Reliant Fox | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Manufacturer | Reliant |
Production | 1983–1990 |
Body and chassis | |
Body style | 2-door utility |
Powertrain | |
Engine | 848 cc I4 |
Transmission | 4 speed manual |
Dimensions | |
Wheelbase | 84.5 inches (2146 mm) |
Length | 133 inches (3380 mm) |
Width | 61 inches (1540 mm) |
Height | 60 inches (1520 mm) |
Chronology | |
Predecessor | Reliant Kitten |
The Reliant Fox is a small four-wheeled glass-fibre utility vehicle manufactured between 1983 and 1990 by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It used Reliant's own 848cc aluminium inline four-cylinder engine and a galvanised chassis based on that of the Reliant Kitten.
The Fox was one of several small four-wheeled economy vehicles produced by Reliant, a manufacturer well known for its three-wheeled cars and trucks. The Fox could be configured as a pickup with a hard or soft top, an estate car, a van or a convertible, as desired.
Reliant had exported technology and designs to several companies and in several countries, including those of the Reliant Robin and Reliant TW9 (aka The Ant) to MEBEA in Greece. But in the case of the Fox, a "reverse" course was followed. In the late 1970s MEBEA attempted to develop a "passenger-utility" vehicle, a type then very popular in Greece, as laws allowed such cars to be taxed as "commercial vehicles" at a rate lower than passenger cars. Because of the law, several companies built such vehicles in Greece, including Namco , Autokinitoviomihania Ellados , MAVA , Automeccanica and others. MEBEA, which had already built the Robin under licence, modified the four-wheel chassis of the Kitten to carry greater weight and developed the prototype of the light utility vehicle which would become the Fox, complete with glass-fibre reinforced body.
For the body design, the Fox appears to have been inspired by an Italian car, the Fiore 127 Gypsy (which was based on the Fiat 127).
In order to produce the Fox, however, MEBEA had to deal jump the hurdle of obtaining "type certification". The process was particularly complex for locally developed "passenger cars", but less so for other types of vehicles. Thus, "MEBEA did what other Greek companies had also done": it found a partner abroad to obtain type certification, for which the procedure was much easier for vehicles that were already certified in another country. Reliant was the obvious choice and it played a significant role in the final development and certification of the version.
After the Fox was no longer being built in Greece, Reliant reused the design for itself instead of shelving it. The UK version had many details changed from the Greek version, with Reliant reportedly spending £500,000 on modifications for the domestic version.[ citation needed ] Reliant started producing the Fox in its Tamworth factory in 1983, as an "informal successor" to the Kitten. [1] After UK production ended in 1990, a restyle was planned, using the hatchback from the forthcoming Robin and a front end design similar to that of the Reliant Metrocab. But this never got further than the drawing board stage.[ citation needed ]
Greece
The car was produced in Greece as the MEBEA Fox beginning in 1979. When the law favouring such "passenger-utility" cars was changed in 1983, sales declined and production ended after about 3000 Foxes had been built. [1] That number may have been "inflated" by the manufacturer, though, as automotive historian Labros S. Skartis writes that the true production number may have been closer to 1000. [2]
The UK
After production ended in Greece, the Fox was built in the UK until 1990. According to the Reliant Kitten Register, which keeps track of all small four-wheeled Reliants, "Fox production topped the 1000 mark between 1983 and 1988", [3] a number that conflicts with the "just over 600" claimed by The Reliant Motor Club as having been built between 1983 and 1990. [4]
Relatively few Foxes seem to have survived. Autocar magazine reported in 2017 that official motor vehicle registration data for 2015 showed just one Fox on the road in the UK, [5] but noted that this figure could be higher as it did not include Foxes on SORN (Statutory Off Road Notice). [6] However, another website says that in 2017, UK vehicle registration data showed 37 Foxes licensed for road use and 123 on full- or part-time SORN. [7]
Mebea Fox
The Mebea Fox was created around the Reliant Kitten chassis and its low weight, glass-fibre body, 10-inch wheels and 145 X 10 tyres helped make it a "fun in the sun vehicle", similar to those made by other manufacturers. Like the Kitten, it used the standard Reliant 848cc engine. The Greek Fox weighed 521 kg (1146 lbs) and had a rear axle ratio of 3.55:1. [8]
Reliant Fox
