Short History of Riley.

The first Rileys were motor tricycles, but cars soon followed. By the late 1930s they were building too few of too many different models and were in financial difficulties.

The Nuffield Organisation subsequently acquired Riley in 1938. They started up immediately after the war with the RM series.

In 1952 Nuffield merged with Austin to form the British Motor Corporation (BMC) - which later became BL (British Leyland) and Rileys were badge engineered versions of other models before fading away in 1969.

Background to the marque

In 1870, at a time when the weaving industry was flourishing in Coventry, William Riley Jr. became a master weaver in his family's business, which also produced weaving machinery for sale to other businesses, an activity that provided him with a sound engineering knowledge.

The weaving industry, however, soon entered a period of rapid decline, forcing William Riley to seek more profitable ventures, and in 1890 he and his associates acquired the Bonnick Cycle Co., which they re-named the Riley Cycle Co. Ltd. six years later.

At first, the small engines fitted to Riley Cycles were obtained from specialist engine manufacturers, but the desire to design and produce their own engines was strong, and in 1903 the Riley Engine Co. was established in a small work-shop close by the Cook Street Gate, the only surviving gateway of the medieval city wall.

Head of the new company was William Riley's son Percy, who at the age of 20 was already a practical and ingenious engineer who had successfully built his first car before his 18th birthday.

The first Riley car - a small voiturette with a single-cylinder engine - was completed in 1898, so it was with good reason that Riley adopted the slogan 'as old as the industry' in promoting the sale of their cars during the early post-war years.

A 1903 Riley Forecar in NSW, Australia

A light 2 seater four wheel car used the same V-Twin engine as the previous Tricar and was available with an optional hood, it also used the Riley patented detachable wheel which meant in the event of a puncture the wheel could be changed for a spare (it seems obvious now but in the early days of motor transport the wheels were a permanent fixture).

These wheels became so popular that by 1913 over 183 other manufacturers where using them. This model was later supplemented by a larger, usually 4 seater with a scaled up V-Twin 2 litre 12-18hp engine and in 1908 in time for the motor show another 2 seater 10hp was introduced. Just before the First World War the "17hp" was launched using a brand new 4 cylinder 3 litre engine , production of this model continued until 1921.

The 1919 motor show saw the launch of a new 11hp car sporting the now famous V shaped radiator and diamond badge, it was this model that was first marketed with the slogan "as old as the industry, as modern as the hour"

In 1923 this car was renamed the 11-40hp. Up to 1926 2 engines were used, the 10.8hp and the 11.9hp before being superseded by the now famous "Riley 9" series.

The Riley 9 "Monaco" started full production in 1927 and caused quite a stir with its closed in fabric covered bodywork with integral rear boot and new overhead valve engine. Later in the year 3 variants arrived, a 2 seater tourer with dickey seat, a 4 seater saloon called the "San Remo" and the sporty 80MPH "Brooklands".

For the 1926 motor show the old 11-40hp was renamed the 12hp which was basically the same car with a supercharged engine. During 1928 this range was dramatically improved with 5 new body types, the "Lulworth", "Midworth", "Grangeworth", "Chatsworth" saloons and the "Wentworth Coupe" all with a revised engine. At the end of 1928 the "9 Biarritz" was introduced and the old side valve 12hp was replaced by a new 14hp 6 cylinder 14/6 range which was basically a larger version of the "9", the models included the "Stelvio","Deauville saloon" and the "Special Tourer".

Only 1 new model was launched in 1929 - the "14/6" light saloon this helped them achieve sales worth over £1,000,000 for the first time.
1930 saw the introduction of the 9 Plus range - the "Monaco","Biarritz" saloons and the "Brooklands Sports","open Tourer" and "2-seater Coupe", the 14/60 was improved with the 6-light being renamed "Alpine". The founder William Riley was 80 in 1931 the year the "WD or Army Tourer" was introduced, this being a civilian version of the War Offices Riley 9 tourer.

