Lot number | 26 |
---|---|
Hammer value | N/S (est. £4,500 - £5,500) |
Description | Reliant Regent |
Registration | 908 UXS |
Year | 1949 |
Mileage | 13,424 (Indicated) |
Colour | Blue |
Engine size | 747 cc |
Chassis No. | 461756 |
Engine No. | OJ141726C70 |
Documents | V5C |
The past is indeed a foreign country where things are done differently. This 69-year-old Reliant Regent van looks more like an agricultural appliance from Greece or Italy than a transport of delight, but in its day the Reliant made sense; rugged, cheap to produce, cheap to tax, a practical commercial vehicle for the small businessman, and one which could be driven on a motorcycle licence.
Some of those features still have an appeal today and time has given the Reliant others that are equally, or more, attractive. Certainly this three-wheeler will make a highly effective mobile advertisement for a variety of businesses large or small. It also remains, in its way, a practical delivery van and one which has received a welcome boost in performance from the installation of a much later 750cc Reliant engine.
908 UXS was for many years a museum exhibit in The Bygone Museum in Norfolk. It has not been run for some time and so will need inspection and some overhauling, but its construction is simple enough for even the average home enthusiast to handle. There are 13,424 miles showing on the odometer, but there is no documentary proof to back this up. Indeed, apart from the V5C, there are no documents with this vehicle at all.
An effective promotional tool and an idiosyncratic form of transport, this Reliant Regent will appeal to the user who doesn’t mind attracting attention. It will also appeal to anyone who fancies a supporting role at events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed, or in period film and TV dramas.