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THE RELIANT ROBIN, THE DUMBEST CAR EVER MADE

September 28, 2017 by Travis Noonan

To adults, Dr. Seuss’s writings and illustrations seem like strange, on-paper
acid trips for young children. To be sure, his creations were pure fantasy, void
of logic and reasoning – surely, no one would ever try to embody this madness in
the world of car making. Wrong. Check out the Reliant Robin.

Its name even harkens to a Dr. Seuss book, but this is a real car, produced in
Britain, driven on public streets. Take a moment to let the insanity soak in:

The Reliant Robin’s 3-wheel configuration is quirky, iconic, and a little
unstable…

Yes, it has three wheels, one in the front, and two in the rear. But this is not
a Can-Am Spyder, a cool, niche “motorcycle” thing that’s quite fun to drive.
See, when you take a 3-wheeled vehicle and flip the configuration around, you
get something a little too wobbly.

But for all the incredulous car design, the Reliant Robin holds some surprising
titles. Obscure sources claim the Reliant Robin, by sheer sales figures, was the
second-most popular fiberglass vehicle sold in history. Apparently, the Robin
was the second-most owned UK-built car for a time, too. The whole thing is so
fanciful we don’t bother to cite these sources, nor do we doubt them.

Speaking of sales, the Robin Mk. 1 began production in 1973, with popular design
firm Ogle Design heading the program. The Mk. 1 wasn’t actually the first crazy
three-wheeler. Instead, it was a replacement for the equally zany Reliant Regal,
which was itself a replacement for the Reliant Regent, a three-wheeled
motorbike-car-thing that looked like it belonged on the busied streets of 1980’s
Bangkok.

… Unstable enough that careless drivers (like Jeremy Clarkson) could easily tip
their Robin when turning

The Mk. 1 was still quite motorcycle-esque, featuring a 750cc motor later
boosted to 850cc. What’s more, the Robin managed to cruise just below the
licensing requirements, so B1 motorcycle licensees could drive the Robin, even
without a conventional driver’s license.

After 9 years of sales, The Robin was killed off in 1982. During its tenure, it
was surprisingly well received for two reasons: It was compact and lightweight,
providing good fuel economy during the gas crisis, and it was quite affordable.
If nothing else, the Robin provided Londoners and country folk alike with a
modest, simple way to get around without investing in a full-size (and
full-cost) vehicle.

That idea wasn’t good enough, so Reliant made the Mk. 2, an all-fiberglass Robin
with a hatchback rear. An estate car and van joined the lineup, of course, so
eccentric types with friends and deliveries could enjoy more passenger and cargo
space. It was during this time the Robin departed its simple “get-around-town”
ways and offered up some rather impressive features.

It’s almost impossible to imagine the Robin was an upgrade over anything, but it
replaced the even stranger Reliant Regent

Available with the Mk. 2 were new, shiny 12” wheels, improved brakes stolen from
the Mini, new, comfy interior treatments, an unleaded, 848cc OHV motor that
puttered along like a proper economy car, and metallic paint jobs.

Incredibly, for all the advances in modern rail and public transport, the Robin
continued to be produced through 2002 as the Mk. 3. The final Robin even
mimicked a car in every form, boasting a computer that controlled the motor,
proper incandescent front lamps from Vauxhall, and new interior panels that were
fit for a new century.

Today, the Reliant Robin boasts a cult following. Numerous auto clubs across the
pond tenderly care for their Robins, and many can be found for sale for amazing
prices – one can find one that runs and drives for around $600 to $800 U.S. If
you pick one up and have it shipped to the states, you’ll be one of just a few
hundred lucky folks to own one of the dumbest, and yet strangely practical, cars
ever made.


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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TRAVIS NOONAN

Travis is an author and gearhead who loves writing anything related to iron,
oil, and burnt rubber. By day, he contributes to DriveZing and works as the
Script Editor for a large automotive parts company. By night, he turns wrenches
on his own cranky, old 281.



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