The 1932 range of cars consisted of 9 cars - the "9" range of "Monaco","WD","Brooklands","Gamecock Sports","Ascot Coupe", and a 2 and 4 seat tourer and 2 X 14-6's the "Alpine" and "Stelvio".
1932 saw the first official cars exported by the company although many had already been built abroad under licence using Riley supplied parts. The "9" range now included the "Kestrel", "Falcon"4-seater saloons, "Lynx"4-seater tourer, "Linock"2-seater coupe, "March Special" and "Trinity" tourer, the "Winchester" and a 5-seater limousine the"Edinburgh" were added to the 14/16 range.

Many improvements to the range occurred in 1934 but only 1 new car the "Imp", a 2-door, 2-seater sports tourer, a long overdue replacement for the "Brooklands". All the fabric bodied cars had now become "all metal" and testing had started on the "MPH" which was basically a 6 cylinder 2-seat "Imp". 1935 saw a completely new "Falcon" and a modified "Kestrel" and 2 new engines - the 12/4 which replaced the 12/6 and the 15/6 which replaced the 14/6. The 1936 range consisted of 23 cars some of which were "Specials" - standard models with uprated engines, suspension and gearboxes but also included a modified "Falcon" and the new "Merlin", the 12hp "Mentone" and the all new 85 MPH "Sprite", a 2-seater streamlined sports car with a "12/4" engine. Also available was a not very successful V-8 engine - the 8/90, of which only about 25 were made.

1937 saw the "Kestrel 9" and 12/4 discontinued to be replaced by the new "Monaco". The only completely new car was the "Continental Touring Saloon". A new 2.5 ltr engine was also now available, called the "Big Four" for use in the "Kestrel" and "Adelphi" amongst others and replaced the unsuccessful V-8. The November AGM saw the first hint of financial troubles and in early 1938 the chairman Victor Riley was forced to call in the receivers.

The motor show saw the unveiling of 1 new model the "9hp Victor" the cheapest car in the range, the others all now having a vertical grill over the honeycomb radiator, bumpers and steel covers over the spare wheel. Lord Nuffield bought the company in September for £143,000 and immediately sold it to Morris Motors which soon became the Nuffield Organisation - a combination of Morris, MG, Wolsley and Riley.

By 1939 the range of cars had been trimmed to only 2 - the best selling "Kestrel Saloon" and "Lynx Tourer" which now used as many standard Morris parts as possible. The outbreak of the 2nd World War saw production turned over to war materials. In 1944 the founder William died.

Earlier Rileys of the 1920s and 1930s were notable for flowing, sporting lines as much as for a sprightly performance which earned them such an illustrious competition career, but new standards of elegance and affordable luxury were set with the introduction of the first 1-1/2-litre RM saloons in the late 1940s.

Featuring four-door bodywork flanked by flowing wings and topped by a stylish fabric roof, they represented one of the last as well as one of the most successful examples of the traditional method of car construction, which was fast disappearing as the industry became wedded to the monocoque.

The RM saloons were soon to be joined by drophead-coupe and roadster variants, but the Rileys of the time were also manufactured in chassis-only form, to be used as a basis for many alternative body styles, notably some estate cars and utility vehicles of, perhaps inevitably, widely varying quality and appearance. The total number of 1-1/2-litre, 2-1/2-litre, Roadster, Drophead Coupe, Pathfinder Rileys produced between 1945 and 1957 were 28,065, of which 13,950 were 1-1/2-litre models.

1953 saw the new "RME" and the 2.5 ltr "RMF" launched but sales of this model were slow so it was soon replaced by a variant of a Wolsley the "RMH - Pathfinder" the "missing" RMG model never materialised, the Pathfinder was replaced by a similar car the "2.6" which was almost a "Wolsley 6/90" with a Riley badge. Another 2 models - the "1.5 Farina" or 4/68 and the 1622cc 4/72 were basically a "Austin Cambridge " with a Riley badge.

The BMC "Riley 1.5" was very successful with over 30,000 sold, the "Mini" "Riley Elf" was another good seller. The last in the range the "1300" "Riley Kestrel" ceased production in 1969.