Lot Ended
Description
Restored in 2007; few owners, the current since 2014; stainless steel
exhaust; recent new set of tyres; a most attractive example of this
rakishly elegant saloon
One of the most
glamorous cars of the immediate post-war era, the Riley RM Series was coachbuilt
in the traditional way with a separate chassis clothed in steel and aluminium
panels draped over an ash frame with a lightweight roof made from perforated
steel topped with padded Everflex leather cloth. Beautifully proportioned with
flowing lines, it had an equally elegant interior and is widely considered one
of the best-looking post-war classics that your average punter can still
afford to buy.
Introduced in 1952 to replace the
RMA, the RME was powered by Riley's highly regarded 1.5 four-cylinder engine
with an overhead-valve, twin-camshaft design and hemispherical combustion
chambers, producing around 54bhp and giving it a top speed of 75mph.
Key
improvements over its predecessor included a larger, curved rear window and an
upgrade from hydro-mechanical to fully hydraulic drum brakes for better stopping
power. The RME also featured rack-and-pinion steering and independent front
suspension with torsion bars, which contributed to its reputation for good
handling.
By 1954 it had lost its running boards and gained rear wheel
spats, the model continuing in production until the arrival of the new Riley
One-Point-Five in 1955, by which tine just under 3,500 had been
sold.
First registered in December 1953, this
Riley RME has had five owners to date, according to the V5C, and comes with lots
of bills back to the mid-1980s to show general upkeep. The invoices imply that
it was restored in 2007 including a full repaint, brightwork rechromed as
required and a tidy up of the interior including a new cloth headlining.
It seems from the MOT history online that the
car was then barely used before our vendor acquired it in May 2014. He smartened
the car up still further with rechromed hub caps, side mouldings
and headlamp rims plus new side window channels, a stainless steel exhaust
system and a new set of tyres.
He then used the
car almost daily for a couple of years but since then it has been very little
used, spending most of its time tucked away in a nice dry garage but being
started and moved regularly to keep everything free.
As you can see in the photos, the Riley still looks very smart some
20 years since it was restored. It has been starting promptly and running very
nicely as we have moved it around on site, with healthy 50psi oil pressure.
Aside from the invoices and photos of the car being repainted, it also comes
with a factory workshop manual, Riley RM Club literature plus various road tests
and news cuttings about the model.
On offer
here at a modest guide price, this handsome Riley now seeks an
enthusiastic new owner who can give it the more regular exercise it
deserves.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com