1976 Reliant Scimitar SE6

The car was originally UK registered but it is currently registered in Ireland.

Until 2019 the car was in use on a daily basis.

The vendor doesn’t own or particularly like modern cars so has always used a classic car as his daily drive.

Consequently, he’s exceptionally diligent in ensuring the proper maintenance, repair and servicing of his cars.

He tells us that we’d be very unlikely to find a better example of a Scimitar GTE SE6, only 534 of which were ever built.

We’re inclined to agree with him.

In the vendor’s own words, “…it now sports Original Wolfrace slot mags which have been diamond cut.

The car was purchased…from an engineer in the UK who had completely mechanically restored the car to an incredibly high specification.

This included the fitting of rare Will Sparrow aerofoil bumpers which are a very sought after addition to any Scimitar, Will Sparrow being a great racer and tuner of these cars back in the day.

I completely restored the exterior having the paint taken back to Gelcoat, it was then baked to remove any moisture before a complete respray in Canary Yellow.

The paint is still in very good condition and there are no blisters on the body that I can see.

The chassis has no rust and has been treated to prevent any rust taking hold.

The car’s history before my ownership is documented in a thick tome and indicates the degree of work carried out on the car, not least of all a complete engine rebuild spec from J.W. Developments in Wolverhampton, a copy of which is also attached together with 3 rolling road test results showing an engine output of over 180 bhp.

The engine rebuild was carried out in 1999 and since then the car has covered some 30K miles to the best of my knowledge.

The full spec is in the info pack, but it has a fast road head and cam with hydraulic valves, billet alloy timing gear, branch exhaust manifolds, balanced and tuned.

Suffice to say that this is a very fast and reliable engine.

Suspension is complemented by Koni adjustable shock absorbers.

I have uprated the alternator, fitted a full set of silicone hoses with stainless steel pipes and header tank, uprated the alloy radiator, fitted a Powerlite high torque starter motor and an H&H electronic distributor and sports coil, and fitted drilled and slotted discs with uprated callipers (front wheels).

The gearbox and overdrive were rebuilt here in Ireland in 2017 by Paul French, a specialist in classic gearboxes who worked on gearboxes for Will Sparrow back in Redditch. The work included overhauling the clutch and pressure plate and fitting the correct thrust bearing.

It shifts perfectly, the overdrive shifts perfectly, and there are no oil leaks.

The car has never overheated in my ownership, has never failed to start and has never let me down in 10 years of use as a daily driver.

The oil pressure when hot runs at 75psi and ticks over just below 50 psi.

It's a very quick car and sounds fantastic as the modified stainless-steel exhaust has no centre box.

This also helps with the breathing as the engine has a proper set of headers, a modified fast road head, hydraulic valves etc.

In 2016 the interior was completely re-upholstered in light blue leather with dark blue vinyl backing. The dash top was also covered in leather and there is no cracking or damage at all.

New carpets were fitted when the car was resprayed so are good but show some wear.

Finally, the car has power steering, a high spec optional extra”

It has also had a new headlining, universal joints and a new prop shaft fitted by QRG garages of Kettering, who also carried out a full overhaul.

The vendor is only reluctantly selling the car because a recalcitrant hip is making ingress and egress to and from the vehicle increasingly troublesome.

The car’s mileage today is recorded as being 35,576.

On the occasion of the car’s 2010 MoT it had covered 29,124 miles.

The bodywork is entirely straight and untroubled by any dinks, dents or creases.

The vibrant yellow paintwork is a joy to behold and has all the shine and lustre you could hope for.

The panels, panel gaps and shut-lines are consistent and even throughout.

The wheels are all in decent condition although some water has got under the lacquer on one of them and created a little staining.

The exterior trim, chrome, badging and other fixtures and fittings are all very good.

The vendor tells us that, very occasionally, one of the headlights can be a little erratic, but that the fault quickly rectifies itself and has yet to cause an enduring problem.

There is a slight chip on the lens of the passenger-side headlamp.

Thankfully, the vendor decided to upgrade the 1970’s Bri-Nylon upholstery with high quality, leather-faced, vinyl backed material in 2017.

The light and dark blue fabric is an attractive balance with the yellow exterior and contributes towards a very smart and welcoming ambience within the vehicle.

The seats are in very good condition, both front and back.

The door cards are decent. So, too is the headlining.

The luggage space is in similarly impressive nick.

The dashboard, centre console, steering wheel, gear lever and other controls are in a condition that’s entirely commensurate with the rest of this very well-maintained and curated vehicle.

The vendor tells us that, as far as he’s aware, all knobs, levers, buttons, toggles and switches on the dashboard are still doing what they’re supposed to do.

Everything in the engine bay appears to be clean, dry, right and proper.

The undersides of the car look to have a decent amount of structural integrity, and the vendor tells us that, aside from a sprinkling of rust dust on some outriggers, there is no meaningful rust to be seen anywhere on the chassis.

The car comes with a variety of bills, invoices and receipts attesting to the work described above, and is accompanied by a thick history file.

Some of these documents can be seen in the photographs, others are with the car.

The vendor will be including a very useful section of spare parts with the car, including - but not limited to - a centre console with gauges, 2 doors plus door cards, a Wolfrace wheel, motors and other parts for electric windows, a spare carburettor, a standard air filter, a windscreen, and a rear tailgate.

There’s a reason why Reliant were successful with the Scimitar, why it quickly gained a cult following, and why it soon had plenty of celebrity endorsement, not least from the Royal Family.

Put simply, they were an innovative, clever design, powered by a bulletproof engines and clad in lightweight, rust-proof bodies.

But, of course, they could have been better.

And that’s precisely what the vendor has done with this fine car – he’s taken an already very strong example and created the sort of balanced, powerful, properly sorted and fettled vehicle the Scimitar GTE always could and should have been.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Wexford, Ireland. To arrange an appointment 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, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.