I actually adore the design of the original Rebel. It's so incredibly practical and compact.

The Kitten always impressed me.They were not slow cars back then and were very capable.

I so enjoy these videos. Being Canadian, many of these cars are new to me, and really enjoy these back stories. Keep up the good work.

I remember my Dad buying one early 70's to replace a D registered Mini van we had. It was Orangey red, reg XUG 799J. He replaced it in 1975 with a T reg Vauxhall Viva. I remember it had brown plastic seats, with a rear passenger trim panel that was literally glued on. It constantly peeled back despite my dad's best efforts to bond it back in place!

Wow, mid 70s and Reliant pinned their future on the 3 wheel Robin. How many middle aged ex-bikers but with no car licence were there by then?

I had an 'L' reg Rebel van and converted it into an estate car. A very practical load shifter ( I shudder to think of the loads I carried in it...)

I would have loved to have had a go of the 1600 rebel , sounds awesome!!I'm a 70s kid and I remember seeing rebel's on the road,a girl in my primary school used to be dropped off by her mum in one.thanks for the video, please make more.

Well a less known car . Thanks for the coverage. In india we had the Kitten aka the Dolphin manufactured by Sipani Automobiles Ltd.

Am old enough but NEVER saw, let alone heard of, this model 🤔 Good content bud. Thanks 👍.

Scimitar owner here, never liked any other designs of Reliant. But interesting vid and thanks.

Pretty courageous choice of name, I'd say. Especially in the 1960s or early 1970s, I'd have expected a "rebellious" Bristish car not to start (cf. Fawlty Towers, "Gourmet Nights")...

This is superbly researched and presented, also I never knew about the Rebel, great little car with a very interesting history, would make a lovely classic to own but I would imagine they’re a bit of a ‘find’ now and quite valuable

What a beautiful little car!

Bloke up the street from me had one of these for years. I think he still has it

Excellent video! These are quite rare cars, and I think when they were new they weren’t that conspicuous! I think this was down to price as Reliant did charge quite a premium for their cars, I think the Robin although being a 3 wheeler was more expensive to buy than an equivalent 4 wheeled car of its day like a Mini for example so this may explain the scarcity of the Reliant Rebel and Kitten these days, plus the fact they weren’t really mass produced.

Fantastic video, as always very detailed and well produced. If the car was driven overnight from Turkey to Earls Court then it must have sprouted wings and flew, take it from someone who driven it, you cannot do that overnight! At that time, with the roads as they were, 4 days would be a massive achievement

Good job. Your English is lovely. As a Dutchman I don’t need subtitles.

Thats quite a good looking little car!! Great video as always 👍😉

Ahhh now to get my Big Car fix! ❤

I love your videos! We didn't get a lot of the cars you cover here in the USA, so finding out about them is a real treat. Will there be a Reliant Kitten in my future?

Never seen it before, what a good looking car! to think of the tat BL were making at the time, what a shame this car didn't become an icon.

You are one of the rare people that can talk about anything and it will still sound intersting

My parents had a 1972 rebel estate in the darker blue. It was a replacement for a Regal (Del Boy) van which had been written off in an accident that almost killed me. I would have been 4 or 5 at the time. I'm shocked at the low production numbers.

Enjoying learning about all this interesting European cars 🚙 🚗!

My parents went through a Reliant phase, including a Supervan, Rebel & culminating in a Kitten (with alloy wheels no less).

This is what a modernized Trabant would have been like!

Lovely little car, this Rebel. Thanks for posting

Brilliant ! I wouldn't mind one of the vans 👌

There was a Reliant service centre at the back of a house I lived in years ago, it was always amusing watching one bloke carrying an entire body shell across the yard. They didn't have to worry about leaving them out in the elements much.

I have to admit I had never heard of the Rebel until watching this!!

I recognize the rear lights on the estate (license # KUE 752L), they were used on the Turkish car Anadol (also Reliant designed).

also the rebel never had the 850 engine fitted, the very last rebels were built in late 1973 with the last cars registered in 1974, the 850 engine wasn't developed until 1975 and was launched in the kitten the rebel never had it officially fitted but its a popular modification to do now

That's a really nice looking car. Pretty cute actually.

SIXTY-BLEEDING FIVE MILES PER GALLON? We've come only downhill, what an amazing number that even a Honda engine wouldn't reach.

Another fine piece!

That's a British car that I've never seen or heard of before! Thanks for bringing it out to wider attention. A very enjoyable video except for "delete" statement. It really tweaks my OCD when you hear people saying they have deleted their catalytic converter or some such!

