Beschreibung
Welcome to the sale of this very rare Mk3 Riley Elf. There are reportedly less than 400 of these left (according to howmanyleft. co. uk) and indeed in all the car shows we have been to it is rare to see one alive.
This particular example has been cherished throughout its life. It was reportedly owned by an old lady to go to the shops and back for most of its life and then purchased by her mechanic back in 2005. It was then purchased by its last owner in 2008 who sadly passed away last year. His wife put the car into her name and address so the logbook shows 3 former keepers - not bad for a 50 year old car.
The mileage is showing around 11000. It is believed this is correct. The MOT from 1999 records the mileage at 6667 miles. There is an invoice from 1991 when it had a 6000 mile service. The original logbook is also present showing the correct engine and chassis numbers.
It has had some restoration work over the years to keep it in the excellent order you see here. In 2003 it had a nearside front wing and a pair of front quarter panels and both doors lower parts have been plated. It was then painted in 2k to the front and sides (in its original colour). In the hands of the last fastidious owner it has had investment in brakes, rear spheres and front suspension, new carpets, restored steering wheel and the dashboard was sent out to be professionally refinished, The interior is now as new.
The underside of the car is very solid. It has had the sills done at some point and then the rest of the underside has been painted and sealed in a gloss black. It has four new quality tyres. It has a new fuel tank and pump fitted. There are numerous receipts for sundries included in the service history. It also has the original handbooks with the car.
Under the bonnet is excellent. The inner wings are all solid and bright and the 998cc A series - based on the Mini Cooper unit of the same year - is responsive with no smoke at start up. The gearbox is excellent and the brakes pull up straight, It drives like a lived car that has 11000 miles on it.
The exterior, as the pictures show, is also very good. It looks nice and straight down the sides in the light although where the bottom of the doors were plated some 15 years ago there are a couple of rust bubbles coming through. These doors are the same as Mini doors so would not be problem for a future owner to repair/ replace should you think necessary. The panels gaps are good and the paint finish is very good throughout with a great shine and finish ready for any classic car show. The metal trim on the bottom of the car is presentable.
There is a lot of information online available which will reveal all about the BMC badge engineering of the 1960s and how these cars came into being, This is a luxury car that looks, goes and smells the part - a true little gem and different from a Mini but still has lots of charm.
This exert is taken from Wikipedia:
Released in 1961 as more luxurious versions of the Mini, both the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf had longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots that gave the cars a more conventional three-box design. Wheelbase of the Elf and Hornet remained at 2. 036 m (6. 68 ft), whereas the overall length was increased to 3. 27 m (10. 7 ft). This resulted in a dry weight of 638 kg (1, 407 lb)/ 642. 3 kg (1, 416 lb) (rubber/ hydrolastic suspension) for the Elf and 618 kg (1, 362 lb)/ 636. 4 kg (1, 403 lb) for the Hornet.[47] Front-end treatment, which incorporated each marque's traditional upright grille design (the Hornet's grille with a lit "Wolseley" badge), also contributed to a less utilitarian appearance. The cars had larger-diameter chrome hubcaps than the Austin and Morris Minis, and additional chrome accents, bumper overriders and wood-veneer dashboards. The Riley was the more expensive of the two cars.[48] The name "Wolseley Hornet" was first used on 1930s saloon, coupé, sports and racing cars, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s (Riley's first choice of name "Imp" could not be used as Hillman had registered it). The full-width dashboard was a differentiator between the Elf and Hornet. This dashboard was the idea of Christopher Milner the Sales Manager for Riley. Both the Riley Elf's and Wolseley Hornet's bodies were built at Fisher & Ludlow under their "Fisholow" brandname. Plates in the engine compartment on the right side fitch plate bear evidence of this speciality. Very early Mark I versions of both cars (e. g. press photo of 445MWL) had no overriders on the bumpers and a single piece front wing (A-panel and wing in one piece, no outside seam below scuttle panel) that was soon given up again, allegedly due to cost. The Elf's and Hornet's special bumper overriders first appeared in 1962. Early production Mark I's also had a combination of leather and cloth seats (Elf R-A2S1-101 to FR2333, Hornet W-A2S1-101 to FW2105) whereas all later models had full leather seats.[49] Mark I models were equipped with single leading shoe brakes on the front.
Both the Elf and the Hornet went through three engine versions. Initially, they used the 848 cc (51. 7 cu in) 34 bhp (25 kW) engine (engine type 8WR)[47] with a single HS2 carburettor, changing to a single HS2 carburettor 38 bhp (28 kW) version of the Cooper's 998 cc (60. 9 cu in) power unit (engine type 9WR)[47] in the Mark II in 1963. This increased the car's top speed from 71 to 77 mph (114 to 124 km/ h). Therefore, Mark II cars also came with increased braking power in the form of front drum brakes with twin leading shoes to cope with the increased power output. Both Mark I and Mark II featured four-speed gearboxes (three synchromesh gears) with rod gear change, a. k. a. "magic wand" type. Automatic gearboxes became available on the Mark II in 1965 as an option. The Mark III facelift of 1966 brought wind-up windows and fresh-air fascia vents. Concealed door hinges were introduced two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. The gear selecting mechanism was updated to the rod type, as seen on all later Mini type cars. Automatic gearboxes were available to the Mark III in 1967 again. Full-four synchromesh gearing was eventually introduced during 1968. 30, 912 Riley Elfs and 28, 455 Wolseley Hornets were built.[33] Production of both models ceased in late 1969.
As you can see, this is a rare late model Mk3 that has everything going for it - it just needs a loving home. We are happy to consider p/ x either way and we can assist with delivery. Please let us know if you would like to view and we will arrange a suitable time
