Reliant Scimitar SS1. 1984–90 (prod. 1,507 incl. SST and Sabre; 500 1800 ti). 2-door convertible. F/R, 1296, 1392, 1596, 1809 cm³ (I4 OHC). Reliant saw the opportunity of creating a latter-day replacement for the MGB and Triumph Spitfire, creating something that was sized between the smaller roadsters and the Triumph TR7. SS1 (or Small Sports 1) was last car to be designed by Giovanni Michelotti, and may have suffered from the death of its designer mid-project. The result was a car with fussy styling and complex manufacture (thanks to its injection-moulding bodywork), and delays meant that by 1984, it looked out of date. Very upright windscreen. Semi-space frame backbone chassis. Nissan turbocharged 1·8-powered model (1800 ti) was the hero model of the range. However, not a hit for Reliant, and opinion was divided on how competent it actually was—some spoke well of it; others thought it was plain.

Manufacturing location: Tamworth, Staffordshire, England

Marque: Reliant | Model: Reliant Scimitar | Successor: Reliant Scimitar SST