In the early eighties Mazda was famously working on a small roadster that would capture the spirit of the British sports cars of the seventies and eighties. After the success of the MGBs and Triumphs a gap had been left in the market for the enthusiast looking for cheap, rear-wheel drive fun.
But perhaps unfairly overlooked there was another company thinking about the same ideas, but their fortunes in the end couldn’t have been more different.
BL had abandoned future development of MG and Abigndon closed in 1980, while the TR7 died a death in 1981. It was a sad end to a boom time for British sports car manufacturers both at home and abroad.
Tamworth-based Reliant was not happy for Britain to go out without a fight and so began devising a car that would recapture all the best bits of these previous UK sports cars but with the bonus of modern reliable parts. The new car would be called the ‘Small Sports 1’, or SS1, and the plastic body would be designed by Giovanni Michelotti of Turin. The chassis was inspired by the Lotus Elan and featured a stiff steel backbone and the GRP panels were attached to a frame.
Engines were 1,300cc (for younger buyers) and 1,600cc Ford units and a Nissan 1.8-litre turbo would sit at the top of the range. Despite the fact that when the car was released in ’84 it already looked a little dated, reaction was positive.
The idea of using modern mechanicals to address the reliability issues that plagued previous British sports cars was applauded and the car had decent exploitable handling. So a success and a return to form for those plucky Brits?
Er, no sadly. It may have been priced keenly, had strong performance, and an overall inoffensive design, but some things seemed destined to never change. Sales channel issues, quality problems, and supply hold-ups all played a part in hampering sales andReliant reportedly didn’t make a profit until half-way through ’87.
Sales were in three-figures much of the time and although the turbocharged version sparked a bit of interest around the world the SS1 was never the return to form for Britain it was supposed to be. Which is a bit of a shame really because Reliant was a small company with big ideas and it really did give it a good shot.
Luckily there are still some SS1s around for those who fancy owning one, and despite their small numbers prices are rock bottom. A few hundred quid will pick you up a working one or you could go for a decent-looking example like we found on classiccarsforsale.co.uk for a grand.
It has leather seats, a hardtop and an MOT. The car is an ’86, with a relatively low 91,000 miles. Yes, you can get an MX-5, and to be honest there’s not much argument why you shouldn’t, but if you want perhaps the last hurrah for the old school cheap British sports car then it might be worth a look...
Ad reads: 'Classic car with MOT until end of May 2009, leather seats, alloy wheels. Hard top. £999.'
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