Media Articles.

Hull Daily Mail. (Page 3) 26th November 2009

In the 26th November edition of the Hull Daily Mail, there was an article on a couple who are giving up their Reliant after 20 years. The end of the article references a quote from myself along with a mentioned of this web site:

Couple end 20-year love affair with Reliant Robins

WHEN the last Reliant Robin rolled off the assembly line on Valentine's Day, 2001, it marked the end of an era in British car-making.

But it did not end the nation's love affair with the quirky yet practical car.

The most famous belonged to Derek "Del Boy" Trotter, although experts will point out his yellow carriage of choice was actually a Reliant Regal Supervan. Now, one Hull couple have their own "lovely jubbly" offer for Robin fans.

Mary and Maurice Lofthouse, of Bethune Avenue, west Hull, are preparing to wave farewell to their beloved Reliant Robin, which they have put up for sale following a 20-year passion for three-wheelers. Mrs Lofthouse, 82, said: "This is the third Reliant Robin we have had and I think they are fabulous cars. People do smile when they see one on the road – not a lot of other cars do that.

"My husband loved driving them, so it was a really tough decision to sell it. "However, we have our free bus passes and our daughter drives us places, so we can get to where we need to be. "It will be strange once it has gone, but we will get used to it." Mr Lofthouse, 79, said he was persuaded to sell the car by his two daughters.

He said: "I'm almost 80 years old and I think they thought I was getting a bit too old for it. "I'll be sad to see it go as it was handy to get us to the shops and to the doctors. "It is so economical as well – it only costs £60 a year to tax and I can get from Hull to Bridlington and back on a gallon of petrol. "But I don't use it so much anymore, so I've decided to sell it."

Mr Lofthouse's passion for three-wheelers initially arose out of practicality more than anything else. He said: "I passed my motorcycle test on a Honda 90 and my wife and I used to travel around on that. "But then I was made redundant and thought it would be nice to have a three-wheeled car, as it would be a bit warmer for us both."You can drive a three-wheeled car with a motorcycle licence, so that's why we got one."

The couple have put their blue 1993 car in the Mail's classified advertising section, priced at £500, and hope a buyer will come forward and get as much joy from a life on three wheels as they have.

Elvis Payne, three-wheel enthusiast and creator of www.3wheelers.com, revealed why Britain has such an affection for Reliant Robins. He said: "For one, there is the eccentricity and the fact that it is completely different from most other vehicles on the road.

"Unlike a standard four-wheeler, there is hardly anything on the Reliant to rot away.

"Then you have the superb running cost, low insurance and low tax."

Article link at Hull Daily Mail

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