RE: Reliant Scimitar GTE: Spotted

[Pan Pan Pan]

I have had 3 Scimitars, and liked them. but they did frighten me a few times in the handling department. Two of them let go at the back, without warning and whilst travelling at low speed, (circa 20 -30 mph). To this day not sure what the issue was, Possibly oil on the road, or even the pendulum effect of having a relatively light car, with a big, heavy back axle, and in the case of one of them, fitted with what Reliant called a long range tank, which was apparently of circa 23 gallons hanging right out the back behind the rear axle. I remember not long after getting it filling up at a fuel station, and repeatedly looking under the car to see if fuel was pouring out underneath, because it was taking so long to fill up.
Fortunately for me and the car/s I got away with both incidents, but seeing a bus coming towards me through the side windows after the car had snapped sideways, only to have the car snap sideways the other way, and out of the path of the bus at the last fraction of a second, all at low speed, can have an effect on a persons confidence in the car. I can remember clearly the rows of bus passengers with shocked looks on their faces which was mirrored by mine, as we just sailed past each other by inches, with no usable input from either the bus driver or myself.

[Jex]

A friend of mine had one of these in the 80s and he let me drive it. I'd never driven a car with PAS before and my car at the time was a Ford Escort Harrier with a smallish steering wheel. When I turned right out of a T-junction I nearly went back the way I came. A bit over-assisted perhaps?!

[J4CKO]

Seventies paint colours, someone went in and ordered it in toxic sludge green !

Otherwise, a nice one makes a lovely, fairly practical classic, so many ropey ones about though.

[paintman]

Be careful if buying an early SE5.
Unfortunately when the original rolling 25 year tax exemption was stopped the SE5a was on the borderline with most being after & it isn't unusual to find an SE5a pretending to be an SE5. Probably the only SE5 bit being the VIN plate.

Edited by paintman on Sunday 9th December 15:44

[bobtail4x4]

actually princess Anne has had a few, and still owns a Middlebridge, her Dad Phil used the prototype GTS for a couple of years, and Eddie had one,

at £2k this is a bargain,
http://www.scimitarweb.co.uk/sgwrs/viewtopic.php?f...

Edited by bobtail4x4 on Sunday 9th December 16:02

[Miglia 888]

A favourite from the old car ads thread:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[rallycross]

[\.quote]

at £2k this is a bargain,
http://www.scimitarweb.co.uk/sgwrs/viewtopic.php?f...

Edited by bobtail4x4 on Sunday 9th December 16:02

[/quote]

A nice manual late model in black running well for £2k sounds like incredible value someone
Snap it up and keep us updated amazing value compared to a rusty old Capri!

[Faust66]

GranCab said:

The Middlebridge Scimitars were built on Lilac Grove, Beeston Rylands, Nottingham.

IIRC they were retailed from premises on Castle Boulevard, Nottingham, a dealership run by two brothers whose name escapes me.

Yup. The old factory is about 500 yards from my house! Firm of building contractors use the building now - until very recently it was called 'Scimitar House'.

Every time I walk/drive past the place I think what could have been...

[bobtail4x4]

the parent company went under after a well known court case,

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article...

[Miglia 888]

And a few more ads:

[Miglia 888]

[Miglia 888]

[bobtail4x4]

I like the last one

[Miglia 888]

bobtail4x4 said:

I like the last one

It's a nice ad from 1977.

Also found a nice Car Magazine giant test with Reliant Scimitar GTE v Triumph Stag v Datsun 260Z from November 1974 too:

[yme402]

Did you know Princess Anne has a Scimitar?

[Lotusgone]

bobtail4x4 said:

I like the last one

I guess the director with the most drive is the one that doesn't know how to park properly. Unless he's the maverick that refuses to accept convention.

[rbryant]

But it's B R O W N

[Reeves_and_Mortimer]

I had a bright yellow 5A (not my choice, bought cheaply from Father in Law!) with black vinyl interior. Nice lump of a motor under the bonnet, the 3L V6, sounded good and was torquey, didn't really need any more power IMO, especially how fragile and old they are now. A nice relaxed cruiser, with decent space and pace.

[Swampy1982]

just a note to say thanks for sharing the articles, I copied them and sent them to my father, he enjoyed the read.

[Black S2K]

^ Seconded.

From the days when Car was enjoyable to read.