliant Robin: BOLLOCKS

The delivery on "This is the rear wiper. It works exceedingly well." was amazing.

Two Robin stories, both relating to the same guy, who owned several. One time we drove his car in heavy falling snow into Central London. As snow settles on roads, two ruts form as cars compress the snow. Obviously this is hopeless for a Robin, which wants to ride the hump of snow in the middle, and fails to do so, endlessly falling off one side or the other, making for a hilarious driving experience! Another time, my friend came up to a T-junction on a country lane and didn't quite manage to stop at the line in time. Another car travelling on the main rode hit the front of his car side-on, and removed it entirely, in a simple clean break, which caused little damage to the other car (a Triumph Stag if I recall correctly). Remarkably, my friend was able to glue the front of the car back on and continue using it. (RIP John, still miss ya!)

'Stability: I have more of it because I'm on antidepressants' had me laugh out loud in the office. Brilliant misdirection.

"Now lets talk about stability..... I have more of it, because I'm on anti-depressants" - pissing myself laughing here.

15:08 As Rodney said on Only Fools and Horses "that van wouldn't reach 70 if you pushed it off a cliff"

7:12 The rear wiper is hilarious, made my day. 😂

11:36 - that button is actually your low brake fluid warning lamp, you push the button to test the bulb :D

That mystery switch is a low brake fluid warning lamp. The switch is just to test that the lamp is OK. Cheers from the UK.

These were really popular in the mining areas of Northern england (especially Yorkshire), a lot of the miners had a motorbike and as you could drive a robin on a bike licence they bought one to use in the winter. By all accounts they are brilliant in the snow! There used to be loads of these around when I was growing up in the 70's, but as the old miners retired they sold fewer and fewer of them as they were more expensive than a proper small car and eventually they went bust

The Reliant Robin was itself basically an update to the Reliant Regal which goes back to 1953. The yellow 3 wheeled van in British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, is a Reliant Regal Supervan mk3.

Also I was at the filming for Top Gear with the reliant episode....the reason why it fell over was because they fitted a 12inch wheel on the passenger side, a 13inch wheel on front and a 10inch wheel on the drivers side, thats why it only rolled on the drivers side throughout the episode they made a robin do a wheelie by welding a huge drum to the back and filling it with water

I'll be honest, the Robin Hood pun flew over my head until you mentioned that it doesn't make sense if you call it a bonnet, then I thought it was GENIUS.

The funniest thing is that this is, indeed, the most reliable car in his collection so far. So it lives up to being "reliant".

I had a 1961 Mk6 Reliant Regal when I was a lad. It had a 4 cylinder 747cc Austin side valve engine, which had a separate cast iron cylinder head, cast iron cylinder block and aluminium crank case. I was a young biker and would take all my mates out in it. Great fun and a hell of a job to keep on three wheels!!

"Let's talk about stability. I have more of it...." - Damn you, I almost choked on my cookie and died from laughing!

I like how you bought a car that obsoleted a two ramp system for the bus.

In case the International Geek Collective hasn't commented earlier, the mystery switch is a test for the brake warning light circuit. It was a way of meeting the regulation before someone realised you could use the handbrake switch..... Great channel 👍👍

The Robin Hood joke at 7:40 is one of the most perfect jokes I've ever heard in my life.

You should also look up the Reliant Kitten, which is the Robin, but with an extra wheel. I had one for a while. It was terrible. You'd love it.

It can’t get any more British than “bollocks” written on the licence plate 😂

Dude, you are _hilarious!_ One of the best automotive presenters I've ever seen! You are _actually_ as funny as Jeremy Clarkson _thinks_ he is. :D

Great video... Back in the 70's, when the Reliant Robin was initially launched, most working class men only had a motorcycle licence, as cars were still very expensive to own, maintain and run. Therefore going to work on a motorcycle, given the typical crap weather in the UK, meant that they'd either get soaked and covered in dirt, or they'd have to wear a bulky rain suit, which would crumple their clothes. Also trying to transport groceries, and/or a wife and kids on a motorcycle can pose a few issues. The Reliant Robin offered an economical solution, they could drive on their motorcycle licence, so they could travel in some basic comfort, and be protected from the elements.

4:40 "the premiere collector of unusual slow and badly-made death traps!" The cheerfulness in that voice really sells it. XD But congratulations on the car. Now get a Bond Bug!

This is the most beautiful car I've ever seen

I watched a few videos from your channel and I must say this is the most hilarious video about a car I've ever seen. I enjoyed it, how you are feeling joy like a kid and jiggling about the issues and driving fun the car has. Your humour is machted with the british design perfectly. Thanks!

When I was little, I saw one of these do 4 x barrel role's and the amazing thing other than the driver surviving!! It was remarkably intact and could still drive...

