The Rebel was launched it 1964 with Reliant's 598cc aluminium-alloy four pot OHV engine. Basically, although not as blatantly obvious as the later Kitten, it was simply a modified three-wheeler clothed in a new four-wheeled body. That body is said by some to be characterless, but in profile looks especially pleasant. It has a certain "cuteness" about it from specific angles. Unlike the OHV Regal, the Rebel benefited from three engines over its nine year production life, ending with the Robin's 748cc unit installed.

The aptly named Rebel (being the first four-wheeled economy Reliant) was available in both saloon and estate variants, both offering fuel economy averaging around 60mpg. The original engine would take the car to 65mph eventually, and the 748cc engine propelled the car to around 75mph, withthe 701cc engine lagging behind only slightly. Engine access in the four wheelers was vastly superior to their tricycle brethren, having extended drive shafts and placed longitudinally between the front wheels.

Like all Reliants after 1956, the body was made of fibreglass. Personally, I think that the rebel has a nicer feel to it than the Kitten, and is probably equally useable, apart from performance. Fitting a more recent, powerful engine (though a tiny sacrilege) would be a relatively simple task and would make a Rebel as useable as a Kitten. It's just that little bit cuter too, and has a certain classic charm about ut.