1973 Reliant Scimitar GTE

In the seller’s care since January 2022, ‘XUP 242L’ was in the previous keeper's hands between 1986 and 2021, which is a staggering 35 years. Clearly a much-loved member of the family, he is thought to have used it as his daily driver up to 1990, after which he took it off the road to be fully restored and repainted.

As you can see from the finished car (and the extensive paperwork that’s on file) he invested a great deal of time and money in restoring and (gently) resto-modding it, and when the work was complete – and it was a complete job – he then only used it lightly during the summer months.

All of which helps explain just how nicely restored and maintained this 1973 Reliant Scimitar GTE is.

Finished in Porsche Guards Red with a black leather interior, it balances a more modern colour scheme and a modestly updated interior with Old School, period-authentic engineering; powered by a replacement lightly tweaked Ford Essex V6 that sits in a chassis that benefits from subtly upgraded suspension and brakes, it goes, handles, and stops every bit as well as it looks. 
 

The body-off restoration included a change of colour to Guards Red, the iconic Porsche colour we all lusted after in the eighties, has been maintained and refreshed as necessary.

More recent work – the original restoration was more than a few years ago now, although it’s holding up brilliantly – included having the bonnet resprayed in 2022, a job that became necessary following a repair to a stress crack above bonnet catch, an area that is known to fail on these cars. The nearside sill was repaired at the same time, with the rusty steel being removed and replaced by good metal before the whole area was tidied up and repainted. (The other side was checked and found to be fine.)

The whole car was then machine polished and then presumably pampered to within an inch of its life given how good it still looks, even three years later.

Mind you, the canvas upon which the paint was so lovingly applied was a good one; no fibreglass car will ever rival something like a modern Audi for shutlines and overall alignment, and yet this one hides its build material well courtesy of beautifully aligned panels that are still free of chips, dinks, and ripples. There are how ever a few small paint cracks around the car.

Interestingly, the front valance is from a Triumph Dolomite Sprint but fits so well it could’ve been a factory fitment. (This is a theme we’ll return to when we discuss the interior.)

The chromework provides a nicely judged contrast to the bright red coachwork, and it too has an impressive gleam, with almost nothing in the way of pitting or rust.  

Mind you, the front bumpers and some of the other brightware were re-chromed during the restoration, while the rear bumper was replaced in 2021 with a new stainless-steel replacement. 

It also still wears the correct 14-inch Dunlop alloy wheels. Recently refurbished and finished in black and silver, they are not only in great shape but are also enhanced with the correct centre caps and chromed wheelnuts.

The wheels are also fitted with matching 195/70R14 Maxxis tyres. These are in good shape and have plenty of tread left on them but they‘re date-stamped 2010, so should really be changed because they will have degraded and hardened over the years.

Nonetheless, we will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

A towbar has been fitted but we understand this was bolted on for strength rather than to provide a hitching point for a caravan or trailer.

We also appreciate smaller flourishes like the Old School numberplates, the Lucas reflectors on the edges of the doors, and the Scimitar-branded Raydyot foglamps; Lord only knows how long it must have taken him to track the latter down!

Flaws are few. The windscreen is starting to delaminate, but we suspect it’ll be many years before it becomes a problem.

That’s about it. 
 

The factory-fitted black leather interior has been enhanced by the installation of a pair of front seats from a Jaguar XJS.

Chosen because they give the driver and front-seat passenger extra lumbar support in addition to the security of head restraints, they look like they belong and are a huge improvement over the originals. Still plump and supportive, they’re also in great shape with only modest creasing.

The individual rear seats, which are in fine fettle, are separated by a height-adjustable armrest, which would make an ideal barrier between warring children.  

A set of high-quality wool carpets from Woollies have been fitted over extra soundproofing; this is a very civilised example of an already regal car. 

The smoked glass sunroof fits the aperture well, operates as it should, and is, we are told, watertight. The grey headlining that surrounds is also good being clean and free of drooping and damage, including water stains.

As for the dashboard and instruments, there’s no sun-fading or cracking and we are told that everything works as it should.
Other nice touches include a period-correct Radiomobile radio that has been modified to allow you to use it with iPods and the like.

The boot, which is as well trimmed as everything else, contains a boxful of spares as well as the original steering wheel should the new owner prefer originality over the rather fetching one that’s fitted.

There are a couple of small jobs that need doing but both should be cheap and easy fixes. The first is the boot, which shouldn't be locked as it is very hard to unlock afterwards.  

The second is the switch for the fuel pump switch, which is on the switch panel that’s located on the lower right-hand side of the dashboard. This needs a bit of tape to hold it in the 'on' position, otherwise the engine won't start due to lack of fuel! 

