Editing Reliant Rialto (section)

== Origins and stumbles ==
The idea of updating the Robin dates back to 1978, but by 1980 sales were slowing, and Reliant thought a simple facelift may have fixed this. Originally the Rialto was nothing more than a nose-end treatment with the same square headlamps and black grille. This was eventually rejected, as it was said the squarer front end didn't look good against the rounder body shape of the Mk 1 Robin.

A design by International Automotive Design was also presented for the Rialto: an entirely new model in the form of a larger 3-wheeled hatchback whose design was not dissimilar to the Mk 3 Ford Escort, even using the same front and rear lights.

In the end Reliant decided to save money by continuing to use the mechanical parts of the Mk 1 Robin, such as its running gear, but update the whole car with a new style of body, and rename it the Rialto.

The Rialto was designed to have a higher compression engine and high geared rear axle for the 1980s "motorway age", but because the company wanted to bring the car to market quickly, it was launched in 1982 using the same engine, gearbox, and axle line up from the original Robin.  The mechanical improvements were ready a year later, when the car was relaunched as the Rialto 2.