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1980 Reliant Scimitar GTE
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1980 Reliant Scimitar GTE
Specifications
Description
So many cars are immediately identified with members of the British Royal Family.
Her Majesty the Queen was seldom ever seen with her family outside Balmoral Castle without a Land Rover, and Prince Charles loved Aston Martin.
Princess Anne however, would be associated with one particular British classic. Her keen interest in this car would lead to hear owning several over the years. The car in question was the Reliant Scimitar GTE and remains one of the most unique chapters of British car design.
Sporting estate cars are very much in vogue on 21st century roads, with Audi, BMW and Mercedes all marketing high performance cars you can fit a wardrobe in.
But back in 1968 the Reliant Scimitar GTE created the genre by combining a sporting chassis and drive train with a Ogle Design body that incorporated a large load area behind the two front seats. A 0-60mph time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of nearly 120mph; and that fiberglass bodywork resisted the British climate far better than the steel used on most cars of the period.
So there you have it - the GTE was an instant hit and pretty soon Reliant were making four for every booted GT they built. So much so that Reliant management decided to pull the plug on coupe production and focus entirely on the GTE.
The first Scimitar GTEs were the SE5 and SE5a, but in 1975, the SE6 was launched.
ABOUT THIS CAR
- This Scimitar has the highly desirable five speed gearbox and is finished in stunning Red with a brown / beige interior.
- The bodywork is in very good condition and has recently undergone a full repaint.
- Original interior is in great condition - comes with new hood lining and new sunroof.
- The Ford V6 is durable and straightforward.
- Immensely versatile and usable
- High gearing gives relaxed cruising
- Combines sports car handling with space, versatility and practicality
- Glassfibre bodywork does not rust
- Driving wise, it is one of those quirky classics, which thanks to royalty and a legion of cult fans and admirers, is still very much an icon. It can hold its own in the corners well enough. Its happy place is at a motorway cruise. Also, the power is there if you feel like overtaking. It is also remarkably comfortable. There is quite a wide rev band for you to explore all the way to 6,000rpm and it sounds pretty raucous too. Each shift of the five-speed manual box is a joy. You can race the gears like you are at Brands Hatch. Keep the power on, work that gearbox and you find yourself bounding along at a considerable pace.
- Comes with heaps of provenance, maintenance records etc.
This Scimitar is ready to just jump in and enjoy – a cherished and improved GTE. We haven’t seen many better GTE's than this one and believe it could very well be the best in NZ.
These GTE's are durable and appealing cars and they remain a triumph of British ingenuity, the world’s first series production sporting estate. For today’s buyer, the GTE offers exclusivity, durability, practicality and a great sporting feel.
Yes we all know that the Scimitar market is still flooded with tired cars that struggle to fetch NZD5K and well-restored examples can be found for a fraction of their rebuild cost – though, as with any classic, good examples can create their own market.
The Scimitar GTE deserves a much better fate than the classic market has given it so far: it offers outstanding value for money, a sports hatch that is practical, innovative, distinctive and ridiculously cheap to buy. As numbers continue to decline, its day will eventually come – we promise!
A rare opportunity indeed. Viewing and / or a professional appraisal by an independent specialist is always encouraged.
Will be sold WOF'd and Registered if sold in New Zealand.
TRANSPORT / WORLDWIDE SHIPPING CAN BE ORGANISED ON THIS VEHICLE ON BUYER'S BEHALF AT BUYERS COST.
Viewing is STRICTLY BY PRIOR APPOINTMENT only.
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DISCLAIMER (PLEASE READ)
NOTIFICATION AS TO NATURE OF GOODS IN TERMS OF THE CONSUMER GUARANTEES ACT 1993
Waimak Classic Cars Ltd is a New Zealand registered company and accepts that the vehicle being sold must be of “acceptable quality” in terms of section 7 of the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (the Act) having regard to “the nature of the goods”.
Waimak Classic Cars is not aware of any specific defects with the vehicle, however (a) such a vehicle being a classic vehicle may have mechanical breakdowns, electrical failures at inconvenient times and maintenance costs being part of and parcel of ownership of a classic vehicle; (b) reliability is a combination of the particular nature of the classic vehicle, how it is being driven, how it has been maintained, and to a certain extent luck; (c) because of the age of the vehicle, and its propensity to rust, it is likely that the vehicle would have been fully or partially restored, or at least repainted at some point in its life, maybe even more than once. Waimak Classic Cars does not know, and cannot give advice on how good any restoration work on the vehicle had been.
The Purchaser acknowledges that the vehicle is being sold as a classic car; that in terms of the Act and the nature of the goods, the vehicle is an old car, bike or boat, that may have visual and hidden faults, unlike a new motor vehicle.
The Purchaser is encouraged to personally fully inspect the vehicle and also to have the vehicle inspected, and fully assessed by an experienced, independent, specialist garage - before committing to purchase. While the Purchaser is entitled to rely on statements given by Waimak Classic Cars as being correct, where goods such as vehicles are concerned, with so many moving parts and rust being an issue with older vehicles; a Purchaser who chooses not to seek independent professional assistance when assessing the quality of what they propose to buy is considered as buying at their own risk, and if the vehicle then turns out to be of less than the represented quality, or not up to the Purchaser's expectation, or in the Purchaser opinion not fit for purpose; then the Purchaser is considered to have contributed to their own loss and should not expect any refunds or betterment from Waimak Classic Cars.
The Purchaser acknowledges that they have read and fully understand this notification and the nature of a car which is many years old.
For more information about this vehicle, please contact us Monday to Friday between 9:00am and 6:00pm (New Zealand Standard Time) on +64 (0) 3 310-6485. Alternatively, you may email us at [email protected] anytime.
PLEASE NOTE: Waimak Classic Cars is Not a car yard dealer type of operation. As a result, we do not operate through fixed opening hours and viewing is By Appointment Only.