Description
This car has it all. A genuine 2-owner from new example (first owner for 64 years!), this beautifully presented Riley has benefitted from not only from an older sympathetic restoration but very recently, substantial mechanical recommissioning in the hands of a retired precision engineer. With detailed and interesting history from June 1958 to the present day, this is indeed a very rare find and unsurprisingly drives better than any other One Point Five we have known to date. It doesn`t disappoint on any level. Come and experience it for yourself.
Launched in November 1957, the sporting Riley One Point Five and more sedate Wolseley 1500, were small upmarket 4-door saloons based on the Morris Minor floor-pan, suspension and steering albeit fitted with a B-Series 1489cc engine linked to an MG Magnette gearbox. Both models boasted comfortable interiors with walnut veneer dashes and leather seats (optional on the Wolseley), whilst externally, the Gerald Palmer designed coachwork (his last before heading off to Vauxhall) was laden with chrome and stainless-steel trim. Mechanically, the Riley came with a sportier head and twin SU carburettors boosting power to a heady 68bhp, some 18bhp up on its twin. Production ran for 8 years through three subtle reincarnations with almost 40, 000 examples being built. Of these, only around 330 are today registered on UK roads making what was once a common sight now something to savour.
In June 1958, a young RAF officer based at Ballykelly, Northern Ireland, walked into the showrooms of Leslie Porter Ltd. in Great Victoria Street, Belfast and bought himself a brand-new Riley One Point Five in Red with Red/ Pale Beige Trim. An export Model, the car came with a MW/ LW radio and for the sum of £605 was promptly registered “UGY 894”. From the dealership, the Riley was sent, via Nuffield Exports of Piccadilly to RAF Gutersloh, a military airfield close to the East/ West German border and home to our young officer for the next 3 years. In August 1961, our officer returned to England importing the car and setting up home with his new wife in Old Costessey in rural Norfolk. The history file contains a full paper-trail of this period and a period colour photograph (taken in the 1960`s) of the car and it`s owners on a day out. The story thereafter goes cold for some decades but our custodian’s enthusiasm for the brand obviously encouraged him to be part of the establishment of an East Anglia section of the Riley Motor Club in 1998. In the role of treasurer, our now-retired officer was an active member and helped to organise car shows, road runs and social events. His own file from this period records over 13 years of continuous involvement. Still in regular use, the Riley itself was now requiring some attention and was subsequently taken off the road. Localised bodywork was undertaken including the replacement of wheel arches and a complete re-spray whilst inside, the carpets were replaced together with plush edge trims and seals. Mechanically, there are receipts from Riley Motor Club Spares in Warwickshire for numerous items including fuel pump, fuel lines, water control valve, carburettor rebuild kit, thermostat, head gasket and brake cylinders. This work appears from the invoices to date from the period 2012-2014 and then, once again, the trail goes cold. That was until late 2021 when the daughters of our long-term owner approached a family friend living locally to Old Costessey to help sell the car after the recent death of their father. The friend, a retired mechanic, checked over the Riley, gathered up all the spares and paperwork and then we got involved. This was Christmas 2021 when after acquiring the car, we rebuilt the rear brakes, undertook a general service and advertised the Riley for sale. It sold immediately to a retired engineer and serial classic car collector in our local village and I recall delivering it him on a very cold and icy January morning. Time moves on and just a month ago I heard that our very same engineer was now seeking to downscale his collection and having gone as far as he could with the Riley, the moment had come to find it a new home. Since purchasing it back, we have done very little but polish and enjoy the car. The history file has been enlarged with numerous receipts for minor parts, notably left and right-hand trunnion kits, bushes, clutch slave cylinder, steady bar, door seals and brake cylinders. But the real work is evident from the under-bonnet presentation where considerable detailing (and obviously many hours of labour) has produced one of the cleanest and best sorted engine bays I have witnessed for some time.
As the photographs show, the coachwork is still excellent with paintwork virtually blemish-free, superb chrome and correct period detailing. Inside, the nearly-new carpets and fresh trims nicely set-off the original leather seats and door-cards. Some would argue that these require replacing but, in my opinion, the originality would be lost and given the provenance, it would seem a great shame. Turn the key, pull the starter and the B Series fires instantly into life and with eager acceleration and smooth gear changes, the little car is quickly up to modern-day motoring speeds. Capable of being used every day, the car would be equally at home on a club rally or show-field. On a cloudy August morning, I took the Riley for a decent 10-mile road-test, eager to see after 2 years of fettling, just how it performed. Wow! I wasn’t disappointed. It genuinely drives without fault reflecting the time and money invested recently.
The Riley comes with an original Green Logbook (VE60) in the name of our long-term keeper, a current V5C in the name of the second owner, all the original purchase information from 1958 and export/ import documents, a comprehensive file of receipts, a personal Riley Motor Club members file, original Workshop Manual, original Operation Manual, tool kit and a boot-full of spares including rear seat, spare windscreen and bonnet. Naturally both MoT and road-tax exempt, the car is ready for its next adventure.
What an opportunity. A properly sorted example with almost unique provenance.
Shore Classics is based on the West Dorset coast within easy proximity of both Weymouth and the County town of Dorchester. As classic and vintage dealers, we offer full brokerage facilities. So if you require some help and guidance with selling your classic car or motorcycle, just give us a call today.
