Reliant Regal

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The Reliant Regal was a small three-

wheeled car and van manufactured from
1953 to 1973 by the Reliant Motor
Company in Tamworth, England, replacing
the earlier Reliant Regent three-wheeled
cyclecar van. As a three-wheeled vehicle
having a lightweight (under 7 cwt,
355.6 kg) construction, under UK law it is
considered a "tricycle" and can be driven
on a full (class A) motorcycle licence. A
light-commercial version with a side-
hinged rear door was marketed as the
Reliant Supervan.[2]
 Reliant Regal

1953 Reliant Regal

Overview

Manufacturer Reliant

Production 1953–1973

Assembly Tamworth, England

Layout Front-engine, rear-

wheel-drive

Dimensions

Wheelbase 1,931 mm (76.0 in)[1]

Length 3,429 mm (135.0 in)

Width 1,486 mm (58.5 in)
Height 1,448 mm (57.0 in)

Kerb weight 445 kg (981 lb)

Chronology

Predecessor Reliant Regent

Successor Reliant Robin

History
Following the launch of the Mk I in 1953,
the Regal passed through many revisions
in a short period, with the "first generation"
using the original wooden frame and
discrete-panel bodywork design through to
the 1961 Mk VI.[3]
In 1962, Reliant introduced the Mk VII,[4]
code named "TW7" (Three Wheeler 7).
This version featured a new OHV Reliant
engine, a new steel chassis and bonded
shell design for the body, fully updated
visual styling, and was badged as the
Regal 3/25, Regal 3/30 (number of
wheels/bhp), Regal 21E or Regal 21E 700.
The 600cc engine produced 25 bhp
(actually 598cc/24 bhp) and the 700cc
engine produced 30 bhp (actually 701cc /
29 bhp). The 21E version was fitted with
21 extras, which were otherwise available
as optional extras to the standard car.
These extras included a spot light, a fog
light, chrome plated bumper over-riders,
sun visors, an oil gauge, outer wheel trims
and metallic paint. In 1973, the Regal was
replaced by the Reliant Robin (code named
"TW8").

Regals MkI–MkII had aluminium bodies

and 747cc side-valve engines. However,
during the 1950s, the price of aluminium
increased markedly across Europe. In
response, Reliant developed an expertise
in making panels of glass fibre which
piece by piece replaced the aluminium
panels, until the 1956 Mark 3 Regal
featured a wholly glass fibre body.[5] Unlike
Panhard, who responded to the increased
cost of aluminium by substituting heavier
steel panels, Reliant's choice of the glass
fibre technology ensured that the Regal
was able to retain its advantageous light
weight, with the resulting ability to use
smaller, lower powered and therefore
cheaper and more economical engines.
The Regal Mk VI was the last Regal to be
powered by a side-valve engine, as by
1962 Reliant had developed their own all
aluminium 600 cc OHV engine that was
fitted into the new Regal 3/25.
Reliant Regal Mk III Convertible (1956-58)

1962 Reliant Regal Mk VI

Reliant Regal 3/30 (1962-73) with detail of front

suspension

The Regal 3/25 version was introduced in

October 1962 and unlike previous Regals,
this no longer had a wooden frame and
instead had a unitary construction body of
reinforced fibreglass. Fibreglass was
moulded in two major units (outer and
inner) and then bonded together and
bolted to a steel chassis. Meanwhile, on
25 April 1968, a year before BMC
celebrated their 2,000,000th Mini Reliant
sales director T.H.Scott personally drove
the 50,000th Regal 3/25 off the assembly
line at Reliant's Tamworth plant.[6]

A few months later, in August 1968, the

701 cc engine introduced in the Reliant
Rebel the previous autumn found its way
into the Regal.[7] For the three-wheeler, the
compression ratio was lowered to 7.5:1,
reducing the power to a claimed 29.5 bhp
from the Rebel's 35 bhp.[7] Nevertheless,
this still represented a useful increase over
the 26 bhp claimed for the 600 cc unit
which the 701 replaced.[7]

In popular culture

A 1969 Reliant Regal Supervan III coloured as the

iconic one from Only Fools and Horses

Reliant Regals and Robins enjoy

something of a special place in British
culture as symbols of British eccentricity.

An example of a Supervan III is the iconic

yellow van belonging to Del Boy and
Rodney Trotter in the long-running BBC
sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Many
people claim to own genuine screen used
vans but very few have any proof, British
boxer Ricky Hatton bought a replica Del
Boy van in 2004 which the seller claimed
was genuine but later proved false.
Another van sold for around £44,000 in
2017 to an anonymous buyer which was
on display for 10 years in the Cars Of the
Stars museum and was used in the
"Batman and Robin" Christmas special. It
sold along with a very good replica of an
Adam West era Batmobile.