I got overtaken by one of these once. I can talk about it now, after thirty years of therapy. In my defence - it was a steep hill and I had six people (one of whom was called Big Si, for obvious reasons) and some amplifiers in it - a mk2 Escort estate with roughly 50bhp. Which means I overtook the Reliant on the flat, because it's compulsory. I could see the Reliant gaining on me in my mirrors and was thus prepared for the jibes of my passengers as the dastardly deed was done. The driver didn't look happy, as he vibrated past me in a classic 'elephant racing' style. But I suppose he had to take possibly the only victory of his driving career when he had the chance. For those that are unaware the three wheelers were what motorcyclists bought for winter transport, since you could drive one without needing to upgrade to a car licence - in the UK they are considered a motorcycle with sidecar for licencing porpoises. Reliant also made a four wheeled variant, called the Kitten, which seems pointless, a rather fine in its day thing called a Scimitar (the running gear of a Ford Capri 3L in a fibreglass body) and the bodyshell for the Ford RS200, which was a firebreathing monster of a group B rally car (the ones that were banned because of the 99% death rate). I haven't seen one for years, and they used to be fairly popular. Perhaps Top Gear bought all the remaining examples and made them unroadworthy-er.

I feel so proud to be British 😂 Also, no there wasn't any heat shielding on the passenger side engine cover. That would be luxury and give the working class ideas of grandeur 😂😂

Love your enthusiasm. I understand completely how entertaining that car is to drive. I’ve been looking for a old truck for a long time (1930-1950) & know that it will probably drive like a wheelbarrow, but that’s what I’m excited about.

I love watching old videos on this channel. One of the most entertaining auto channels out there I think

Ah yes, the nemesis of Mr. Bean, the Reliant Robin.

When doing MPG comparisons, remember that the UK uses the Imperial gallon, which is larger than the US gallon. Therefore, MPG (Imperial) will be higher, since more fuel lets you drive farther.

Had the pleasure to see this when I was out and about today ( not gonna say where, privacy has to count for something nowadays) and it made me smile from ear to ear. Cheers from a fellow little car buff!

Reliant did also make 4 wheeled cars the similar Kitten and the completely different Sabre and Scimitar which were both were very desirable sports cars. The Sabre was open top sports car and the Scimitar GTE was a sports estate car powered by a 3litre V6. Princess They were in production for 22 years and during this time even Royalty were seduced by their imposing style, Princess Anne owned a couple of them.

Ha takes me back. Living in Yorkshire (UK) and a mining community in the 70s and early 80s there were loads of these running about, cheap to tax and run especially if you only had a bike licence, funnest thing I ever saw was at knockoff at a large factory I worked at, the hooter went and every body made for the main gates, walking, cycling and in thier cars, one bloke in his "new" to him 3 wheeler, as he turned left out of the gates up a hill, he ever so gently rolled in on its side. I've never heard so many people laugh out loud at once. he never lived it down.

The changes to the bodywork may seem “irrelevant” but they do improve the aerodynamics, which makes the later versions of the Reliant and Rialto more stable at speed, ie more than 30mph.

the year was 1997. I was three years old. The next-door neighbor still had a white reliant robin. It was great watching him get that around the corner from the garages without it falling over. Took for me a spin in it a couple times too!

Your love for old crappy cars is so endearing. Thank you for these videos!.

*watches intro* Hey, you should watch Jeremy Clarkson roll that thing. Will make you roll with laughter!

When I lived in England in the 1970s and early 1980s every Robin I saw on the road was driven by an elderly man with an elderly woman in the passenger's seat. Both were wearing hats and gloves and were dressed entirely in beige. I was told that their popularity was due to their cheapness, both initial and running costs, and because they were classified as motorcycles so the road tax rate and insurance was much lower.

I totally just stumbled onto this channel... and I'm loving it. It's just a nerdy car nerd loving weird cars and it makes me unreasonably happy.

From the UK , Congratulations on becoming a Reliant Robin owner, My Father in Law owned a 1977 Robin for years. Like many original Robin owners he had a motorcycle licence only and was on a low income. I agree that it has many flaws to it. However it allowed my In Laws the freedom to get about a great deal for years and, within their limited auto knowledge, they became very fond of their Robin. Great Video. ManY Thanks.

You got a new sub for 3 reasons: - ...fuel tank back here Pinto style - ..."Bollocks" plate -...I can honk with my knee So funny.

"Me, the premier collector of unusual, slow and badly made death traps." LOL

I just love your child-like glee at getting a new toy to play with. That's the main thing I like about your videos :)

Our family had two of the little 4 wheel Reliants, the Kitten and the Rebel, both estates. Fun to drive and full of character.

This guy's sense of humour made my day. You're a blessing.

“Oh no, I’ve crashed it almost immediately” -Jeremy Clarkson and probably not you at all ever

Woow, what a great review LOL! I would not imagined to be so glued to the screen to watch a video about Reliant Robin :)))

From London...I had a big smile on my face all the way through the video.😊 Love the number plate. Nice one.😎

A nice Reliant automobile!

@aging wheels I've written a book about its design - I was the Mk3 designer. The book is called "Tipping Point -Designing a Great British Underdog". I can send you a copy if you like! This actual car is featured in the book.

What an optimistic fella! Good luck to you and fly away in your Robin...

