Reliant Scimitar

Reliant Scimitar at a glance

From the Ogle coupé to the Scimitar GT SE4

The Scimitar started with a one-off: the 1962 Ogle SX250 coupé designed by David Ogle. Reliant bought the design and put it on sale in 1964 as the Scimitar GT, code SE4. It cost GBP 1,292 at launch and used the 2.6-litre straight six of the Ford Zephyr and Zodiac with three SU carburettors, giving 89 kW (120 bhp) and 188 km/h (117 mph). About 296 six-cylinder GTs were built.

In 1966 the 3.0-litre Ford Essex V6 arrived in the SE4b, and Wikipedia DE gives it 95 kW (128 bhp). This became the main GT, with 591 made. A 2.5-litre V6 version, the SE4c, followed in 1967 at about GBP 105 less than the 3-litre and still passed 177 km/h (110 mph); only 118 were built. The coupé stayed in production until November 1970, by which time just over 1,000 SE4s had been made. Other cars from the Tamworth firm are in the Reliant catalogue. The same works built three-wheelers alongside the GT, among them the Reliant Robin, and the whole company story is told in our Reliant history.

The GTE: Tom Karen's sports estate

The decisive step came from a show car. In 1965 Tom Karen of Ogle styled the Triplex Ogle GTS, shown in London and Turin, and it persuaded Reliant that a sporting estate could sell. Managing director Ray Wiggin commissioned Ogle in 1967, a prototype existed early in 1968, and the GTE SE5 was introduced for the 1968 Motor Show at GBP 1,759. Its chassis had a wheelbase more than 20 cm longer than the GT, and it seated four, with a tailgate at the back. Autocar's 1968 test recorded 10.7 s to 97 km/h and 18.5 mpg, about 15.3 l/100 km, with the 3.0-litre Essex V6. A rear wash/wipe and an optional automatic arrived in 1969, and 4,311 SE5s were built.

The SE5a of October 1971 added about 5 kW (7 bhp), a higher rev limit, electric windows, new rear lights and a vacuum-formed dashboard. It reached 195 km/h (121 mph) and 97 km/h in 8.5 s, a top speed no later Scimitar beat, and cost GBP 2,517 in 1973. With 5,105 cars it was the best-selling Scimitar. In November 1970 the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh gave Princess Anne an Air Force blue SE5 with manual gearbox and overdrive, registered 1420 H; she later owned eight more GTEs. Classic & Sports Car names the Volvo 1800ES, covered in our Volvo P1800 history, and the Jensen GT of 1975-1976 as its period rivals; the West Bromwich firm behind the latter is described in our Jensen history.

SE6, SE6a, SE6b and the GTC convertible

The SE6 of 1975 moved the GTE up-market. Its wheelbase grew by 102 mm and its track by 76 mm, the doors were larger, the cabin quieter and power steering optional. Only 543 were built before the SE6a of 1976, which brought Lockheed brakes, a stronger scuttle and suspension revisions, and sold 3,877. The SE6b, presented at the Geneva show in 1980, swapped the Essex V6 for Ford's 2.8-litre Cologne V6. Power was similar but low-rev torque was lower, so the final drive changed from 3.31:1 to 3.54:1. Autocar timed an automatic SE6b at 10.8 s to 97 km/h in 1981, with a top speed of 187 km/h (116 mph). From 1981 the chassis was galvanised.

The GTC convertible appeared in March 1980, using the GTE platform with a T-bar roll hoop in the style of the Triumph Stag and a mohair hood; a hardtop was added later that year. At GBP 11,360 it cost about 10% more than the SE6b. Of 442 production cars, 340 were made in 1980 and fewer than 30 in any later year. Reliant ended production in 1986. Middlebridge bought the rights in 1987 and built 77 more GTEs with a fuel-injected 2.9-litre V6 and a five-speed gearbox before failing in 1990.

Scimitar versions, engines and numbers built

Power figures vary between sources: Hagerty UK quotes 103 kW (138 bhp) for the SE5 and 108 kW (145 bhp) for the SE5a, while Classic & Sports Car gives a GTE range of 95-101 kW (128-135 bhp).

Reliant Scimitar today: what to check when buying

The glassfibre body cannot rust, although repairs to crazed or cracked panels can cost more than steel welding. Look for star cracks in the gelcoat near the hinges, blistered paint from poor resprays and old crash damage. The steel chassis is the real concern. Hagerty UK points to the outriggers, the area beneath the radiator, the front and rear suspension mounts and the upper face of the frame, where water collects. Galvanised chassis are not immune, so check replacements and earlier repairs too.

On the Essex V6, overheating is common, the fibre timing gear can break up and the oil pump drive wears; look for at least 40 psi oil pressure at speed. Worn manual gearboxes jump out of second and top, and overdrive must engage cleanly. Borg Warner 35 automatics often needed rebuilding by 60,000 miles (about 97,000 km), while the later Ford automatics last better. The Salisbury rear axle leaks past its seals, and a rebuild costs about GBP 1,000 according to Classic & Sports Car. The TR6-derived front suspension is overloaded by wide tyres, so 195/70 x 14 is the sensible limit. A glassfibre body needs extra earth wires, and poor earths cause many electrical faults. Chrome bumpers and SE5a dashboards are hard to replace.

Prices remain low for a four-seat V6 grand tourer. The Classic Valuer lists 118 sales and a median of GBP 4,066 (about EUR 4,700 at about 1.15 EUR per GBP) for results since 2020, with entries up to October 2026. Octane's March 2024 guide put SE6 projects below GBP 1,000 (about EUR 1,150), a solid runner at about GBP 2,500 (about EUR 2,900) and the best cars at GBP 5,000-8,000 (about EUR 5,750-9,200), with top examples above GBP 20,000; SE5 and SE5a cars cost a little more. More grand tourers of the period are in our classic cars section.

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