1963 Reliant Sabre 6

If you’ve heard of a Reliant Sabre 6, you’re probably a Reliant enthusiast.

If you’ve seen a Sabre 6 in the flesh or actually got behind the wheel of one of the 77 ever built, then you’re in a pretty exclusive club.

But this car?

Well, this is a one-off and utterly unique, and unless you’re truly an aficionado of British motorsport history, you almost certainly won’t know about it.

It was developed by Reliant with a view to entering it into the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Yes, you read that right – a Reliant developed to compete at Le Mans.

It isn’t just a standard Sabre 6 that’s been given some stiffer springs and bucket seats, it’s a fundamental re-imagining of the car with the single-minded intention of building a vehicle capable of competing at Le Mans.

So, this ‘special sports racing car’ - as it was described by Reliant’s Works department - has an entirely new lightweight chassis, a back-end built by Reliant (not Jaguar), a redesigned fibre-glass body and a larger radiator.

The engine in period was tuned for the Works by Les Ryder, and featured a Raymond Mays Mk.3 head, ultra-rare Weber 42 DCOEs and, from the 70s, had a Mk.3 213E block with later stiffening.

Other later additions, many instigated by the then owner and accomplished racing driver Robin Rew, include a two-plate clutch, special wheels, a ZF gearbox and several other bespoke modifications.

Sold by the Works in the mid 60s, the new owner competed in the car at various race events, sprints and hill climbs, with numerous wins reported.

In 1968, the car passed into the hands of the late Robin Rew, a very well-known character and something of a luminary in the competition scene.

Robin campaigned the car in historic racing, mostly through the then-new HSCC.

When the vendor first bought the car in 1985, Robin told him that his favourite place on a race track was 'in front of an Aston!'

Robin won the 'Pomeroy Trophy' with this car in 1982.

The vendor competed in the car for a couple of years and then sold the car in 1990 to a private collector who commissioned marque specialists NNG Ltd to carry out a full rebuild of the car, with instructions to keep as much of the original as possible.

The car remains extremely original inside and out, retaining its 1960s chassis, body, dashboard and even the Corbeau seats.

Today, its odometer reads 4,326 miles.

It is road legal and good to go, as we can attest having driven it.

876 HWD returned to the vendor’s ownership in 2007.

He is selling now because he just hasn’t had the time to use or work on the car as he would have hoped.

What he wants most is that this genuine, unique, one-off Le Mans attempt finds a new home with an owner who understands and appreciates its importance, and has the enthusiasm and time to do justice to its very special place in the annals of British motorsport history.

The fibreglass bodywork is free of any dinks, dents, ripples, folds, creases or other aberrations of consequence, aside from the odd chip here and a scratch or two there.

There’s some bobbling and micro-blistering to the paint in places and a few scuffs and chips around the front bumper, on the o/s/r wing and the n/s/r wheel arch.

There’s some foxing and pitting in evidence on the chrome on the mirrors, door handles, centre caps and headlamp housings.

The wire wheels look good and the matching Goodyear Eagle NCT5 seem fine.

The rear screen has turned a little cloudy and, like the side screens, has more than its fair share of scratches.

The interior is, as you might expect in a Le Mans-focussed racing car, functional, Spartan and free of any luxurious indulgences.

There are a few small rips and tears in the black vinyl bucket seat covers.

The door cards and headlining are basic but intact.

The black GRP dashboard is rough and ready but also intact and, the vendor assures us, fully functioning.

We didn’t tweak every lever, press every knob or flick every switch, but those we did tweak, press and flick did as they were told without delay or complaint.

The engine bay looks clean and dry, and everything seems to be in its right and proper place.

The undersides of the car appear to have plenty of structural integrity.

This car comes with more provenance and history than the British Museum.

It will take you a day or two to read it and you may need some help carrying the files up the stairs.

Every aspect of its genesis, provenance, ownership history, developmental evolution and mechanical status is meticulously documented, accounted for and recorded.

There are bills, invoices, receipts, letters, magazines, articles and cuttings galore.

We recommend you settle into your favourite armchair, pour yourself a glass of something old and expensive, and start reading.

So, we hear you asking, how did the car get on at Le Mans?

Well, as you may have guessed, it never actually competed at Le Mans, being thwarted by timing and bureaucracy on the two occasions it made an attempt.

But the fact remains that it was built to do so - and was ready for the challenge.

We shall never know what that unwritten page of history might have revealed.

You, on the other hand, have the opportunity to own, drive and maybe even race this quite remarkable, never-to-be-repeated landmark machine.

We’re confident to offer this unique car for auction with an estimate of £25,000 - £35,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at the Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are strictly by appointment. To make a booking, please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, and read our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.