Three Wheels Better: 1989 Reliant Rialto SE
The Reliant Robin was the original 3-wheel menace built by the Reliant Motor Company from 1973 through 1981, but the story of these tricycle style machines didn’t end with the Robin. No, the Rialto was the replacement to the Robin and was produced starting in 1982 and (remarkably) continued through 1998. Unfortunately, the Rialto used most of the mechanical parts from the Robin, but sported a snazzy boxy shaped aerodynamic body. Find this 1989 Reliant Rialto SE offered for $11,500 in Tualatin, OR via craigslist. Tip from Luke G.
From the seller:
1989 reliant Rialto
condition: good
cylinders: 4 cylinders
drive: rwd
fuel: gas
odometer: 89000
title status: clean
transmission: manual
The time has come to sell my 1989 Reliant rialto SE, I’ve owned this car for about a year and a half and loved every second of it. She starts, runs and drives great (little bit cold blooded). Clean Washington car title in hand, along with the import paper work. 89k on the odometer. It’s registered as a car, not a motorcycle.
I purchased the car from the older gentleman who imported it about a year and half ago, he owned it in the states for about 7 years along with a couple other reliants, and over that 7 years he collected a crazy amount of parts, manuals and memorabilia which are now all mine and are included in the sale.
I haven’t done much to the car under my ownership besides fix small things, kept it clean and running reliably and just take it to a few car shows here and there. It’s always stored indoors.
Everything works except for the heater blower fan. There is some damage on the roof right above the windshield, some minor scuffs on the body, and the dashboard has some cracks around the cluster (I have a replacement dash).
I figure if you’re looking at this car you probably already know what it is, which means you know how rare it is to see one for sale in the United States. I never planned on selling this car but unfortunately life has changed and she needs to go. I’m not really sure what it’s worth, because it’s one of the only ones to ever sell in the United States but I know a decent example fetches about 7-8k on the UK and then you’ve still gotta ship it in. Feel free to call or text me with any questions, I can go a little more in depth about the parts included. Asking 11,500 obo
Everytime I see one of these 3 wheel vehicles, I think about the TopGear episode where Clarkson keeps rolling the car over while doing basic maneuvers. Good times, as long as you have a friend near to help put it back on its wheels.
Just like how nobody understood the reality behind the woman disfigured by hot McDonalds coffee, the Clarkson piece about the Reliant Robin was a misleading, sensationalist hatchet job. Sorry to dispel this legend, but I’m not a fan of being deceived.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/reliant-robin-modified-to-force-jeremy-clarkson-to-roll/news-story/451c6ace5b2f453a2ce201a8eab960e2
I saw it as a comedy bit, and I think most people did as well. Obviously the car had been rigged. There is no way they would have gotten away with selling them for 20 plus years if they did that one every corner!
So a locked differential will do that to a robin?
That reminds me of one year at the Monterey Historics, where they had a class of Porsche 935s and Mini Coopers. At the first corner all of the 935s shot huge flames out their backends and all of the Mini Coopers lifted both inside wheels about a foot and a half off the ground and went into a two wheel drift like they were synchronized swimmers. All of the Porsche people and all of the Cooper people in unison said “Are they supposed to do that?†and spent the rest of the heat laughing at the sheer spectacle.
Anyway, afterwards someone asked one of Mini drivers if you could actually roll the thing over in a corner and the driver said sure, but that would be stupid.
Like most produced pieces on Top Gear, I thought most understood it was a skit/joke piece. If you have watched much Top Gear it is important to suspend your rational thinking, as they are trying to create drama and silly situations for the sake of laughs. I usually don’t turn to Top Gear for hard hitting investigative journalism.
yeah, but its funny
Just like how funny it was when the Suzuki Samurai was nearly sunk in N America after Consumer Reports fudged their tests to encourage them to roll over.
Point being, Top Gear should have ended that episode with an acknowledgement of tampering.
https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-90s-scandal-consumer-reports-hopes-you-forgot-about/
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/0bf45e16-2849-4529-9d64-bd3d8490f9b2/de37f41-78f2f1b3-557e-494f-9a85-cd85d9356743.gif?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzBiZjQ1ZTE2LTI4NDktNDUyOS05ZDY0LWJkM2Q4NDkwZjliMlwvZGUzN2Y0MS03OGYyZjFiMy01NTdlLTQ5NGYtOWE4NS1jZDg1ZDkzNTY3NDMuZ2lmIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.Kl9jXarI0SOBDEyIEMZEzwkpk0GtfqjVqtvPH_bcgbU
When I lived in park slope brooklyn, there were three of these parked on the street.