1965 Riley 1.5 Saloon

This article discusses the British car manufacturer. For the American racing-car manufacturer, see Riley Technologies.

Riley was a British motorcar and bicycle manufacturer from 1890. The company became part of the Nuffield Organisation in 1938 and was later merged into British Leyland. Today, the trademark is owned by BMW. 1965 Riley 1. ... 1965 Riley 1. ... The Riley One-Point-Five and similar Wolseley 1500 were upscale versions of the venerable Morris Minor. ... Riley Technologies, formerly known as Riley & Scott, is a company providing chassis for sportscar racing. ... Karl Benzs Velo model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race An automobile (or motor car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... This article is becoming very long. ... The Nuffield Organisation was an automobile manufacturing company in the United Kingdom. ... British Leyland corporate logo old BLMC share The British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC), was a vehicle manufacturing company formed in the United Kingdom in 1968. ... BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ...

Riley Cycle Company

Riley began as the Bonnick Cycle Company of Coventry, England. In 1890, William Riley Jr. purchased the company and renamed it the Riley Cycle Company. Ultimately, the portfolio included cycle gear maker Sturmey Archer. His teenaged son, Percy, began to dabble in automobiles. He built his first car at 16, in 1898, secretly, because his father did not approve. It was the first car seen on the streets of Coventry. By 1899, Percy Riley moved from producing motorcycles to his first prototype four-wheeled quadricycle. In 1900, Riley sold a single three-wheeled automobile, but the company could not yet be considered an automobile manufacturer. The Precinct in Coventry city centre. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2005 est. ... Karl Benzs Velo model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race An automobile (or motor car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... A motorcycle is a two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. ...

In 1903, Percy Riley began the Riley Engine Company, also in Coventry. At first, he simply supplied engines for Riley motorcycles, but the company soon began to focus on four-wheeled automobiles. Their Vee-Twin Tourer prototype, produced in 1905, can be considered the first proper Riley car. The Engine Company expanded the next year, and Riley Cycle halted motorcycle production in 1907 to focus on automobiles. Bicycle production also ceased in 1911.

In 1912, the Riley Cycle Company changed its name to Riley (Coventry) Limited as William Riley focused it on becoming a wheel supplier for the burgeoning motor industry, being an innovator of detachable wheels.

Riley Motor Manufacturing

In early 1913, Percy was joined by three of his brothers (Victor, Stanley, and Allan) in a new business focused on manufacturing entire automobiles. This Riley Motor Manufacturing Company was located near Percy's Riley Engine Company. The first new model, the 17/30, was introduced at the London Motor Show that year. Soon afterwards, Stanley Riley founded yet another company, the Nero Engine Company, to produce his own 4-cylinder 10 hp (7.5 kW) car. Riley also began manufacturing aeroplane engines and became a key supplier in Britain's buildup for World War I. The British Motor Show is an automobile show held bi-annually in the United Kingdom. ... An Air France Boeing 777, a modern passenger jet. ... Combatants Allied Powers: British Empire France Italy Russia United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary Bulgaria Germany Ottoman Empire Commanders Ferdinand Foch Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Woodrow Wilson John Pershing Wilhelm II Paul...

In 1918, after the war, the Riley companies were restructured. Nero joined Riley (Coventry) as the sole producer of automobiles. Riley Motor Manufacturing came under the control of Allan Riley to become Midland Motor Bodies, a coachbuilder for Riley. Riley Engine Company continued under Percy as the engine supplier. At this time, Riley's blue diamond badge, designed by Harry Rush, also appeared. The motto was "As old as the industry, as modern as the hour." A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles. ...

1935 Riley Nine Falcon

Riley grew rapidly through the 1920s and 1930s. Riley Engine produced 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder engines, while Midland built more than a dozen different bodies. Riley models at this time included: 1935 Riley Falcon at a Classics Rally in Bristol, England. ... 1935 Riley Falcon at a Classics Rally in Bristol, England. ... The Riley Nine was one of the most successful light cars produced by the British motor industry in the inter war period. ...