There were several Reliant Regal vans

used in filming; For Series 1 and most of
Series 2 (up to and including A Touch Of
Glass) a 1969 Reliant Regal Supervan II
was used - distinguished by its number
plate APL 911H and much 'dirtier'
appearance, with an off-white colour
bonnet, stickers to the rear door and
distinctive paint pattern to the front. After
A Touch Of Glass a new van was sourced
and can be seen in the Series 2 Christmas
special 'Diamonds Are For Heather'. This
van remained in use until after Series 3
where others were then used. All other
Reliants used in the TV series were the
1972 or 1973 Regal Supervan III, dated by
the type tail lights fitted. The fins of last
Regals were remodelled to be flatter to
incorporate the flat topped bulky tail
lamps. All previous Regals used round
topped flush tail lights (Lucas L572).
Action Cars, Telefilm Cars and Cars of the
Stars in Keswick, England would hire vans
for filming over the course of the TV
shows life.

The registration number of DHV 938D

wasn't real and is just a show plate made
for production.
In another British TV comedy, Mr. Bean, a
running gag involves the titular character
played by British comedian Rowan
Atkinson frequently coming into conflict
with a light blue 1972 Reliant Regal
Supervan III, which gets tipped over,
crashed into, or bumped out of its parking
space. Two vans were used, the early van
used in filming is easy to identify as it is
light blue, has 2 chrome wing mounted
mirrors and has the earlier chrome rear
lights, it also has rear windows which have
been simply painted over. The 2nd van,
which seems to have only been used in the
"Tee Off" Mr. Bean episode, is painted a
much darker blue, has no wing mirrors of
any kind, the larger late rear lights and also
has rear windows which have been
painted over; the inside of the doors have
also been painted black.

A red Supervan appeared in the S4C Welsh

language children's programme Fan
Goch.[8]

The 2011 Pixar film Cars 2 features a

French character named Tomber who is
patterned on a Reliant Regal saloon car,
with some creative modifications, such as
the headlights of a Citroën Ami. His name
means "to fall" in French, referring to the
reputed instability of three-wheel
vehicles.[9]

A Reliant Regal is shown in the closing

ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics
with it falling apart and Batman and Robin
coming out of it, a plot that appeared in an
episode of Only Fools and Horses.[10]

The Only Fools and Horses Reliant Regal

appeared in cartoon form in a short
Discovery Channel advert. The cartoon
man was driving a sports car and after a
short drive it turned into the Supervan with
the announcer saying "What a plonker",
albeit quietly, as a reference to Del Boy's
famous saying.

In the 2016 Microsoft racing game Forza

Horizon 3 which is set in Australia, the
1972 Reliant Supervan III was added to the
vehicle roster.[11] The car was again
featured in Forza Horizon 4, this time set
in England.[12]

References
1. "1968 Reliant Regal 3/30
specifications" . Carfolio.com. 2016.
Retrieved 27 May 2016.
2. "The Reliant 5cwt Supervan III" .
Oldclassiccar.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June
2010.
3. "Reliant Regal Mk I - Mk VI" .
3wheelers.net.
4. "Reliant Regal Mk VII" . 3wheelers.net.
Retrieved 12 July 2012.
5. Holloway, Hilton (December 2000).
"Robin's rest". Car: 106–108.
. "News and Views: A Reliant
Milestone". Autocar. Vol. 128
(nbr3768). 2 May 1968. p. 29.
7. "News and Views: Larger engines for
Reliant Three-Wheelers". Autocar.
 Vol. 129 (nbr3785). 29 August 1968.
p. 54.
. "Cer i Greu" . S4c.co.uk. Archived from
the original on 7 March 2012.
Retrieved 27 June 2010.
9. "Tomber" . disney.go.com. Retrieved
2 June 2011.
10. "Heroes and Villains" . Retrieved
24 December 2014.
11. "Forza Horizon 3 Garage Update Rolls
In With Reliant Supervan & Ford
Woodie" .
12. "Forza Horizon 4 Car List" .

External links
 Wikimedia Commons has media
related to Reliant Regal.

Photographs and data on various Reliant

Regal versions
Reliant Regal Supervan III restoration
project
Reliant Motor Club

Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Reliant_Regal&oldid=987910705"

Last edited 23 days ago by TKOIII

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