1949 Riley 1½ Litre Saloon (RMA)

Our car’s chassis number of 16811 reveals it to be number 435 of the Abingdon RMAs. The car was completed towards the end of 1949 and the first owner was believed to be Peter Hinks a shot putter who would go on to become a teacher at Wellington College public school. It seems that Hinks retained the car for almost 40 years before the second registered keeper acquired it in 1988. 

Current owner James acquired the Riley in November 2020 to become just its third owner in 70 years. James had always admired the Riley saloons and found this example relatively local to him and immediately resolved to own it. Whilst the Riley had clearly been well cared for there where inevitably a few cosmetic and mechanical areas that James was keen to address. The timing was tweaked which improved the running and electronic ignition was also added. James also attended to some scruffier elements of the interior whilst being careful to retain the impressive originality of this RMA’s cabin. Some areas of scruffy paintwork were addressed also. Today James is only parting with the RMA due to a likely impending loss of storage foe this fine Riley saloon.

To say there is something very “Neville Chamberlain” about the Riley is, perhaps, unsurprising given that it is essentially a pre-war design. This feeling is emphasised by our car’s stove black livery, helping to conjure up mental images of a dimly lit and smoggy Downing Street long before the protective gates arrived.

This is an attractively styled saloon without doubt and awash with charming details and period flourishes. The front end of the car is an obvious highlight being a veritable sea of bright chrome. The tall radiator shell and accompanying slats dominate here but look perfectly resolved. A re-chromed pair of half bumpers feature, together with driving lamps and a quartet of period radiator badges.

In side profile the deep and curvaceous front wings morph into vestigial, tapering running boards which culminate in a pair of slimline rear wings. The doors all hinge at the B pillar, rendering the front pair of the charming “suicide” variety. The rear of the Riley is dominated by a veritable “ski-slope” of a boot lid and another pair of half bumpers, twin filler caps and some interesting period look lighting. The debossed skulls to the top of the D-shaped taillights hint at them not being original! The much vaunted “leather roof” presents in an excellent condition.

The big steel wheels are centred with chrome and black painted caps which present well and are clearly original. Even the original semaphore style indicators are present and operative. Despite this James has upgraded the indicators for visibility and safety. The rear items are period-style contemporary items and the front side lights have been converted to accommodate orange hued bulbs. The overall external condition of the RMA seems to belie the car’s 75-year history with no major imperfections noted or reported. 

The cabin of the RMA is a delightful and surprisingly comfortable environment. The seats are well stuffed, commodious and present in a delightfully original condition. These are finished in a shade of light green and stitched into vertical box pleats. The complementary green carpet set has been newly fitted in current ownership and hence in great condition. The carpet to the bottom of the door panels has become a little deteriorated in places, however. The headlining remains delightfully original and impressive leather and chromed sun visors are fitted.

The dashboard fascial is finished in varnished, solid wood and mounted with raised, shaped panels. The instrumentation is centrally placed and consists of a big Jaeger speedometer which is flanked by two smaller duplex gauges monitoring fuel level, oil pressure, water temperature and volts. A number of brown Bakelite pull / push knobs are present as are a pair of winders which operate the functioning of the top hinged opening windscreen panels. An original, large, leather rimmed three spoke steering wheel is present. This has banjo style spokes and attractive green stitching to the rim cover. The Bakelite boss features the semaphore indicator switch.

The boot is practically shaped and surprisingly commodious. Original tools, jack and even grease gun are present and, of course, included.

The RMA featured a 4-cylinder 1496cc engine that originated from before the war but now with a pressurised radiator. Ten inch diameter Girling Hydro-mechanical drum brakes were fitted with the Abingdon cars having upgraded suspension thanks to the fitting of telescopic shockers at the rear. In period this configuration delivered a maximum speed of around 75 mph and a comfortable cruising speed of 55 -60 mph, and fuel consumption in the region of 26 – 32 mpg. With this example having undergone a £4,000 plus engine rebuild in 2018, it started on the button during our photoshoot and ticked over evenly. James reports that it has no known mechanical issues and drives nicely.

The engine bay is accessed by twin, centre hinged bonnets to reveal the well cared for 1.5 litre Riley unit. The condition under here is very good being clean, original and well organised. The original data plate is affixed to the bulkhead and no leaks or spills were noted. The underside exhibits a modicum of surface corrosion but nothing of consequence and generally belies this car’s significant age.

There is plenty of supporting paperwork included with this Riley. This includes the V5 Registration Document in the name of the current owner. The Riley is classified as an Historic Vehicle so is MoT exempt and zero rated for VED in the UK. Numerous earlier MoTs in hard copy are on hand.

The remainder of the archive contains some interesting and instructive elements. There are some original, period workshop manuals and parts catalogues. There are also numerous magazines as published by the Riley RMA club. There is also some typed correspondence from the Riley Motor Club that relates an inspection of the car before it was purchased by the previous owner in 1988. A copy of the original buff logbook is present together with a good depth of invoices. Key amongst these is the one detailing the 2018 engine rebuild amounting to a spend of £4,344. A box of various spare parts will also be included with the car.

The Riley marque would ultimately get absorbed into BMC and then British Leyland before being retired for good in 1968. Despite the marque being defunct for over fifty years, there is a strong demand and affection for Rileys that endures to this day. There are three distinct owners’ clubs for Rileys despite the marque’s output being relatively modest. With the RM cars being desirable now, there is even a specific RM club catering for cars built between 1946 and 1957. 

James’s example is a fine representative of this esteemed British brand, too. It seems to be a low owner example and appears to have been cherished by each of its keepers. James has spent his ownership addressing some of the minor areas that slipped through the net of the diligent previous owner. As such this rare and desirable Riley saloon offers an overall condition and utility that is rarely found in cars over 70 years old which can be acquired for such a modest budget.  

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Corby. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.