• Saloons: Adelphi, Deauville, Falcon, Kestrel, Mentone, Merlin, Monaco, Stelvio
• Coupes: Ascot, Lincock, Gamecock
• Touring: Alpine, Lynx
• Sports: Brooklands, Imp, MPH, Sprite
• Limousines: Edinburgh, Winchester

The Riley Brooklands was one of the most successful works and privateer racing cars of the late 1920's and early 1930's, particularly in hill climbs and at Le Mans, providing a platform for the success of motorsports' first women racing drivers like Kay Petrie and Dorothy Champney It was based around Percy Riley's ground-breaking Riley 9 engine, a small capacity, high revving engine, ahead of its time in many respects. Its longevity is illustrated by Stirling Moss's early racing success after WW2 in pre-war Riley's. But by about 1936 the company had overextended, with too many models and too few common parts, and the emeregnce of Jaguar at Coventry was a direct challenge. Victor Riley had set up a new ultra-luxury concern, Autovia, to produce a V8 saloon and limousine to compete with Rolls-Royce. Meanwhile, Riley Engine Company had been renamed PR Motors (after Percy Riley) to be a high-volume supplier of engines and components. Although the rest of the Riley companies would go on to become part of BMC, PR Motors remained independent. After the death of Percy Riley in 1941, the company began producing transmission components and still exists today as Newage Transmissions. Autovia was a short lived brand of British car made in Coventry between 1937 and 1938. ... Rolls-Royce Limited was a British car and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906 and was the result of a partnership formed in 1904. ... BMC rosette logo old BMC share A preserved BMC ambulance. ... Image:Gearbox. ...

Nuffield Organisation

1951 Riley RMA decorated for use as a wedding car

By 1937, Riley began to look to other manufacturers for partnerships. It had withdrawn from works racing after its most successful year, 1932, although it continued to supply engines to ERA (which was an evident derivative of the Brooklands). BMW of Munich, Germany, was interested in expanding its range into England. But the Rileys were more interested in a larger British concern, and looked to Triumph Motor Company, also of Coventry, as a natural fit. In February, 1938, all negotiations collapsed as Riley (Coventry) and Autovia went into receivership. Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 719 KB)Riley RMA 1951 File links The following pages link to this file: Riley Riley RM ... Download high resolution version (1632x1232, 719 KB)Riley RMA 1951 File links The following pages link to this file: Riley Riley RM ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a civil or religious ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich: St. ... Triumph Logo (1978 version) 1934 Triumph Gloria Six 1937 Triumph Dolomite Roadster 1974 Triumph GT6 Coupé The Triumph Motor Company had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann (1863-1951) and Moritz (Maurice) Schulte founded Bettmann & Co and started selling Triumph bicycles, from premises in London and from 1889 started...

Both companies were purchased by Lord Nuffield for £143,000 and operated by Victor Riley as Riley (Coventry) Successors. It was quickly sold to Nuffield's Morris Motor Company for £1, with the combination coming to be called the Nuffield Organisation. William Richard Morris, 1st Viscount Nuffield GBE CH (10 October 1877–22 August 1963) was the founder of the Morris Motor Company and a philanthropist. ... Morris Motor logo, from a UK Royal Mail van 1927 Morris Cowley 1928 Morris Minor Saloon 1946 Morris Ten Series M 1953 Morris Minor Series 2 1971 Morris 1000 Traveller The Morris Motor Company was a former British car manufacturing company. ... The Nuffield Organisation was an automobile manufacturing company in the United Kingdom. ...

Nuffield took quick measures to firm up the company. Autovia was no more, with just 35 cars having been produced. Riley refocused on the 4-cylinder market with two engines: A 1.5 L 12 hp engine and the "Big Four", a 2.5 L 16 hp unit (The hp figures are RAC Rating, and bear no relationship to bhp or kW). Only a few bodies were produced, and some components were shared with Morris for economies of scale.

After World War II, the restarted Riley Motors took up the old engines in new models. The RMA used the 1.5 L engine, while the RMB got the Big Four. The RM line of vehicles, sold under the "Magnificent Motoring" tag line, were to be the company's high point. They featured a front independent suspension and steering system designed after the Citroën Traction Avant. Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... An independent suspension is an automobile suspension system that allows the wheels on an axle to move independently of each other. ... Citroën is a French automobile manufacturer, founded in 1919 by André Citroën. ... The rear of a Citroën Traction Avant The Citroën Traction Avant was a automobile produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1934 to 1957. ...

Victor Riley was removed by Nuffield in 1947, and the Coventry works were shut down as production was consolidated with MG at Abingdon. Nuffield's marques were to be organised as at General Motors: Morris was to be the value line, MG offered performance, and Wolseley was the luxury marque. With Vanden Plas and Riley also fighting for the top line, the lineup was crowded and confused. MG is a British marque that has produced sports cars since 1924, although none have been made since MG Rover went bankrupt in the spring of 2005. ... Abingdon is a market town in Oxfordshire, England and is one of the towns which claim to be Britains oldest continuously occupied town. ... A marque (French for brand and pronounced as mark) is a brand name, most commonly used for automobile brands. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Morris Motor logo, from a UK Royal Mail van 1927 Morris Cowley 1928 Morris Minor Saloon 1946 Morris Ten Series M 1953 Morris Minor Series 2 1971 Morris 1000 Traveller The Morris Motor Company was a former British car manufacturing company. ... MG is a British marque that has produced sports cars since 1924, although none have been made since MG Rover went bankrupt in the spring of 2005. ... The Wolseley Motor Company was an automobile manufacturer in the United Kingdom from 1905. ... Vanden Plas is the name of a company of coachbuilders for specialist and up-market automobile manufacturers. ...

