Reliant Ant. Truly shite and I want one.

[freebird]

Im becoming more bizarre the older I get.

I just want one of these!!!!

I want a flat bed, nice alloys ( for the back) nice colour and a warm engine for the traffic light Grand Prix.

Anybody owned one? Driven one? Want one or even confess to getting a slight semi when one is mentioned?

I actually think one will fit in my "normal car sized garage" which means the possibility of having one and hiding it from the missus is giving me hope for the near future.

[dollywobbler]

I quite like them. The Renault Trafic/Vauxhall Vivaro seems to ape it to quite a large degree. Only with more wheels...

[Junkman]

I'm afraid they aren't shite, meaning they are very sought after. The prices reflect that.

[RedSparrow]

I think there's some company who has started making these again in India or something. I'll do a bit of internet research as I have nothing better to do (hangover day).

[vulgalour]

I like them and there is an orange one locally I stumbled across but haven't been able to capture with camera in hand. They're one of those vehicles that I don't want but I'm glad exists. That said, I wouldn't say no if someone offered one to me at the right time, I can imagine it'd be a fun thing to own.

[garycox]

This one's sat on this drive in Bexley for years. Still there as far as I know.

 

Reliant Ant by GaryCox, on Flickr

[freebird]

I'm afraid they aren't shite, meaning they are very sought after. The prices reflect that.

Yes, some do fetch decent money, the one thats on Flea bay at the mo, which is in a bad way, probably wont go for too much.

I reckon they are that basic a restore would not be too much of a killer.

They remind me of those three wheeler trucks i used to see flying around London in the 1970s ( mainly around Euston station) which, IIRC, were British Rail liveried and had one single headlamp in the centre? I shall have a dig around to find one.

No, they are probably not shite but, for the benefit of of the forum and because its ethos is bog standard/boring/ weirdly wonderful/nobody else loves em etc, it fits in here perfectly.

[freebird]

Sometimes the internet is a God send.

This is what i was thinking of...

Apparently, its a Scammell Townsman

Brilliant and British.

[coalnotdole]

I quite like the ant, Hopefully will have the chance to own on at some point.

[gricer]

The Scammell Townsman was the last of the line of "mechanical horses" - originally introduced in the '20s to replace horses, mainly used by railway companies. Scammell Scarab is probably the most famous.

 

http://www.mechanical-horse-club.co.uk/

[RedSparrow]

Stumbled across a Greek company called Mebea on wikipedia who worked with Reliant in the 1970s.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEBEA

 

GR8!

[Station]

Wow it actually looks like an ant's head!

[plasticvandan]

I have driven 3 or 4, they are horrid to drive,prob the most uncomfortable driving position known to man

Deafening noise with the engine about 2inches from your left leg with a quarter inch of fibreglass to shield it from the driver.doors are always hanging off on them.chassis rot spectacularly,the front bumper is actually a part of the chassis,and not seperate. Front suspension,swingarm parts very hard to find.most have the 850 reliant lump fitted,some with regal based axles,some with escort. They are made to carry 16cwt,the weight of two robins,so gearing allows around 50-60 MPH flat out. My friend at reliantspares.com usually has a pile of white rests available for white money,plus any parts you might want to do it up. Made by reliant until around 74,then built under licence by several outfirs until 1998. The Queen had one on here gatcombe estate for use around the grounds,which reliant bought back in around 1995

[dave862]

my mate Turkey has one, albeit nowhere near roadworthy. we went from west cumbria to somewhere near sheffield for the thing and dragged it out a field. he bought it to use as one of those mobile advertisements for his MOT centre. unsurprisingly it still sits there unfinished next to his rs200 maestro based replica (which we went to south wales for about 6 years ago) and a couple of hanging xr4i's which his business partner refuses to sell to me even after 10 years of earbashing. one has a half arsed cossie conversion in it. the ant itself is in surprisingly decent nick