{"id":5375,"date":"2020-02-28T10:07:36","date_gmt":"2020-02-28T10:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=5375"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:21:28","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:21:28","slug":"1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/","title":{"rendered":"1938 Riley 16\/4 – Racy Little Number"},"content":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re spoiled today. Modern cars are simply too powerful, and that\u2019s the norm now. It wasn\u2019t so long ago that \u2018performance cars\u2019 earned that title because they boasted more than 150bhp. Today, most normal family hatchbacks have that. And then there are the modern classics that we pine over, cars like the mighty Sierra RS Cosworth. A motorsport poster child with wings and vents aplenty. Yet here\u2019s the thing – it packed just 200bhp. That\u2019s fewer horses than a modern Golf GTi, which packs 228bhp.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve become desensitised to power. We expect everything to have at least 200bhp these days. We watch people on TV get giddy about cars with 800bhp. We are fixated on these numbers. Numbers which are, ultimately, pointless. 800bhp means nothing in the real world. Yes, it\u2019s a hugely impressive technical achievement, but you can\u2019t use it. And therein lies the problem. We\u2019re told to lust after power, despite having no real use for it. It\u2019s there, but it\u2019s not accessible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is where vintage cars, like the Riley 16\/4<\/a> we\u2019re looking at here, shine. The recipe is simple – low weight, accessible power. The four-cylinder engine in this racy little number from 1938 is probably somewhere in the region of 90-100bhp. That\u2019s not much. But the car isn\u2019t much either, and by that we mean it really isn\u2019t physically much. It\u2019s two seats, some aluminium, a chassis and that\u2019s about your lot. Weight is the enemy in the grab for power, but this Riley carries none. As such, the power on hand doesn\u2019t have to work hard. It also means that every last drop of the power is at your disposal, and that makes for a driving experience that a modern, frankly clinical supercar can only hope for.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

On a recent visit to Robin Lawton<\/a>, we couldn\u2019t help but be drawn in by the little Riley. There is something about it, something deeply captivating and exciting. The bare bones nature of it, that aluminium body that has come into existence after hours of manual graft, the spartan interior with nothing more than what is required; gauges, pedals, seats and a steering wheel. It\u2019s pure motoring. It boasts thrills aplenty for the lucky driver despite being built without many frills at all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Based on a 16\/4, this 1938 Riley is a long way from the saloon it would have started life as. The 12\/4 Adelphi chassis has been shortened and underslung at the rear. The axles are 1938 Riley wide-track items, which work to give the car a more planted appeal. The body, as we mentioned, is crafted from aluminium, along with the arches. There\u2019s no paint though, just glorious polished metal. And despite this car\u2019s racing intentions, it still remains road legal as you can tell by the inclusion of head and tail lights.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

We asked Robin to pull the car out of the showroom so that we could more effectively get around it with our camera, and oh are we glad we did. The Riley barked into life with a pleasing eagerness, and immediately started barking and growling at us through the barely silenced exhaust. A tight, deep rasp greets the ears as this car darts through the revs. We\u2019d buy it for the noise alone. A four-cylinder has no right to sound this good.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it sounds very good. And actually, it should. The original car, a Riley 16\/4, was named because it had an <\/span>RAC Horsepower Rating<\/span><\/a> of 16hp, and was four-cylinder. Hence 16\/4. However, the RAC rating was ultimately a flawed practice. Initially, the rating was accurate, yet as the years advanced and as engineering techniques become more refined, engines produced more power. So what was once simply a volumetric formula became something more complicated. On paper, the Riley\u2019s 2,443cc engine, mathematically, should have produced 16hp. In reality, most produced more than 80hp.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

The engine in this Special certainly produces more. Rebuilt in 2018, there are new white metal main bearings, new con-rods and shell bearings, new four-ring domed pistons, a Newman camshaft and two 1\u00bdinch SU carbs. It\u2019s a snorty, free-revving little lump that makes its power extremely accessible. And that, to go back to our original point, is the way it should be. Not <\/span>Top Trumps<\/span><\/i> power, but power you can get at. Power you can exploit at your discretion. This car boasts that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, there are the other elements of the drive. The slick Nuffield gearbox, the 13-inch drum brakes that, while capable, demand respect and skill to get the most out of them. And then there is the feel of the drive through the 600×60 Avon Turbospeed rubber wrapped around the wire wheels. This is a car you feel, that you become one with as you press on. You drive it as much with your backside as you do with your hands. It\u2019s an assault on the senses, like nothing else. An event, if you will. You can keep your 800bhp clinically-built, hermetically sealed, white-gloved modern-day supercars. This Riley from 1938, that has undergone drastic surgery in the name of speed some time in the 1970s, is driving at its purest and at its most exciting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Riley,<\/p>\n