British Motor Corporation

1965 Riley 4/72

1968 Riley Elf Mk3 V12

The confusion became critical in 1952 with the merger of Nuffield and Austin as the British Motor Corporation. Now, Riley was positioned between MG and Wolseley and most Riley models were like those, little more than a badge-engineered version of the Austin/Morris designs. Download high resolution version (1500x1069, 325 KB) 1965 Riley 4/72 at the Great Western Road Run rally at Aust Services, Aust, Bristol, England. ... Download high resolution version (1500x1069, 325 KB) 1965 Riley 4/72 at the Great Western Road Run rally at Aust Services, Aust, Bristol, England. ... The Riley 4 was an automobile produced by BMC from April 1959 through the 1960s. ... 1968 Riley Elf Mk3 seen at Filton Golf Club, Filton, Bristol, England. ... 1968 Riley Elf Mk3 seen at Filton Golf Club, Filton, Bristol, England. ... Alternative meanings: mini (with lower-case m) is also colloquial for miniskirt and, less commonly, for miniature figure. ... The Austin Motor Company was a British manufacturer of automobiles that rose to be a major motorcar brand, the dominant partner after merger with Morris in 1952 but declining after absorption into the British Leyland Motor Corporation, and its subsequent troubles. ... BMC rosette logo old BMC share A preserved BMC ambulance. ... Badge engineering is a term that describes the rebadging of one model of car as another. ...

Other BMC Rileys included the Pathfinder with Riley's 2.5 L four which replaced the RM line. With a slightly restyled body and a different engine it was later also sold as the 6/90. The Riley lost its distinct (though subtle) differences in 1958 as the 6/90 was simply rebadged as the Riley Two-Point-Six. Although this was the only postwar 6-cylinder Riley, its C-Series engine was actually less-powerful than the Riley Big Four that it replaced. This was to be the last large Riley, with the model dropped in May, 1959 and the company refocusing on the under-2 L segment. The Pathfinder replaced the RMF as Rileys top-line automobile. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The 6/90 replaced the 6/80 as Wolseley Motor Companys top-line automobile. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Two-Point-Six replaced the Riley Pathfinder as Rileys top-line automobile. ... The BMC C-Series was a straight-6 automobile engine produced from 1956 through 1967. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Riley and Wolseley were linked in small cars as well. Launched in 1957, the Riley One-Point-Five and Wolseley 1500 were reworked Morris Minors. They shared their exteriors, but the Riley was marketed as the more performance-oriented option. The Riley One-Point-Five and similar Wolseley 1500 were upscale versions of the venerable Morris Minor. ... The Riley One-Point-Five and similar Wolseley 1500 were upscale versions of the venerable Morris Minor. ... The revolutionary Morris Minor was launched at the Earls Court Motor Show on 20 September 1948, and attracted immediate attention. ...

At the top of the Riley line for April 1959 was the new Riley 4/Sixty-Eight saloon. Again, it was merely a badge-engineered version of other BMC models. This time, it shared with the MG Magnette Mk. III and Wolseley 15/60. The car was refreshed, along with its siblings, in 1961 and rebadged the 4/Seventy-Two. The Riley 4 was an automobile produced by BMC from April 1959 through the 1960s. ... MG had used the Magnette name on a number of saloons since the 1930s, but the Magnette models of the 1950s and 1960s are best-remembered. ... The Wolseley 15/60 was the first of the mid-sized Pinin Farina-designed automobiles from BMC. Launched in 1959, the design would eventually be shared with seven other marques. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... The Riley 4 was an automobile produced by BMC from April 1959 through the 1960s. ...

A final Riley model of the 1960s was the Mini-based Riley Elf. Again, a Wolseley model (the Hornet) was introduced simultaneously. This time, the Riley and Wolseley versions were differentiated visually and identical mechanically. For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ... Alternative meanings: mini (with lower-case m) is also colloquial for miniskirt and, less commonly, for miniature figure. ... Alternative meanings: mini (with lower-case m) is also colloquial for miniskirt and, less commonly, for miniature figure. ...

