This is the story of the most famous and iconic three- wheeled car in Britain, if not the world For almost 30 years, the Reliant Robin was a familiar fixture on the country's roadscape, an object of amusement to those who didn't understand its ultra- thrifty ways, and pride to the thousands who did. Being a 'tricycle', it enjoyed motorbike levels of road tax, and to keep it within strict weight guidelines, the body was of lightweight glassfibre. Allied to a light and efficient four- cylinder engine made entirely of aluminium, this made the Robin extremely frugal, yet still nippy enough to mix it with modern traffic. The car was a massive hit, and Reliant couldn't make them fast enough, until a culture of more sophisticated carbuyers, and a dwindling of the hard-working folk in the traditional heavy industries of mining and steel, saw it go into eventual decline. AUTHOR: Giles Chapman is an award-winning writer and commentator on the industry, history and culture of cars. He has been editor of Classic and Sports Car, the world's best-selling classic car magazine, and since 1994, he's worked freelance across a huge variety of media. His books include 'Worst Cars', 'Cars We Loved in the 1960s, 1970s and 80s', 'Chapman's Car Compendium' and '100 Cars Britain Can Be Proud Of'. SELLING POINTS: ? A full and fascinating history of the stylish little car from Tamworth ? Jam packed with rare and interesting images from the author's personal collection of Reliant ephemera ? Author is a self- confessed Reliant Robin fan himself, and he even owns one! ? The cars are well known from Only Fools and Horses, and a Robin was a continual irritant to Mr Bean's Mini ? Reliant Robins have a dedicated following and have become collector's items, despite being regularly smash 112 illustrations