Amazng! Cant say i have ever seen one on the road, the styling seems to have taken inspiration from models like the Austin 1100 and Mini. Not sure i would want to try 80MPH in one though. My family owned a Reliant Regal in the mid 70s, my Dad ever the practical traded in our 1969 Mini Cooper in for it as it was starting to suffer from rust. I think the thought of three wheels fiberglass corrosion free bodywork lower cost in road tax was too much of a temptation for him. When he brought it home as a "surprise for us!" my Mother was shall we say less impressed at his new purchase Haha. Nice one. Stay well Darren (:

The reliant rebel kinda reminds me of Japanese kei cars like the honda N360/Z360

We had the Reliant Kitten with a 700 cc engine I think, in India in the 1980’s. It was called the Dolphin and there was also an “Estate” version. Brought it by a company called Sipani based in Bangalore. And they developed a 4 door version of the Dolphin and called it the Montana. These were good cars. Fibre glass bodied which meant they would not rust and fall apart. Standard Motors in Madras brought in the Rover 2000 at first in the 1980’s. Then in the 1990’s the Sipani chaps brought in the Rover Montego. Sadly Sipani Automobiles just could not sustain themselves and just folded and became defunct.

Interesting seeing all the cars I never knew. Thanks

I know they're very light . Went with friends for a night out in the west end , couldn't get it to fit in a tight parking spot so we picked it up and dropped it in the gap .

I was surprised to see this in my recommended for some reason. i was wondering how I hadn't seen it before but it is new. when I first got into cars a couple of years ago I wanted a Reliant Kitten as my first car. The Rebel is the predecessor of course. Pretty good car I think. Problem is there aren't that many and I believe they were expensive new. Oddly there is one still laying around in front of the reliant factory in a picture or documentary I saw from the 90s.

You should really do a Scimitar episode. That’s a story worth telling.

A decent little car, of which I'd never heard. If only they'd included a hatch - though you could say that about so many 60s cars. Thanks for posting.

I'm pretty sure I I saw some of these cars back in 1974 (at the age of 8) when returning to the UK after living in W.Germany for 4 years. But it is a distant memory indeed!

3:55 The Reliant Scimitar. It is mandatory to note that "Princess Anne had one, you know".

Another informative and interesting video. Thank you. I'm pretty certain that we were able to buy Jowetts in Australia, but I don't think Reliants were sold here. I suspect that our vast distances might have made finding customers a bit of a challenge, especially for the small engine three wheelers. Hats off, though, to the small car makers who managed to stay in production in the face of competition from BMC, Rootes, Ford and Vauhall, etc. After over seventy years of production we lost Holden to the bean counters at GM recently, so even established makes are not a safe bet.

Reliant Rebel is my favourite Reliant and by far the most underrated. In my opinion, it is more stylish and far more spacious than the Kitten. I am always on the lookout for one I could afford, but the car is rarer than a three-eyed hooker these days!

To my knowledge I only saw 1 reliant rebel in my life which was a k plate green van with cream coloured steel wheels back in early 90s , saw plenty of Kittens though which have sadly gone the same way as now a very rare sight

I had a kitten and a supervan 111 and yes I would have them again in a heartbeat

According to how many left, there's just 101 of these remaining that are currently registered on a sorn or are on the road. 14 Vans 43 600cc models 30 700cc models 14 750cc models Add in the ones that have been hidden away in lockups that aren't on a sorn, plus ones in other countries and the total is probably around 150 - 200 left in existence.

I like your video! If I have an idea of a car story, you'll have the choises to make videos! So in my opinion,that's a good work for you!Thanks Big Car!

I just brought a rebel estate, needs work but fun to do.

Can you imagine that little car with the Ford 1600 engine in it? It would have been mental

Mate of mines mum had one of these in the 80's then a Kitten after that😎

Never seen a Rebel in real life and didn't know about them until I started following Hubnut. Think that they really look good considering when they were made, especially like the estate, little bit like a Giardinetta!

Wow. This is incredibly funny the rebel in the thumbnail is one me and my father restored

Hi mate. One day could you do the story of the Opel manta please. My dad had a Opel manta 1.9 berinetta and he loved it. Thanks. Love your videos mate keep them coming they are fantastic

That fateful decision to stop production of all other models and products, just to satisfy demand for Reliant Robin was to be the ultimate undoing of Reliant. It was a short-sighted, penny-wise decision that corralled the company into a slim product profile and ultimately to its demise. They would have been better off expanding production capacity, even if they had to take a loan. As the British public became wealthier, Reliant Rebel would have grown in popularity (an alternative to Mini) and served as an excellent compliment to the Scimitar. Instead, Reliant corralled itself into a situation where its bread and butter was limited to only three wheeler vehicles which quickly became unpopular and unfashionable in the 80s. The rest is history....

I wish I had been born in 1964, and I would now be aged 59

To my eyes, I see echoes of the Rebel's styling in the Nissan Pao .

