The CC Cohort continues to attract and collect a huge range of vehicles, from the ultra-desirable, intriguing, ordinary but lasting and just plain, well, odd. Like this – a 1989 Reliant Rialto hatchback, in Paris.
Shot by Benoit, the Rialto was the 1980s generation of the enduring Reliant 3 wheelers, taking over from the Robin and earlier Regal. Like them and the four wheeled Kitten, it had a steel chassis and glass fibre composite body shell and panels, an 850cc four cylinder engine traceable to the Austin 7 and a four speed gearbox. As new cars went in 1989, this was the bottom of the pack, alongside the last few Eastern bloc cars offered. Value against, for example a lightly used Fiesta, was slight.
Benoit saw this car in Paris, where it was (still is? Has a Frenchman bought it?) advertised for sale, and claimed to be unique in Paris. The advertisement highlights the lack of corrosion due to the construction, availability of spares, a sunroof, 120km/h (70 mph), just 60,000km and Bluetooth.
Yours if you want it. Good luck – I think you’ll need it.
Mon Dieu! C’est moche!
It’s a rather awkward looking car.
Oh la vache!
(They can keep this one.)
Looks like a 1988 model according to the sign. Has Mr. Bean been spotted in Paris being chased by this car?
Would make a great wheelie car, stick a modern high power FWD drive train in the back, a set of wheelie bars and put a polycarbonate window in the firewall/floor so you can see where you are going.
Interesting! I first thought it may be used as a VSP but if the Reliant goes 70kph, then it is too fast for that purpose. I can’t see any reason other than actually wanting one for it to be in Paris. Vive le difference!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2eTnwKGYT4
Here’s a great video of one on the road, to the classic song Radar Love!
It’s still on UK plates, so has not been imported yet – will this cost much money ? The whole point of these ( raison d’etre ?? ) was that you could drive them on a motorcycle licence if you blanked-off reverse gear. Doubt if that would be the case in France ….
so has not been imported yet
It was shot in Paris, as the headline clearly states. And the For Sale sign is obviously in French. And of course, it’s parked on the right side of the street.
Is that proof enough? 🙂
No Paul, it is not proof. – It has to be registered with the French authorities and given a French registration number to be legal.
You didn’t say “legal” the first time. You said so has not been imported yet . That’s quite different. Importation is the physical act of moving it from one country to another, in this case France. Whether it’s legally registered I cannot tell. It may not be, but probably it has some sort of temporary registration. I would think it would be difficult to sell without some degree of legality. Maybe there’s a French plate on the rear?
I assumed you were trying to dispute that the car is physically in France.
Apologies for the confusion Paul. As someone who is accustomed to the physical act of moving cars from one country to another, within the EU, until the car is registered with the relevant authorities it is on holiday, not imported. If that holiday goes on for too long, there may be questions to be answered.
Is it possible to sell or buy a car that’s “on holiday”?
You can sell your car on a holiday but the buyer will not be able to drive it on the original plates – well not legally. Here in Austria you’ll have to get it properly registered which in the case of collector cars involves having a Typenschein and Zulassungsschein issued. A royal pain in the behind if the car in question is unique (not in the case of a Robin as those were sold new here).
Uncle Mellow,
United Kingdom is still a member of European Union (last time I check at 13:11 on 4 May 2019) so the vehicles registered in one member state are allowed to travel within European Union. Same for buying and selling in one member state and transporting and registering to other member state. Additionally, if you are staying in other member state for less than six months, you don’t have to change the registration and pay VAT. This method is similar to one found in the United States and Canada amongst the states and provinces respectively.
More information:
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/cars/buying-a-car-abroad/index_en.htm
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad/index_en.htm
If this vehicle’s road worthiness has been certified in European Union or by one member state, it is automatically applied to every member state without going through the certification process. The exception would be vehicles bought outside European Union and imported into the member state.
So, this Reliant is allowed to be brought to France and put up for sale there. This practice is widespread in European Union as you can see in Autoscout24.de and mobile.de where many vehicles are listed all over Europe despite both web portals specialising in German market.
I hope this clears up any miscommunication or misunderstanding.
Ri alto, In Portuguese, “I laughed out loud”. If the rear wheels were also covered it would look like it were flying.
The French have turned out some mighty unusual cars, so I would think this would fit right in there.
This was the ad at the bottom of this post. After I crawled up off of the floor from laughing, thought I’d share it with y’all.
It’s all fun and games until you try to go around a corner in that thing.
I hope it steers with a tiller, then it’s
très magnifique.
Top Gear turned one into an space shuttle. The launch was impressive until the arc towards the ground started.
https://youtu.be/pJdrlWR-yFM?t=487
Zut alors!
Merde alors !