Reliant Lucas Hybrid - saved!

[akku]

Its deep in the "abandoned ones" thread IIRC but I came across it today.

15 years before the Prius a British company built a hybrid which was yet another example of a great bit of British inventiveness, engineering and failing to capitalise on it. (sadness number 1)

Its the 1982 Reliant Lucas Hybrid BTW

But that the car itself should have been preserved so long and now to be dumped in an industrial unit car park where it appears to be being vandalised and damaged by skip wagons is a real shame (sadness 2)

Only about a year ago this was in complete undamaged condition (missing its batteries though AFAIK)

In this country we appear to have a real disrespect for our industrial and automotive heritage.

This makes me sadness number 3 and also the angry.

[Deleted]

Where is it, why, and can it be saved? This is ridiculous - do the people damaging it even know what it is (not so much vandals, but skip drivers?)

[Deleted]

It was on eBay a year ago!

venturebeat.com/2011/04/28/ebay-1982-hybrid-electric-car/

[MK2VR6]

Sad to see that. I assume the owner has tried shifting it, not had the required interest and given up on it.
As for attitudes towards engineering and the like, there's currently a programme on the idiot box about attitudes and the British sense of determination and togetherness during ww2. Shame it's all but disappeared since.

[Porsche]

I saw this in the "abandoned ones" thread too. I'm a Reliant and Lucas fan, but had never heard of this car before seeing that thread. I think it is a wonderful looking car and so ahead of its time. I'm also sad and angry about what has happened to this motor. This really needs saving, before it gets any worse.

It reminds me of a missed opportunity by myself when I used to work for Lucas Batteries. They had an electric Taxi that was designed by Ogle. This car was in a museum, but for some unknown reason, it was returned to Lucas and they parked it up outside one of it's abandoned buildings for maybe a couple of years. (See below pictures of said taxi). I could see it was getting worse for wear and thought I'd see if they would sell it to me. But, before I could ask, one weekend travellers broke into the compound, set up camp and promptly burnt the poor old taxi to ashes once they knew they were moving on. I also wish I had taken a few photos of it, but this was in the day before digital cameras, cameras in phones etc, so never thought of taking a camera into work.

I'm not sure if this was the only one of it's kind or if this Lucas Reliant is too...but it would be a great loss if this car goes the same way.

Has anyone out there got any more info on this Taxi?

All of these photos I'm finding on the net are showing it painted yellow, but I seem to remember it being orange when it was returned to the factory.

[akku]

from its high stance I am concerned they have taken the running gear out of it.

The "no longer hybrid or Reliant/Lucas" on the front in pen suggests also.

[Porsche]

Jul 10, 2012 21:02:40 GMT akku said:

from its high stance I am concerned they have taken the running gear out of it.

The "no longer hybrid or Reliant/Lucas" on the front in pen suggests also.

You may be right, but I've found this photo of it in better condition and it looks quite high already. It might just be because the batteries are missing?

[bmcnut]

How the hell is this not in a museum?

[MK2VR6]

Ive just clicked on the links above and it says it was previously in a museum and has covered <400 miles from new. It also said someone bought it afterwards, whom I assume still owns it now. Their eBay auction to shift it started at £3900, and I guess it didn't sell. Quite why it would then be left to be trashed in its current location still seems odd though. I certainly hope someone can catch it and give it some tlc before the inevitable happens.

[stefan]

Maybe an economical addition to the AKKU fleet

[chaseracer]

Doors & side glass from Vauxhall Nova, Citroen CX screen...?

[dbdb]

It is sad to see this, it looks to have been an important car. I think you're right about engineering in general in Britain and this has been particularly visible with cars. we seem to have had a 'get rich quick' culture for a long time in which fast in-fast out speculative investment decisions have elbowed out the more earnest approach adopted in particular in Germany - with the predictable result. I guess to say more involves straying too far into politics for Retro Rides.

Lucas developed a number of very advanced systems with Jaguar such as adaptive radar cruise control/lane control and collision control/ automatic braking in 1991-93.




David

[camerashy]

I can only echo your sentiments Akku, Canada is much the same, much of its brilliant engineering prowess (dam building, AVRO!!!!!, tunnelling, logging technology and nuclear engineering - the latter of which Canada was very much at the forefront of with CANDU reactors, has gone to the dogs, either because Harpers government has sold it for a pittance, or because the skills aren't there and you can earn 3 times as much in a resource (mining/oil) job than you can in the engineering equivalent. It's interesting to note that the pipefitters and welders are paid 3 times as much as the engineers at many of the oil sands sites...

As for respect for engineering and the heritage and 'something genuinely innovative and thoughtfully built/designed' in todays throwaway culture I can only imagine it will get worse.

I'd like to think, once I have gotten a bit further in my particular field and am a little more comfortable that some colleagues and I can set-up our own wee engineering company, it's something we've long talked about, in a highly specialised field (but one that is crying out to people who make good, solid, repairable, durable gear).

I think it's very easy to get sucked into a vortex of misery and despair at 'the yoof', áttitudes and the worlds respect for its past. As I've said on here before, it takes some serious balls to stop saying these things and change that into something that can perhaps make a difference. Hell we all know you, what with saving every yank tank on the planet!

That Lucas video is incredible!

TVR in happier days -

[camerashy]

Jul 10, 2012 20:38:49 GMT MK2VR6 said:

Sad to see that. I assume the owner has tried shifting it, not had the required interest and given up on it.
As for attitudes towards engineering and the like, there's currently a programme on the idiot box about attitudes and the British sense of determination and togetherness during ww2. Shame it's all but disappeared since.

Do you have details of the programme? I'd love to watch it.

[camerashy]

This may cheer you up Akku..



..maybe.

[jawathemutt]

lucas prince of darkness

[trg1984]

i know exectly where that car is, i passed it the other day and did a double take as id never seen one before.

its on armitage road industrial estate in Brighouse, west yorkshire

[stevel1]

Give the information to Coventry transport museum ,They would definately sort that out guys

[akku]

Jul 11, 2012 2:27:42 GMT @jawathemutt said:

lucas prince of darkness

sorry, but thats bullpoop.

I've owned a great number of vehicles and Lucas electrics are amongst the best out there IME. A bunch of dumb hick Americans who don't get it start shouting off over the internet and every thicko just goes "yeah, Lucas is rubbish" wihtout knowing a damn thing.

Its this kind of funktardery which talks down British companies in the first place.

[Robinxr4i]

Jul 11, 2012 7:07:21 GMT akku said:

Jul 11, 2012 2:27:42 GMT @jawathemutt said:

lucas prince of darkness

sorry, but thats bullpoop.

GO AKKU! There is nothing worse than us running down our own engineering heritage.

I was hoping the Autocat at work would throw up some info on the this car, sadly it just comes back with "No vehicles returned" needs saving though, surely Gaydon or the like would want to save it?


This is awesome, WANT!!!!!