The Reliant made a steller debut in 1981. Motor Trend magazine awarded the car with its Car of the Year award. Despite the great ratings, the cars did not sell well due to some of the dumbest marketing in automotive history. Television advertisements for the car promoted the low base price of $5,880, but Plymouth wasn't making too many of these base models. Instead, the factory was loading the cars up with tons of options that drove the price up by a thousand dollars or more. Potential customers felt like they had been conned when they arrived at the dealership and didn't find any of the cheap Plymouth Reliants they were promised.

The Reliant was sold as a 2 door coupe, 4 door sedan, and 4 door station wagon. There were a total of three engines sold with the Reliant during its lifetime. They were all 4 cylinder I4 engines.

The top engine for the Reliant was a Mitsubishi 2.6 liter. It was advertised as a 2.6 Hemi, but it should not be confused with the engines sold with some muscle cars in the late '60's and early 70's.

The Acclaim would replace the Plymouth Reliant in 1989. Total production on the Reliant would end up at over 500,000.

The trims on the Reliant, from base to top, were the following: Base, Custom, SE, LE, and America.

The principal, Ed Rooney, drove a Reliant in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

These cars are still plentiful on the used car market. They can still be a good starter car, and you should not expect to pay much for one. Try looking on eBay for any that might be for sale in your area, along with cheap Reliant parts.