Other than that, the only thing worth remarking on are a few light scuffs to the driver’s sill and an old-but-neat repair to the offside boot trim. Both are very much a #firstworldproblems 
 

There’s a lot to cover here, so please excuse the bulletpoints; if we’d gone for full-blown sentences, we’d be here all night...

Starting with the engine, the previous owner rebuilt the Ford V6, updating and improving it with the following:
•    Stronger alloy timing gear in place of the fibre originals
•    John Wade high-efficiency, gas-flowed cylinder heads, with larger inlet valves and the ability to use unleaded petrol
•    Gas-flowed inlet manifold 
•    Kent V61 high-performance camshaft, with a power band of 1000-5500rpm
•    John Wade also modified the distributor’s advance curve to take full advantage of the other modifications. The distributor is also fitted with a Lumenition contactless electronic ignition system, matched to a Lumenition coil. Iridium spark plugs and silicone HT leads help add even more oomph to the spark
•    Brand-new manual choke Weber carburettor, supplied and jetted by John Wade to match the engine modifications
•    Original air filter housing is now fitted with K&N filter element
•    Braided stainless-steel oil pressure gauge pipe
•    Facet Possiflow FEP 045V electric fuel pump, with an inertia fuel cut-out switch alongside a dash-mounted cut-out switch
•    All fuel hoses upgraded to make them safe for use with modern E10 petrol. 
•    Stainless-steel fuel tank and locating straps
•    High-efficiency radiator with a Citroën BX cooling fan that incorporates an override switch in case the automatic switch fails
•    Stainless-steel coolant pipes, and a low coolant level sensor fitted to the header tank
•    Custom high-performance stainless steel exhaust system, which was made by AAS Advanced Automotive systems with a two-inch bore, plus three into one custom manifolds 
•    (A pair of even louder exhaust silencers are in the boot. The seller says they’re “probably obnoxious” but he’s never used them as he’s always been very happy with the noise this one makes)

The Scimitar was then set up on a rolling road (See Slice article 265 in the September/October 2015 issue) and they coaxed 160bhp at 4600rpm, with 188lb-ft of torque at 2923rpm, figures that make the Scimitar very drivable in modern traffic. 

The previous owner also changed the engine oil and filter every year regardless of mileage, using genuine EFL 90 oil filters. The seller has maintained this tradition, and runs the Scimitar on E5 petrol, happy to pay the premium for peace of mind and extra performance. 

As for the four-speed-plus-overdrive gearbox, the previous owner carried out the following:
•    Original two rod gearbox fitted with improved and modified linkages to provide a much better gear change
•    New clutch when the gearbox was removed to improve the linkages shortly before it was last sold in 2022
•    Later cast iron rear diff cover is fitted with an easier access filler plug location

The suspension system received his magic touch too:
•    AVO coilovers with adjustable dampers and spring seats to provide fully adjustable suspension
•    Nylon top wishbone bushes. All other bushes are still to the original specification to retain a more comfortable ride
•    Lower trunnions modified with the addition of grease nipples to prolong their life. The car comes with a grease gun that’s loaded with North Sea-spec grease, which the seller tells us is “tenacious”

Nor has the braking system been neglected:
•    Servo-assisted brakes fitted with Green Stuff front brake pads
•    Aeroquip hoses with kunifer brake pipes and brass unions throughout
•    Regular brake fluid changes
•    Handbrake linkage modified at the lever end as per the Reliant bulletin for greater efficiency 
•    Front brake calipers rebuilt since the seller bought the car

The electrical system has been gone through too, incorporating the following:
•    Crucially for a fibreglass car, separate earths have been run to all the electrical components to improve their reliability 
•    Relays refitted to protect high-load components and wiring. 
•    Fuse box replaced with a unit with extra fuses
•    55-amp alternator 
•    Cibie halogen head lamps 
•    Period-correct front Raydyot lamps, which were fitted as an optional extra by Reliant dealers when the cars were new
•    Rear fog lamp added 
•    LED dashboard lights
•    Smartscreen intermittent wiper relay system
•    Battery master switch
•    Period-correct radio modified to accept an auxiliary  cable to connect iPods and phones
•    Front and rear speakers fitted, and the balance control hidden in the glovebox

