Editing Reliant Motors (section)

=== Postwar vehicles and advent of fibreglass ===
During the [[Second World War]], Reliant machined parts for the war effort. In the post-war years, three-wheeler development continued. Reliant introduced a slightly modified van called the Regent. Visually similar to an over-sized motorcycle, the first Regent was completed on 13 March 1946, ten years after the first twin-cylinder van. The Regent grew to a GVW of 10 cwt and was better equipped, with sliding windows in the doors rather than canvas side screens. Two larger models were produced, a 12 cwt Regent and a Prince Regent. In 1953, the Regent continued to be built alongside the [[Reliant Regal]]. The Regent was eventually replaced by the Regal Mk II 5 cwt van in 1956.<ref>{{Cite web|title= Reliant Regent Van |url=http://classiccars.brightwells.com/viewdetails.php?id=6274|website=classiccars.brightwells.com|access-date=2020-03-04}}</ref>

In 1952, a four-seat car was launched, initially with an aluminium body, but panel by panel, the company substituted it with fibreglass, as their understanding of the material improved and the price of aluminium increased.<ref name="CAR200012" /> By 1956, the bodywork of the [[Reliant Regal|Mark 3 version of the Reliant Regal]] had changed completely to fibreglass. The first generation of vehicles were designated Mk1 to Mk6, with each one getting improvements and slightly different styling. The car was originally powered by the 750 cc Austin Seven engine, originally manufactured by Austin Motor Company and later Reliant. Reliant's redesign of the engine gave it {{Convert|17.5|hp|kW|abbr=unit}}, which was a big improvement over the 10.5&nbsp;hp of the 750cc Austin 7 design. Reliant was one of the last companies to produce a side-valve engine design, with the production of the Reliant 750 cc engine ending in 1962.

The 1963 Regal 3/25 had its body completely made of fibreglass. On previous generations of the Regal, the body was fibreglass, but the floor was made of bolted-together hardwood. Its engine was the first mass-produced lightweight [[Overhead valve engine|overhead valve]] aluminium-alloy engine in Europe and the UK. Displacement was initially 598 cc on the Regal 3/25, but was later upgraded to 700 cc on the Regal 3/30.