1981 Reliant Scimitar GTC Automatic

When did you last see one of these on the road?...Reliant began planning a convertible in 1977 and commissioned Ogle Design to create a proposal. Tom Karen adapted his earlier GTE design and created a beautifully proportioned four-seater convertible with a good sized boot. From the B post back, all of the panels were new, with extra bracing introduced between the rear side panels and door hinge plates running under the dashboard. The roll hoop from the GTE was retained, and for additional support, this was linked to extra tubes running around the front screen creating a T-bar design that would ensure some rigidity. As the car sported a separate chassis and extra bracing, it did not suffer from the scuttle shake that monocoque convertibles often display. The hood was designed in-house by adapting the hood frame from a Triumph Stag, with a bespoke cover made of mohair. A prototype car was produced in 1978 (still in existence today), powered by a 3.0 Essex engine. Later Reliant replaced it with a 2.8 Cologne engine because Ford had withdrawn their Essex engines from the European market in favour of the Cologne unit. This was slightly down on torque, so to improve performance Reliant changed the final drive ratio from 3.31 to 3.54. The GTC was launched in March 1980, with a hardtop added after the Birmingham Motor Show that year. It is stated that actually only three GTC's were produced in 1981 so this car was originally one of three, we wonder if the other two are still out there?Forming part of a collection, this car has only had three owners and has not been on the road now for some years but is said to start and move.With its rarity factor, this GTC deserves to be returned to active service, and with a little fettling that is very achievable.