In 1983, the first year of UK production, the Fox used Reliant's usual 848cc aluminium inline four-cylinder engine of 40 hp, which drove the rear wheels through an all-synchromesh four-speed manual gearbox. The rear axle ration was 4.1:1, which allowed the vehicle to carry a 380 kg (840 lb) payload in a "surprisingly large loadspace" measuring 1180 mm (46.5 in) in length by 1250 mm (49.0 in) in width. The body was "rust free GRP" and the chassis "rust resistant galvanised steel". The Fox's overall length was 3380 mm (133 in), its width was 1540 mm (60.5 in) and it rolled on 155 X 12SR radial tyres. Reliant noted that its 7.62 m (25 ft) turning circle was the same as that of a London taxicab, making it "equally at home making deliveries in city traffic or out on the farm". [9] The Fox handbook gives its unladen weight as 640 kg (1410 lbs). [10]
The Fox went on sale in the UK in May 1983, after being shown at the 1982 British Motor Show. Reliant hoped that it would "fill a niche" left by the British Motor Corporation taking the Mini Moke out of production. [4]
The UK version of the Fox had a number of modifications from the Greek version, the most noticeable of which was that the front of the vehicle gained a "skirt" for better aerodynamics at speed. Wheels were 12-inches in diameter instead of 10-inches and the brakes had also had some alterations.[ citation needed ]
Beginning in its second year of production, 1984, the Fox used the Reliant HT-E "economy" engine, [4] as was fitted to the Reliant Rialto, and which was known as the "yellow top" because of its colour. While still displacing 848cc, it produced 37.5 bhp instead of the 40 bhp from Reliant's standard "red top" engine. [11]
The yellow top also had more low-end torque and by lowering the Fox's rear axle ratio to 4.1:1, it was able to pull additional weight. Heavier springs and a more robust tie bar on the front suspension were added to make the vehicle more suited to commercial uses. The top speed of the Fox was 78 mph and it was able to attain 60 mpg with the yellow top engine.[ citation needed ] However, a second website quotes much lower mpg for the Fox. Fuelly.com has compiled information on Foxes driven in real world conditions and found a 1984 model that delivers 37.8 mpg and a 1985 that returns 35.4 mpg. Both vehicles are in regular usage. [12]
The Reliant Tempest 850 two-seater sports car and the Vantique van were built on Kitten or Fox chassis, as either kit cars or factory-built, after the Kitten and Fox went out of production. [13] Other vehicles built on Kitten/Fox running gear are the Cipher, the Jimp, the Salamander, the Asquith van and the Liege sports car. [3]
Reliant Motor Company was a British car manufacturer based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England. It was founded in 1935 and ended car production in 2002, the company had been known as "Reliant Motor Company" until the 1990s when it became "Reliant Motors" and then finally became "Reliant Cars LTD" after production had ended of the Robin as the company was restructured to be a car import business. It is now a dormant company and the only entity left is a separate parts company created called "Reliant Partsworld" which produces parts for Reliant vehicles.
The Reliant Kitten is a small four-wheeled economy car which was manufactured from 1975 to 1982 in saloon, van and estate variants by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was Reliant's second attempt at selling in the small car economy market after the 1960s Reliant Rebel.
The Reliant Scimitar name was used for a series of sports car models produced by British car manufacturer Reliant between 1964 and 1986. During its 22-year production it evolved from a coupe (GT) into a sports estate (GTE), with a convertible variant (GTC) launched in 1980. All have a fibreglass body mounted on a steel box-section chassis, and Ford engines.
The Isetta is an Italian-designed microcar built under license in a number of different countries, including Argentina, Spain, Belgium, France, Brazil, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Because of its egg shape and bubble-like windows, it became known as a bubble car, a name also given to other similar vehicles.
Leyland Motors Limited was an English vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. The company diversified into car manufacturing with its acquisitions of Triumph and Rover in 1960 and 1967, respectively. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation, formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings in 1968, to become British Leyland after being nationalised. British Leyland later changed its name to simply BL, then in 1986 to Rover Group.
The Caterham 7 is a super-lightweight sports car produced by Caterham Cars in the United Kingdom. It is based on the Lotus Seven, a lightweight sports car sold in kit and factory-built form by Lotus Cars, from 1957 to 1972.
The Reliant Rebel is a small four-wheeled car that was produced by Reliant between 1964 and 1974. It was designed by Reliant to be a market test to push Reliant into other parts of the market instead of just 3-wheelers.
The Reliant Robin is a small three-wheeled car produced by the Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth, England. It was offered in several versions over a period of 30 years. It is the second-most popular fibreglass car in history after the Chevrolet Corvette, with Reliant being the second-biggest British car manufacturer for a time.
