All aglow: John Ward puts the tiny tender through its paces (Picture: Geoff Robinson)

With a makeover that would have Del Boy tipping his hat, a car enthusiast has built the world’s smallest working fire engine – from a Reliant Robin.

Complete with six water hoses, an escape ladder and sirens, the tiny tender is the work of self-taught engineer John Ward.

He spent four months converting the three-wheeler, which has a top speed of 60mph, to accommodate a 50-litre water tank.

The vehicle features a brass bell, red and blue lights and fire extinguishers for tackling, well, small blazes and other minor hot spots.


It has two water cannons on the roof, two on the bonnet and two on the back of the car, which are all operated by a button on the dashboard.

Mr Ward sits proudly at the wheel of the labour of love, complete with ladders, that took him four months to complete (Picture: Geoff Robinson)

Mr Ward modified the car following government plans to merge fire forces and use retained staff on call at home.



‘With all these cuts to the service I wondered how small you could go, and there isn’t much smaller than a Robin, unless you go down to a bike,’ said Mr Ward, from Spalding, Lincolnshire.

‘It is all street legal with an MOT, tax and insurance. I take it for drives and get lots of grins and beeps from other cars. If you have a fire in a phone box, we can put it out for you.’

Mr Ward is using the rare Robin to raise money for the Firefighters’ Benevolent Fund.

The fire engine can seat two and carries the motto: ‘You’ve not been put out until we put you out.’

Mr Ward, who says he is ‘in his 70s’, has spent ‘several hundred pounds’ on the conversion, collecting bits and pieces from car boot sales.

He spent £2 on the bell and £20 on the ladder. ‘I’ve done some speed trials with it and it handles well up to about 60mph,’ he said. ‘The reaction is unbelievable.’