Cars like this should be celebrated. They offer a drive that commands skill and ability. The power, as we have said, is modest but it\u2019s available in its entirety. It\u2019s down to you, the driver, to make the most out of it. And that, quite frankly, is something magical.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Huge thanks to Robin and Michelle Lawton for letting us shoot this beautiful Riley, which you can find for sale via this <\/span><\/i>Car & Classic<\/span><\/i><\/a> advert. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re spoiled today. Modern cars are simply too powerful, and that\u2019s the norm now. It wasn\u2019t so long ago that \u2018performance cars\u2019 earned that title because they boasted more than…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":5385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[2],"tags":[15,170,12,13,659,14,740,55,76,1664,1662,1663,1159,739],"yoast_head":"\n1938 Riley 16\/4 - Racy Little Number - Car & Classic Magazine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You don\u2019t need many turbochargers, many cylinders and many horsepower to have fun, as this wonderful 1938 Riley 16\/4 Special goes to show\u2026\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"1938 Riley 16\/4 - Racy Little Number - Car & Classic Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You don\u2019t need many turbochargers, many cylinders and many horsepower to have fun, as this wonderful 1938 Riley 16\/4 Special goes to show\u2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Car & Classic Magazine\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-28T10:07:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-09-12T09:21:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2020\/02\/DSC05405-1800x1013.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1013\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Car & Classic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Car & Classic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Car & Classic\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39\"},\"headline\":\"1938 Riley 16\/4 – Racy Little Number\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-28T10:07:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T09:21:28+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\"},\"wordCount\":958,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"automotive\",\"bespoke car\",\"carandclassic\",\"carandclassic.co.uk\",\"classic motorsport\",\"motoring\",\"pre-war car\",\"Race car\",\"Riley\",\"Riley 16\/4\",\"Riley Special\",\"Robin Lawton\",\"special\",\"vintage car\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Classic Cars\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\",\"name\":\"1938 Riley 16\/4 - Racy Little Number - Car & Classic Magazine\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-02-28T10:07:36+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-09-12T09:21:28+00:00\",\"description\":\"You don\u2019t need many turbochargers, many cylinders and many horsepower to have fun, as this wonderful 1938 Riley 16\/4 Special goes to show\u2026\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"1938 Riley 16\/4 – Racy Little Number\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\",\"name\":\"Car & Classic Magazine\",\"description\":\"The latest in the classic car world - articles, news, how to's, advice and more\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Car and Classic Limited\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png\",\"width\":4262,\"height\":3881,\"caption\":\"Car and Classic Limited\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39\",\"name\":\"Car & Classic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Car & Classic\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/author\/car-and-classic\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"1938 Riley 16\/4 - Racy Little Number - Car & Classic Magazine","description":"You don\u2019t need many turbochargers, many cylinders and many horsepower to have fun, as this wonderful 1938 Riley 16\/4 Special goes to show\u2026","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"1938 Riley 16\/4 - Racy Little Number - Car & Classic Magazine","og_description":"You don\u2019t need many turbochargers, many cylinders and many horsepower to have fun, as this wonderful 1938 Riley 16\/4 Special goes to show\u2026","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/","og_site_name":"Car & Classic Magazine","article_published_time":"2020-02-28T10:07:36+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-09-12T09:21:28+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1800,"height":1013,"url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2020\/02\/DSC05405-1800x1013.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Car & Classic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Car & Classic","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/"},"author":{"name":"Car & Classic","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39"},"headline":"1938 Riley 16\/4 – Racy Little Number","datePublished":"2020-02-28T10:07:36+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T09:21:28+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/"},"wordCount":958,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization"},"keywords":["automotive","bespoke car","carandclassic","carandclassic.co.uk","classic motorsport","motoring","pre-war car","Race car","Riley","Riley 16\/4","Riley Special","Robin Lawton","special","vintage car"],"articleSection":["Classic Cars"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/","name":"1938 Riley 16\/4 - Racy Little Number - Car & Classic Magazine","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website"},"datePublished":"2020-02-28T10:07:36+00:00","dateModified":"2024-09-12T09:21:28+00:00","description":"You don\u2019t need many turbochargers, many cylinders and many horsepower to have fun, as this wonderful 1938 Riley 16\/4 Special goes to show\u2026","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/1938-riley-16-4-racy-little-number\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"1938 Riley 16\/4 – Racy Little Number"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/","name":"Car & Classic Magazine","description":"The latest in the classic car world - articles, news, how to's, advice and more","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#organization","name":"Car and Classic Limited","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/app\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Car-and-Classic-Square-Green-Background-Large.png","width":4262,"height":3881,"caption":"Car and Classic Limited"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/9faf82502e956d89ea59bb842c637f39","name":"Car & Classic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/df8ff943eb64ce998eeba2661f03a69a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Car & Classic"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.carandclassic.com"],"url":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/author\/car-and-classic\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5375"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5375"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5386,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5375\/revisions\/5386"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}