The Reliant Rialto is a three-wheeled car that was manufactured by Reliant Motor Company, replacing the original Mk 1 Reliant Robin in 1982. It featured a much squarer aerodynamic body, servicing panels, a single large windscreen wiper, a thicker fibreglass body, and altered interior, but the chassis, engine, and a lot of large components were carried over from the previous model. The improvements gave the Rialto improved high-speed stability as well as improved fuel economy.
The Chevrolet K5 Blazer is a full-size sport-utility vehicle that was built by General Motors. Being GM's smallest full-size SUV, the K5 Blazer is part of the C/K truck series. Introduced to the Chevrolet line for the 1969 model year, the K5 Blazer was replaced for 1995 by the Chevrolet Tahoe. In 1970, GMC introduced its own model of the truck, called the Jimmy, which was discontinued in 1991 and replaced by the Yukon. The "Jimmy" name was chosen to reflect how GM may sound in a similar manner to how Jeep was thought to be a pronunciation of GP in the competing market. Both were short-wheelbase trucks and available with either rear- or four-wheel drive. Despite all Chevrolet versions from 1969 to 1988 having the "K5" badge, GM never internally referred to the model as the K5 Blazer/K5 Jimmy. Officially, the vehicles have always been referred to as the Blazer/Jimmy, without the K5 prefix. After the release of the S-Series Blazer/Jimmy in 1983, the models were officially renamed "Chevrolet Full-Size Blazer" and "GMC K-Jimmy", though they are often unofficially still addressed as "K5" to avoid confusion.
The Austin 7 is an economy car that was produced from 1923 until 1939 in the United Kingdom by Austin. It was nicknamed the "Baby Austin" and was at that time one of the most popular cars produced for the British market and sold well abroad. Its effect on the British market was similar to that of the Model T Ford in the US, replacing most other British economy cars and cyclecars of the early 1920s. It was also licensed and copied by companies all over the world. The first BMW car, the BMW Dixi, was a licensed Austin 7. In France they were made and sold as Rosengarts, and in the United States they were built by the American Austin Car Company. In Japan, Nissan also used the 7 design as the basis for their first cars, although not under licence. This eventually led to a 1952 agreement for Nissan to build and sell Austins in Japan under the Austin name.
Gilbern, Gilbern Sports Cars (Components) Ltd , was a Welsh car manufacturer from 1959 to 1973, based in Llantwit Fardre, Pontypridd, Glamorgan, Wales.
The Koenigsegg CCX is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by Swedish automotive manufacturer Koenigsegg Automotive AB. The project began with the aim of making a global car, designed and engineered to comply with global safety and environment regulations, particularly to enter the United States car market. To sell cars in the US, many alterations were made to the design of the CCR; the previously used Ford Modular engine was replaced by an in-house developed Koenigsegg engine designed to run on 91 octane fuel, readily available in the United States, and to meet Californian emission standards.
MEBEA was an important Greek vehicle manufacturer, producer of light trucks, passenger automobiles, motorcycles, motorbike engines, agricultural machinery and bicycles.
Bond Minicar is a series of economical three-wheeled microcars which were manufactured by the British car manufacturer Sharp's Commercials Ltd, in Preston, Lancashire, between 1949 and 1966.
The Standard Vanguard is a car which was produced by the Standard Motor Company in Coventry, England, from 1947 until 1963.
The Reliant TW9, also known as the Reliant Ant, is a small, front-engined, rear-drive, three-wheeled truck that was produced from 1967 until 1987 by Reliant Motors in Tamworth and then by BTB Engineering in Leeds, England. Designed and built as a business utility vehicle, it was produced in a number of different versions for various needs.
The Bond Bug is a small British two-seat, three-wheeled automobile which was designed by Tom Karen of Ogle Design for Reliant Motor Company, who built it from 1970 to 1974, initially at Bond Cars Ltd factory, but subsequently at Reliant's Tamworth factory. It is a wedge-shaped microcar, with a lift-up canopy and side screens instead of conventional doors.
Sipani Automobiles Ltd. was an Indian car manufacturer established in 1973, located in Bangalore. They mainly manufactured subcompact cars with fibreglass bodies. They also took over Auto Tractors Limited in 1991 and manufactured diesel engines and tractors in the old ATL factory in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
The sixth generation of the BMW 7 Series consists of the BMW G11 and BMW G12 luxury saloons. The G11/G12 generation was produced by BMW from 2015 to 2022, and is often collectively referred to as the G11.