The future

Riley production was ended with the 1960s, and the marque went dormant. The last Riley badged car was produced in 1969, a shadow of its engineering hey day. However, the 2000 divestment of the MG Rover Group by BMW brought some renewed attention to the marque. Along with Mini/MINI, BMW retained the rights to Triumph and Riley. Perhaps the German company will revive the name on a future MINI model. There was talk (and support) in about 2002 for a Riley based on a Rover 75 platform, but fate intervened. However, it is more likely that any new BMW brand would be either Standard or Triumph due to their sporty and/or semi-modern reputations. MG Rover was the last independent mass-production car manufacturer in the British motor industry. ... BMW AG (an acronym for Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ... The BMW or New MINI is a car produced by BMW since 2001. ... Triumph Logo (1978 version) 1934 Triumph Gloria Six 1937 Triumph Dolomite Roadster 1974 Triumph GT6 Coupé The Triumph Motor Company had its origins in 1885 when Siegfried Bettmann (1863-1951) and Moritz (Maurice) Schulte founded Bettmann & Co and started selling Triumph bicycles, from premises in London and from 1889 started... The BMW or New MINI is a car produced by BMW since 2001. ...

List of Riley vehicles

Pre World war 1

• 1907-1911 Riley 9
• 1907-1907 Riley 12
• 1909-1914 Riley 10
• 1908-1914 Riley 12/18
• 1915-1916 Riley 10

Inter War years

• 1913-1922 Riley 17/30
• 1919-1924 Riley Eleven
• 1925-1928 Riley Twelve
• 1926-1937 Riley Nine
• 1927-1931 Riley Brooklands
• 1928-1937 Riley Six
• 1929-1934 Riley 14/6
• 1933-1935 Riley 12/6
• 1934-1935 Riley Imp
• 1934-1935 Riley MPH
• 1935-1938 Riley 15/6
• 1935-1938 Riley 1 1/2 litre
• 1936-1938 Riley Sprite
• 1936-1938 Riley 8/90
• 1937-1938 Riley Big Four
• 1938-1938 Riley Victor
• 1939-1940 Riley 12
• 1939-1940 Riley 16

The Riley Nine was one of the most successful light cars produced by the British motor industry in the inter war period. ...

Post war

Riley RMD

• Roadster
  • 1948-1951 RMC
  • 1949-1951 RMD
• Mid-sized
  • 1945-1952 RMA
  • 1952-1955 RME
  • 1957-1965 One-Point-Five (Wolseley 1500)
  • 1959-1961 4/Sixty-Eight (Wolseley 15/60)
  • 1961-1969 4/Seventy-Two (Wolseley 16/60)
• Large
  • 1946-1952 RMB
  • 1952-1953 RMF
  • 1953-1957 Pathfinder (Wolseley 6/90)
  • 1958-1959 Two-Point-Six (Wolseley 6/90)
• Mini
  • 1961-1969 Elf (Mini)
• Compact
  • 1965-1969 Riley Kestrel/1300 (Morris 1100)

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3294x2198, 1823 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Riley (automobile) Riley RM Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3294x2198, 1823 KB) Summary Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Riley (automobile) Riley RM Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The Riley One-Point-Five and similar Wolseley 1500 were upscale versions of the venerable Morris Minor. ... The Riley One-Point-Five and similar Wolseley 1500 were upscale versions of the venerable Morris Minor. ... The Riley 4 was an automobile produced by BMC from April 1959 through the 1960s. ... The Wolseley 15/60 was the first of the mid-sized Pinin Farina-designed automobiles from BMC. Launched in 1959, the design would eventually be shared with seven other marques. ... The Riley 4 was an automobile produced by BMC from April 1959 through the 1960s. ... The Wolseley 15/60 was the first of the mid-sized Pinin Farina-designed automobiles from BMC. Launched in 1959, the design would eventually be shared with seven other marques. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. ... The Pathfinder replaced the RMF as Rileys top-line automobile. ... The 6/90 replaced the 6/80 as Wolseley Motor Companys top-line automobile. ... The Two-Point-Six replaced the Riley Pathfinder as Rileys top-line automobile. ... The 6/90 replaced the 6/80 as Wolseley Motor Companys top-line automobile. ... Alternative meanings: mini (with lower-case m) is also colloquial for miniskirt and, less commonly, for miniature figure. ... For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ... The Morris 1100 was a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation and, later, British Leyland, from August 15, 1962 to June 1974, developed under the ADO16 codename. ... Photo from original press release of Austin 1100 The Morris 1100 was a small family car built by the British Motor Corporation and, later, British Leyland, from August 15, 1962 to June 1974, developed under the ADO16 codename. ...

See also

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