When aluminum prices spiked across Europe in the 1950s, Reliant didn't switch to heavier steel like its rivals — it taught itself fiberglass instead, and the 1956 Mark III Regal became the first with a fully glass-fibre body.
Lead trim: Regal 747 cc side-valve four
Reliant Regal Mk I–VI1952–1962
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Reliant Regal Mk I–VI yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactWhen aluminum prices spiked across Europe in the 1950s, Reliant didn't switch to heavier steel like its rivals — it taught itself fiberglass instead, and the 1956 Mark III Regal became the first with a fully glass-fibre body.
The Reliant Regal is a small three-wheeled car and van manufactured from 1952 to 1973 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, replacing the Reliant Regent three-wheeled cyclecar van (whose origins were a design Reliant bought from the Raleigh Bicycle Company). As a lightweight (under 7 cwt) three-wheeler it is a "tricycle" under UK law and can be driven on a full class A motorcycle licence. Following the launch of the Mk I in 1953 it passed through many revisions in a short time, the "first generation" using the original wooden frame and discrete-panel bodywork through to the 1961 Mk VI: the Mk II of 1954 had an updated windshield, the Mk III of 1956 a heavily updated design and, for the first time, an all-fibreglass body, followed by the Mk IV (1958), Mk V (1959) and Mk VI (1960). Regals Mk I–II had aluminium bodies and 747-cc side-valve engines; as aluminium prices rose across Europe Reliant developed glass-fibre panels that replaced them piece by piece until the 1956 Mark 3 was wholly glass fibre, keeping the light weight (Panhard used heavier steel) and so the ability to use smaller, cheaper, more economical engines. The Mk VI was the last Regal with a side-valve engine.
Collectors Spotted in the Reliant Regal Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Reliant Regal yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regal 747 cc side-valve four | 1952–1962 | — | — | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This Regal's engine came secondhand from Reliant's four-wheeled Rebel — but detuned on purpose, its compression ratio dialed back so the 701cc unit made a tamer 29.5 bhp for three-wheeler use instead of the Rebel's 35.
A three-wheeled fibreglass runabout doesn't sound like a sales hit, but Reliant's sales director personally drove the 50,000th Regal 3/25 off the line — a year before BMC hit its own 2,000,000th Mini.
When aluminum prices spiked across Europe in the 1950s, Reliant didn't switch to heavier steel like its rivals — it taught itself fiberglass instead, and the 1956 Mark III Regal became the first with a fully glass-fibre body.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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