A good example of what is often described as one of the most attractive small sporting saloons of the pre-war era, riding smoothly and comfortably seating 4 adults. Dating from early 1936, this Riley is powered by the 12/ 4 (1 ½ litre) engine with twin carbs mated with a desirable “Preselecta” gearbox.
As the Art Deco movement gathered momentum, influences began to show in automotive design and one of the most stylish and successful was the Riley Kestrel, which was first shown at the 1932 Motor Show. Amongst the streamlined bodies that were offered at the time – the Riley with its eye-catching styling certainly made a statement.
The Sprite spec engine gives the car a bit more 'go', but it is the 'Preselecta' gearbox which makes driving in modern traffic very straightforward. The Riley presents well in the fabulous British Racing Green, a favourite colour, and is definitely a “head turner”. This vehicle in all its glory would look at home in the set of the likes of Downton Abbey or Call the Midwife. The car is 87 years young and in immaculate condition for its age and its outstanding quality puts a lot of modern new build vehicles to shame.
This car has been in our family for 60+ years with my Father-in-Law being only the second owner and was passed down to my wife and I in later years. There are provenance photos of my Father-in-Law and my wife, as a child on outings in the car to Blackpool and Devon. My Father-in-Law was a mechanic in Greenwich back in the 1950’s when he upgraded the engine to a sprite specification with a balanced crank and a Gillows exhaust system. A recent addition has been Omega pistons.
The interior has the original leather seats with new carpets and headlining and is well-appointed with a working sliding sunroof, opening windscreen, illuminated dash and twin electric wipers.
This is a reluctant sale which pulls on our heartstrings, but we seldom get time to use the car and we believe it deserves to be shown off and used by its new family. The pictures speak for themselves, if you have any questions, please contact me and I will happily answer them.
