This was an old and honored car brand in England. The name had a history all the way back to 1890.

Was acquired by Lord Nuffield just before the war

Like so many other car manufacturers in England, the factory started as a bicycle manufacturer. No wonder, there was an intense cycle wave over the country at the time. But, like many other bicycle manufacturers, the factory saw a great future in car production. The very first car from Riley was completed in 1898, but the factory focused on motorcycles at the start. The first series-produced car saw the light of day in 1907. Right up until the war in 1939, production was characterized by a myriad of different variants and models. Riley was a profitable car manufacturer in the beginning, but product development and investment in factories and production equipment eventually became too much. It went bankrupt in 1938 and the factory was taken over by Lord Nuffield and a new company was established. The cars retained their old name, but production was stopped when war broke out in 1939.

RM series

When peace came in 1945, the factory launched new models that were entirely in-house developed. The first models were given the type designations RMA and RMB, which were a slightly larger model with a longer wheelbase. The new cars from Riley were both elegant and sporty. Competitors on the English market mostly came with upgraded pre-war models. That is why the new models from Riley were particularly well received. The motoring press was very positive and the future prospects were bright. But in 1952, Nuffield which produced the Riley was merged with Austin and the result was the British Motor Corporation. The idea was to utilize joint resources in order to have a stronger position on the international car market. But the result was that the various car brands such as Austin, Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley became very similar. Mostly it was details and equipment that distinguished the different brands. The last "real" model from Riley was the Pathfinder, which came in 1953. The popular RM models disappeared in 1955. Until Riley disappeared for good in 1969, the cars were only slightly sporty variants of other BMC models.

Data Riley RM

Engine 1496 ccm – 55 hp (1,5 l model).
Length 455 cm (1,5 l model).
Length 473 cm (2,5 l model).
Width 160 cm.
Height 160 cm.
Produced between 1945 and 1955.

See