Description
Pavilion Gardens | Buxton, Derbyshire
Viewing: Tues 28th April 2026 from 12pm
Auction: Wed 29th April 2026 from 9am
Location: St John's Rd, Buxton SK17 6BE
1950 Riley RMD Drophead Coupe
1 of just 502 RM Drophead Coupes produced
Estimate
£15, 000 - £18, 000
Registration No: BSN 567
Chassis No: 60D 7526
MOT: Exempt
Beautifully presented in two-tone green with tan interior
Fantastic quality restoration by a skilled coachbuilder
Regular prize winner at classic car shows and rallies
Supplied with its original buff RF60 and a current V5C
While American designers were quick to adopt the latest fads following the end of WWII, many British companies continued to offer updated versions of their pre-war products into the early 1950s. The grim realities of post-war Britain created a situation that resulted in some wonderful models with cars that carried the sweeping lines of Europe's finest pre-war sporting designs into a new era. The Riley RM Drophead Coupe was one such example, a beautifully curvaceous car built to pre-war standards by a long-established and proudly independent firm. The genuine wood interior trim, leather seating, cabriolet top with exposed landau bars, rear-hinged doors and running boards combined to present, for one last time, a car redolent of a golden era of motoring. The RM was offered between 1948/ 1951 in 4-door Saloon, Sports Roadster and Drophead Coupe models. The RMC was a conventional two-door Drophead Coupe, with the later RMD offering more space in response to feedback on the earlier version. Only 502 limited edition Dropheads were produced for both the home market and export, and the RM models are now considered the last 'proper' Rileys before the marque was consumed within the mighty BMC group.
This stunning 2. 5-litre RMD Drophead, from a deceased estate, was restored back to its former glory by its owner, a time served coachbuilder who ran his own Riley restoration company. A keen enthusiast and Riley Owners Club member, he enjoyed attending vintage rallies and shows in the car, picking up many prizes along the way. Treated to a full restoration completed in 2015, the quality of workmanship and panel fit is fantastic, with the owner taking care of the coachbuilding and a friend who was a skilled panel beater looking after the metalwork. The seating was re-upholstered with the help of a skilled seamstress who was actually his next door neighbour. Re-finished in two tone green with a tan interior, the hood has been remade and the veneered woodwork on the dashboard and doors is a joy to behold. Restored as a car to be driven, there are some nice discreet modifications such as indicators, halogen headlamps and an extra hand operated throttle to help on long journeys. The car will be supplied with dating letters, an owner's manual, some photos documenting the rebuild, a handwritten notebook tracking its use since restoration, the original buff and a continuation green RF60 together with a current V5C. Please note, the chassis number on the ID plate and the buff log book is 60D7526, but most likely due to a typo, it appears to have been read as 60S7526 when transferred onto the later documents. Stood for the last 3 years it will need the normal recommissioning checks before use.
