The Reliant Scimitar was produced in England from 1964 through 1986 in one flavor or another – coupe, estate (wagon), convertible. It’s possibly the longest-running car that you’ve never heard of. The estate was conceived in 1967 to augment Reliant’s flourishing market niche; its customers were clamoring for more interior space. Tom Karen of Ogle Design had styled its fiberglass body – arguably trailblazing the two-door GT wagon style before Volvo introduced the 1800ES. Chief Engineer John Crosthwaite designed a new chassis, utilizing a sport suspension. The result was a lively wagon that outsold previous body styles by about two to one. Even so, only 14,300 were made over almost two decades. Here on facebook Marketplace is an example from 1974, priced at $3500, with needs. JDC, you’re hitting the ball out of the park tip-wise, keep it up!
The Scimitar – which when it’s not masquerading as a car model, is actually a curved sword – was equipped with a 3.0-liter Ford Essex V6 and a four-speed manual gearbox. A Borg-Warner automatic arrived in 1970, and one year later, overdrive was an option on the manual. The Ford engine in a car that weighed only 2600 lbs was enough to produce a 120 mph claimed top speed and a zero to sixty time of just over 10 seconds. This one hasn’t run in five years; it’s up for sale because its owner has too many projects.
These cars were never exported to the US, so the new owner will learn about handling an RHD arrangement – not hard! The cabin is nicely trimmed, with vinyl bucket seats front and rear, a wood-trimmed instrument panel, and tailored carpet, including the backsides of the front seats. Reflecting the GTE’s luxury aspirations, it sold at a premium price – about £1,760 versus £1,337 for the MGC GT.
Other than its innovative body style, the Scimitar GTE also claimed celebrity credentials: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip gave their daughter, Princess Anne, a 1970 GTE for her twentieth birthday. She subsequently owned eight Scimitars, the first of which is on display at a museum in Derbyshire. Needless to say, if a Scimitar GTE is on your bucket list and you live in the US, you’ll wait a few years to find a good one. This very fine example failed to sell after bidding reached $14k; I wouldn’t have sold it at that price, either. This project car might be the best available for another several years – at any price. What do you think of Reliant’s sporty estate?
A rare European number from Michelle this weekend. Never seen one, or heard of one either. Did drive a RHD Landcruiser once, and you’re right, it wasn’t that hard after 5-10 minutes or so.