The Reliant Robin was the most successful Reliant but i think talking about how the Reliant 3 wheelers kept the company going for so so long would be an interesting thing to talk about.

Very nice video, and i never ever have seen one on the road

A 160GT powered one would have been lethal in the wet on 70's tyres but huge fun.

Interesting stuff. Enjoy your videos, keep up the great work.

Keep up the good work, love the videos.

I've half an idea that the Rebel was actually a bit roomier than the Kitten that replaced it. (?)

A few years ago I saw a 1967 Rebel at the British Auto Jumble in the Netherlands. It was the only example imported here. It is still roadworthy and driving around. www.flickr.com/photos/91728279@N06/26852814260

The reliant Scimitar will always be their greatest achievement, its still a desireable classic, and reliable.

Can you do one about the once famous but nearly forgot Fiat X1/9? :)

Love your videos. Are you considering making a video on the Toyota Publica? Not a very well known model but it is the predecessor for both the Starlet and the Corolla.

Superb video, thanks.

In 1968 we had one of these in p/x at our Garage, and I can honestly say it was the worst car I have ever driven to this day. No wonder the owners only kept it a year - 50 mph was deafening, not just engine noise, rattling from everywhere as well; the doors were so light they flapped - 70mph? - for the brave or suicidal. If you think you've got the worst car in the world, drive one of these - it will cheer you up!

Nice One and brings Back Bad Memories - mine must have been a Friday Afternoon Special! Aka Reliant Refuse Receptacle¥ Xxx

I've only ever seen one Reliant. I visited Granada, an island that later became famous for other issues than vanilla production. It was in 1980, and there was a derelict Rebel van behind the Public Works building, along with a lot of other derelict vehicles, about half British and half American. It's a car I had never seen before, but one of the workers confirmed it was a Reliant Rebel. It was apparently provided by the British around 1970 as foreign aid. They'd drive all the donated vehicles until something they couldn't figure out how to fix, or a needed part was to expensive to buy. Then it was out behind the garage as a parts vehicle. Britain donated six of them, and none of them lasted more than a couple years. It wasn't just British foreign aid either. The US donated ten Ford F250 4WD pickups in the early 70's to help with road work. Those were far too complicated for Grenadian mechanics to fix, and parts, when they could get them, were far too expensive to buy, so they were all in the parts yard too. The only thing they kept running consistently were Toyota pickups, about as simple a truck there was, and perfectly adapted to Caribbean needs. So, in case you were wondering where your foreign aid money went, part of it is out back behind the garage in Grenada. :-)

How on earth have I never known about the Reliant Rebel until now? !!!??

Great vlog as always!

Love the videos, Mr. Big Car! Can you do one on the Smart Car?

Ibishu Pidgeon got four wheels too just now.

Great video, cant remember seeing one either,

Love the channel, could you do a vid on the Reliant Scimitar, always had a soft spot for them.

Consider making a zastava yugo video,but please don't roast it like others since it wasn't that bad. Keep up the good work.

My Dad had a Regal years before I was born. He broke it up parts but was left with a bare shell and no way to get rid of it. So he burned it, said it smouldered for days.

Brilliant! Will you ever do the story of the TW9?

Scimitar Vid?.

Very interesting Andy, the side and rear treatments are reminiscent of the Morris 1100 and later Austin 1800, but I guess those themes were in the minds of most designers of the day. Thx for this informative video, I saw Scimitar's in Australia but whether just courtesy of British immigrants or available for local sales I don't know.

Very informative. I don't think i have ever seen a Rebel. Could you do a future car story about those fibreglass 3 wheeled invalid carriages?. I think they were invacars??

a Bond Bug maybe soon? One of the most quirky cars on UK roads ever.

Please do the bigger Reliants, The Sabre and Scimitar

WOW! Great stuff ... I have never heard of or ever seen a Rebel. What a neat looking car too. As an ex Ogle design manager I should be ashamed ... And I am.

David Ogle was killed in 62 driving to brandshatch in one of his plastic cars.

I loved the Scimitar, probably because I had 2 Capri.

A small number of Carmel produced in Greece by Attica, based on Israel's Carmel (based on British Reliant). Btw, it would be nice to see a video about the Opel Omega/Vauxhall Carlton story!

Wow this really was rebelling against what they have done in the past :)

I'm not qualified to find any errors in the Wikipedia article, but FYI the video description text box still has the EXP link in it :)

I have learned something new. I did not know that Reliant ever produced their own engines. I knew that the Robin used mini engines.

Don't you get the feeling that Reliant were an agile and innovative type of company from watching this? They should have put them in charge of BL!

Surely the story of the Reliant Robin will follow.

Great video as usual. Would love to see I video on Proton/Lotus.

Cool Car 😀