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| Lot number | 17 |
|---|---|
| Hammer value | N/S (est. £1,500 - £1,800) |
| Description | Reliant Scimitar SS1 |
| Registration | C888 PCF |
| Year | 1986 |
| Colour | Red |
| Engine size | 1,596 cc |
| Chassis No. | SCD210271GA000734 |
| Engine No. | 5G0/4B/16737 |
Reliant had some pretty ambitious plans for the SS1 when the idea was given the green light at their modest factory in Tamworth.
They were convinced that they had spotted a gap in the market after the demise of the MG Midget. Hindsight shows that they were spot-on, although it was to be the might of Mazda that took control of that segment with the MX5 a few years later, rather than the plucky chaps from Tamworth.
The maths were calculated on a run of 2,000 cars per year and Reliant approached the big guns to style their new sports car, the SS1 (Small Sports 1). The contract was awarded to Michelotti and was to be the great man’s last design.
The chassis was inspired by the much more expensive Lotus Elan and consisted of a space-frame backbone chassis onto which removable fibreglass panels were attached. Engines and gearboxes came courtesy of Ford, with 1,300cc and 1,600cc options from launch. An 1,800cc turbocharged Nissan Silvia engine appeared in 1986 which gave the car somewhat alarming 127mph potential!
Simple pop-up lights and judicious rummaging in other maker’s parts bins kept costs down and reliability up. Sadly the complications of volume production, the continued scepticism about fibreglass bodywork and the somewhat rickety sales network hindered its success and in the end, total production barely scraped past the 1,500 mark during the next ten years.
Fitted from new with the mid-range Ford 1,596cc CVH engine, this 1986 example comes with a large file of bills and invoices that detail its care and maintenance between 1989 and 2006. There is a partially stamped service book, the car having eventually been placed into storage in 2010.
Over the last few months, the owner has fitted new fuel lines, ignition leads and given the car a general recommissioning. It has just passed an MOT test which expires in June next year and this 80,000 mile example comes with its original factory hard-top which turns it into a cosy coupe for use over the winter months.