The Reliant Scimitar was a remarkable fast estate car - also made from Glass Fibre !

As a Reliant owner, I think this is the best most entertaining review I've ever seen. Also, mostly spot on accurate.

At 2:42 you mention the Robin having a reverse gear. The basis for the belief of no reverse gear stems from the popular 'modification' of putting a bolt through the reverse gear linkage thus making it unusable. This would then allow the owner to insure and drive the car on a motorbike licence in the UK. I am aware of this modification because my grandfather modified his Reliant this way.

First of all, I don't really care much about cars from this time period but MAN do I love how you present. Subscribed!

him patting the glass while saying "it's ok" cracked me up .... instant love for this tiny thing

When you said that you see yourself as sort of a "caretaker," you reminded me of Jay Leno. Then I realized that your channel is a lot like Jay Leno's Garage, except instead of reviewing top of the line antique vehicles, you dig for the bottom. Your channel is a lot of fun.

Look at it this way: at least you'll never miss a pothole. 😆

This is like listening to a car review delivered by Glenn from Superstore, and I love it.

This might be the best thing I have ever seen on KZfaq. Hysterical!

The reason it was so popular in the UK was the fact you could drive it on a full motorcycle license, without having to pass the car test.

I loved when you petted the car and told it "it's ok"

You got my subscription for the Big Lebowski reference alone. Outstanding review by the way, you have a way of keeping things interesting and funny at the same time.

I love this guys enthusiasm! Also my first car was a 1999 Honda accord without power locks, power windows, manual shifter and no cruise control, so almost this cat here but with 4 wheels

I think you need a Citroen 2CV. Any plans to get one?

Your DMV office must groan when you come bounding in with a grin. :-)

Dude, you are so awesome~ am not on anti-depressants, but your attitude, lais-et faire makes me HAPPY too~ the citroen evaluation was like nothing I'd seen before~ you are like my favorite dude, and do not even know your name~ stay alive for us~ J

I had a very early van , loved it. There was great cameradery on the road among Reliant owners in the 60s.

As stated in other comments, there was the loophole in the UK where you could drive one of these on a full Motorcycle license. I actually knew a man who exclusively drove reliant Robins from when they were first launched, all the way until he died around about 2005. Before that he only rode motorcycles with sidecars. This man had a wife and three kids and managed to get around and do mostly everything required of a family man of the times. The guy had a Mk3 exactly like this one. Some kids pushed it onto it's roof one night, However it was ok afterwards. It needed two new windows, which were bought and fitted the next day, it had some paint scoffs, which were either polished out or touched up with some rattle can paint, and it was serviceable again! Truly is a candidate for one of the UK's most simplest road vehicles for the common man. Cheap to run and maintain, and the parts until recent times, were quite cheap.

13:24, so it once was a proper "Chav Mobile", having the Corsa headlights was not enough apparently.

Fun fact about Reliant, they were actually the ones who made the fibreglass shells of Ford's RS200 Group B Rally Cars.

My first car was an 850 Robin, it was brilliant. It was reliable, stable and economic.

The "bollocks" front plate had me going. 😂

Youre missing a lil "tray like" piece below the carb!!! worstcase would be fuel leaking from the carb onto your exaust pipes. wich will result in a fire. these things are cheap on ebay. pls look it up. it currently really is a death trap

Just discovered you, and I love your attitude! Thanks for all the facts about this curious vehicle. Previously I thought it was the British Citicar.

I had one for 3 years as a student. It was real reliable, and a love machine

I remember taking day-trips and even weekend holidays riding in the back of my Dad's Reliant Regal, the precursor to the Robin, in the 1970s. Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grampa, and me and my brother. SIX people in a vehicle that barely sat four. My brother (who was smaller) would sit on Mom's lap in the passenger seat, and I got the hump in the back, and all the day-trip or clothes would be behind the back seat. The Regal was actually a converted van, with nice, new windows installed in the side (easy to do with fiberglass as you just sawed out the panels). Dad would often joke that if there was a particularly steep hill, we might either have to get out, or he turn the car around and take it in reverse (due to the super-low gearing of the reverse gearing). It had a push-button radio that Dad pulled from a Ford Cortina at the local breaker's yard. I miss that powder-blue deathtrap… We considered getting the Robin after the Regal started having issues, but Dad ended up getting a rather fancy Ford Cortina Mk 2 in burgundy.

"It's about as hot and loud as a volcano during mating season" - I snorted hearing that line.

Dont even have the slightest interest in cars, yet this channel makes me addicted to car videos. Great vids :)

Your videos are pure gold

“It’s like a warming oven.... but carbureted”

When i was 16, i saved up to buy one of these, as its 17 to drive a car in UK, but can ride this on a bike licence. My mum said, she roll it over if i parked one outside... i ended up with a 50cc moped for a year.

😂🤣😂 Has to be one of the best car reviews I’ve ever seen. LEGENDARY 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Love your humour, really funny. Used to see these cars all the time when I was a kid. People could drive them without a car licence.