TRADITION IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT.
 

Before the Second World War Australians bought cars from around the world, and tried to match the oddities of British taxation formulae, European climatic differences or American petrol prices to local needs.

The variation in Australian road standards was enormous; vast distances were spanned  by little more than tracks. climatic changes could vary these from deep red dust or gravel to unpassable mud. The the distances meant that help was rarely available when needed, especially for repairs beyond the capabilities of the local smithy or a bush mechanic.

Earlier Rileys in their many sporting and saloon manifestations from the 1920's and 30's are  in demand in Australia. Apart from a long history of sporting successes, these cars with their innovative and efficient mechanical design were destined to provide reliable and enjoyable transport for many Australians and for many decades.

THE LAST ERA: AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR.

After the War cars of any description were valued in Australia. Most prized were the big unstressed simple vehicles from America; a 1939 Chevrolet, for example, was worth more than it cost new. Any new cars were eagerly sought as the world attempted to rebuild its car factories after years of neglect and damage, and raw materials such as steel and chromium were scarce. 

Lord Nuffield allowed the development of the famous RM series, noted for their excellent performance and beautiful lines. 

the Australian car industry was in its infancy. Australia was a major export market after Europe, so the car-starved and   growing population took a large part of the production of the new 1 1/2 litre and 2 1/2 litre models. However, two factors limited their numbers; Rileys were never mass production models and their cost inhibited sales to a country which had discovered the relative value of cheaper cars such as the Holden. 

THE POST-WAR 1 1/2 LITRE.

This was the final development of the pre-war 12hp engine, clothed in a sleek new body. The car handled impeccably with its new independent front suspension, good brakes and sophisticated suspension. A maximum of 80mph came from 54 BHP.

 Only 13,950 of these new cars were made between 1945 ( the RMA) and 1955 (RME) and of these 8,661 were exported.  As only a quarter of the total production were thought to have been exported in Right Hand Drive form, the 1,100 registered in Australia in the early 1950's demonstrates their relative popularity here.

THE POST-WAR 2 1/2 LITRE.

Between 1946 and 1953 just 7,956 2 1/2 litre cars were made. Of these, 5,215 were exported, and by the early 1950's over 2,000 were registered on Australian roads. Maximum speed was well over 90 MPH from 100 BHP.

THE ROADSTER.

This rare version of the 2 1/2 litre (the RMC) was designed primarily for export, with the American market in mind.

Only 507 were built between 1949 and 1951. Of these, just 147 were marked for Right Hand Drive export, and it is believed that over 120 came to Australia.

THE 2 1/2 LITRE DROPHEAD.

Again, these were rare. Only 500 were made between 1949 and 1951 and of these 172 were exported as Right Hand Drive models. Between 80 and 90 arrived  in Australia.

THE PATHFINDER.

This was an attempt by BMC to utilise their new family saloon body (shared with Wolseley, for example) but did include the 2 1/2 litre engine in an updated form. A production run of 5,152 cars in total (1953 to 1957) did not see this badge engineered version  fully developed and they were never embraced as "real Rileys" however the remaining examples in Australia are remarkably pleasant vehicles. Only 1,016 were exported in Right Hand Drive format; and around 300 were thought to have come to Australia. From 1956 even the famous Riley four cylinder engine had gone, replaced with a 2.6 litre BMC "six" with less power.

BADGE ENGINEERING.

Other Rileys were sold after the Pathfinder. These were simply clones of current BMC models with a Riley grill and higher level of specification. The Riley One-point-Five was released in 1957, followed by the Four-sixty-eight (the 68 being bhp in a largish Farina body) and a later version in 1962, the Four Seventy-Two. Even the Mini had a Riley version from that era, horribly called the Elf, and the Morris 1100 version became the Kestrel.

A RARE CAR. 

What was really surprising was how few Rileys there were on the road. The marque has always had restricted production runs, and the number exported to Australia meant that at no time were there more than 5,000 registered in all States or Territories.

The Motor Vehicle Census (Australian Bureau of Statistics, December 30th, 1955) showed that there were just 4,624 Rileys registered (see graph). That year corresponded to the final decline of sales in Australia; the handful sold  or imported subsequently had no effect on the falling numbers from then on. 1955 also saw the banding together of Riley enthusiasts, whose common interests resulted in the founding of the various Riley Owners Clubs in each State.

The Riley badge was still visible in the mid sixties on various BMC or Leyland outlets, but only for a diminishing number of parts and services. Overall, a rapid change in the price and availability of new cars plus the peculiar iconoclastic disregard of old machinery  in the '60s meant that Rileys became almost valueless, apart from a small band of loyal followers.

Click for more information on Rileys in Australia.