Reliant kitten
| Reliant | |
|---|---|
 Reliant Kitten Estate
|
|
| Kitten | |
| Sales designation: | Kitten |
| Production period: | 1975-1982 |
| Class : | Microcar |
| Body versions : | Station wagon , station wagon |
| Engines: |
Otto engine : 0.85 liters (30 kW) |
| Length: | 3330-3345 mm |
| Width: | 1420 mm |
| Height: | 1395 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2145 mm |
| Empty weight : | 505-540 kg |
| Previous model | Rebel |
| successor | Fox |
The Reliant Kitten is a small car manufactured by Reliant Motor Company in Tamworth ( England ) from 1975 to 1982 . It has a GRP body and a four-cylinder in-line engine with 848 cm³ displacement, which delivered 40.5 bhp (30 kW) of power. Chassis and drive were also used in the Fox delivery van / pickup with minor changes .
The rear part of the chassis essentially corresponds to that of the three-wheeled models Robin and Rialto , but from the middle to the front it differs from that of the sister models. The engine moved forward to where the Robin's front wheel is. The Reliant-built (but Triumph- inspired) double wishbones are located on the front axle. Moving the engine forward compared to the three-wheeled vehicles created considerably more space for the driver and front passenger.
The production of the kitten was discontinued in 1982, because it could not compete with the Mini and similar cars in terms of price due to its complex GRP body . The corrosion problems of self-supporting sheet steel structures, which had been so great for its competitors in the 1970s (and also a strong selling point for the putty), were increasingly brought under control with the advancement of rust protection. Also, the rear-wheel drive, as it had the kitten, was increasingly out of fashion in the small car class in favor of front-wheel drive. Because the Kitten had four wheels, it did not benefit from the low tax on three-wheeled vehicles in the UK as its sister model Robin did. A total of 4,074 kittens were made in 8 years.
There is a “conservation association” for small Reliant with four wheels, which is called the Reliant Kitten Register .
The Indian automobile manufacturer Sipani produced three and five-door versions of the kitten under license from 1983. The car was called Sipani Dolphin there.