Reams of old bills dating back to the early 1980s are on file, including the following. 
•    June 1983 – used Ford Essex V6 engine – £63
•    June 1983 – service parts – £26 
•    June 1983 – clutch parts – £25 
•    July 1983 – specialist engine welding work – £70 
•    August 1983 – new valve stem oil seals – £28
•    March 1986 – rear window struts – £26
•    July 1986 – K&N air filter – £33 
•    June 1987 – rear wiper motor – £37 
•    March 1988 – wishbone bushes – £46 
•    June 1988 – clutch release bearing and slave cylinder – £49 
•    June 1988 – clutch cover and driven plate – £48
•    January 1990 – Mountney steering wheel – £29 
•    February 1991 – door seals and trim parts £81 
•    March 1991 – rear radius arm bushes – £37
•    March 1991 – differential parts – £65 
•    May 1991 – suspension parts £118
•    July 1991 – exterior door handles – £27
•    April 1991 – four Bilstein dampers – £239 
•    August 1991 – suspension parts – £84 
•    August 1991 – trim parts – £79
•    August 1991 – top fulcrum and stereo parts – £47 
•    September 1991 – wheels parts – £41 
•    September 1991 – windscreen wiper system parts – £97
•    October 1991 – upholstery work – £105 
•    November 1991 – stainless steel trim plates and rear hatch glass seal – £41
•    November 1991 – hoses, fuel pump and service parts – £200
•    November 1991 – fuel tank sender unit – £21
•    December 1991 – wiper rack and service parts – £79 
•    January 1992 – dash and gear leaver gaiter £102
•    February 1992 – new exhaust system – £250
•    March 1992 – centre console and door cards – £59
•    March 1992 – tailgate struts – £30
•    March 1992 – Vinylkote – £42
•    April 1992 – seatbelts £58
•    June 1992 – trim parts, hatch handle and console lid – £101
•    November 1992 – radius arm bushes – £55
•    December 1992 – rear hatch handle and trim parts – £44 
•    June 1994 – front brake calipers – £128
•    April 1999 – front hubs – £77
•    August 2001 – rear wheel cylinders – £22
•    September 2003 – waterpump – £34 
•    September 2005 – trunnion bush kits and suspension parts – £155
•    April 2009 – carburettor and modified distributor drive – £277
•    July 2010 – custom-made stainless-steel exhaust system – £1,000
•    March 2013 – timing gears – £245
•    June 2014 – gas-flowed cylinder heads with lead-free valves and matched and flowed inlet manifolds – £711
•    April 2016 – steering column bushes – £22 
•    May 2016 – brake calipers – £225
•    March 2017 – speedometer cable – £32
•    May 2019 – suspension bushes, input shaft seal and clutch kit – £250
•    June 2022 – new battery and speedometer cable – £86
•    April 2025 – front brake caliper rebuild kit

Of course, lists are all very well, but we know you want to know what it’s actually like to drive.

Well, as you can see, it starts well and quickly settles into a steady idle. It also shows good oil pressure, even at low engine speeds, with the pressure continuing to build in line with the revs.

Like some French cars of old, the V6 engine shares the underbonnet area with the spare wheel. Everything is ridiculously clean, and the spare is a matching alloy with a matching tyre; you’re going to be itching to lift the bonnet at your local car show, not least to show off the impressively fitted sound and heat insulation.

The underside is said to have been protected by an industrial marine coating plus Waxoyl’d internals. No matter what was used, it looks stunning and with a little care should continue to stay that way for a good while yet.

The wheelarches have been left painted, and these too look terrific – but then nothing highlights good metal like a plain paint finish, does it?

Oh, and the troublesome rollover bar end corrosion has been dealt with by new steel tubes and end plates.
 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with two sets of keys.

In addition to the invoice and bills for parts and repairs, the history file also includes a handwritten record of some of the car’s maintenance, a thick wad of expired MoT certificates and tax discs, many magazines from the Scimitar Owners’ Club, and a printout of a dyno test in 2015 that revealed a peak power of 158.9bhp and a torque reading of 188.6 lb.ft. You can see from the paperwork that the likely mileage is circa. 140k, but most of that will be before the restoration works.

The Reliant doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 
 

The Scimitar GTE might be one to watch because Quintin Willson reviewed his previous tips in a recent issue of Classic Cars and discovered the GTE SE5 has appreciated by a worthwhile 63.2% since 2018.

Of course, past performance is no guarantee of future appreciation but we doubt prices are likely to go south.

Besides, you buy a car like this for the noise and the performance and to bask in the adulation of your peers; the owner has taken it to a few events, including a meeting of the Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners’ Club, of which he is a member, and the Goodwood Revival and he tells us it drew a lot of attention at both events.

As for what it’s likely to cost you, our estimate is between £10,000 and £15,000, or a fraction of what it must have cost the previous owner to bring it to this standard.

Which is exactly how you should buy your classics – after someone else has done all the heavy lifting!

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at Bonhams|Cars Online HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.