Sometimes as collectors we have models that for some reason we can’t quite explain, we get really very drawn to. In my case I have a few, and have introduced you to some of them in the past. And recently I found another in the form of the Corgi Juniors Ogle Scimitar.
The Reliant Scimitar GTE SE5 (later SE5A) was a rather successful 2 door shooting brake made by British company Reliant Motors, known for their work on three wheeled vehicles. Powered by a 3 litre Ford “Essex” V6, over 4000 SE5s were sold, including a number to Princes Anne. The Scimitar was designed by a small firm called Ogle. Founded by David Ogle, the company penned a multitude of different vehicles from the famous Raleigh Chopper bicycle, to the Turkish Anadol A1 via Triumph motorcycles, Plaxton buses and even Luke Skywalker’s Land Speeder.
Reliant revealed the production SE5 at 1968 Earls Court Motor Show. Ogle used the event to showcase their skills and unveiled their own take on the Scimitar, the Ogle GTE. featuring a flowing panoramic windscreen and restyled grille with concealed headlights behind electric covers.
The Ogle car remained a one off, designed to be a more futuristic take on the Reliant design. It must have caught the eye of a designer at Corgi Toys, as they chose to replicate it in the Juniors Whizzwheels line.
The manufacturing standards are good, but the paint finish is a little flat in places and the detailing rather simplistic. The raised panel lines and visible casting lines also are a little unsightly, but its an altogether pleasant little diecast, and very unique. There’s a metal base and the sloped grille and gorgeous panoramic windscreen of the Ogle car have been well replicated.
The proportions are also pretty good and I love the overall shape of the car. It’s very typical of a British made diecast of the time, definitely “of the era”, and I think that’s why I love it!
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(Find the Corgi Ogle/Reliant Scimitar on Ebay)
Love the design of this car. It would still look good as a 4-door. As it is, it somewhat reminds me of the Volvo P1800 wagon. I long for the day when sporty wagons would take the place of the top-heavy, dull crossovers we’re currently infested with today. Same utility, better performance.
Corgi Juniors were available at a Hobby Shop two blocks from my house here in the USA, and many entered my collection that way in the 1970s and into the 1980s before a boom in competition from diecast makers that saw various changes in the diecast marketing landscape.
Matchbox went into receivership, and Hot Wheels do a couple years of BRILLIANT authenticly detailed contemporary road cars (anyone say “Cadillac Seville”, “Dodge Aries Wagon”, or “VW Vanagon” (aka Sunagon)? But Majorette and Corgi became VERY mainstream here, and though Corgi ran into its own problems like Matchbox, Majorette was selling cars in all sorts of stores into the 1990s. Somehow, the Scimitar never entered my collection at the time, thought that has since been rectified. Thank you, Alex, for explaining that THIS is the Ogle show car, and not a run-of-the-mill (or Royal-of-the-Realm) Reliant Scimitar. All the google photos show Reliant’s production version, so I could figure out the different fascia treatment until I saw this article. THANK YOU from keeping me ftom going insane trying to solve this conundrum!!!
Hi Phillip, great to hear from you. I’m glad that Corgi reached you across The Atlantic! They had some really cool little models and still do. The Scimitar is one of two Corgi Juniors Reliants that are in my collection, the other being the TW9 or “Ant” 3 wheeled pick up truck. Glad to have helped with your conundrum!