89-466: The Riley MPH is a small production, two-seat sports car made between 1934 and 1935 by the Riley company of Coventry , England. Very few were made, and examples are now highly sought after. The chassis, with half-elliptic springs and rigid axles front and rear, was based on that of the car prepared for the 1933 TT races. To keep the height down to as low as possible, the side members were positioned under
178-586: A 2+2 on the Junior chassis appeared, and the Senior disappeared, while the Six gained a 1,792 cc (109.4 cu in) sidevalve . This was joined by a Super Six , with a 1,921 cc (117.2 cu in) OHV and four-speed manual transmission. This was, said The Autocar , "the most impressive Singer yet" The 8 hp (6.0 kW) 848 cc (51.7 cu in) Junior of 1931, with styling resembling
267-480: A 1,308 cc (79.8 cu in) engine and modernized styling. It was offered in several models, from the £195 four-seat Popular to the £295 Saloon Limousine Del Luxe. At the 1926 London Motor Show, the company debuted the Junior , powered by a 16.5 hp (12.3 kW) OHV 848 cc (51.7 cu in). Priced from £148 10s as a four-seat tourer , it had only rear-wheel brakes to start. A racing 10 set
356-508: A 2.5-litre 16 hp unit (The hp figures are RAC Rating, and bear no relationship to bhp or kW). Only a few bodies were made before the Second World War began in 1939, and some components were shared with Morris for economies of scale. They incorporated a number of mechanical improvements – notably a Nuffield synchromesh gearbox – but were essentially interim models, and had less of a Riley character. The new management responded to
445-490: A copy right off Singer's stand at the 1912 Olympia Motor Show . Martin gave the car a thorough going-over, improving the engine's power and raising the top speed from 40 to 70 mph (64 to 113 km/h). Martin set up shop in Henniker Mews , Kensington , England, tuning the four-cylinder cars, and did a robust business. This was aided by the motor racing success of Martin's own improved Ten, in particular at
534-477: A dated fixed head. This new 15 used a chassis very similar to the 10's, and had one interesting feature, a retractable luggage rack. In 1924, the 15 was offered with a Weymann fabric body. Sales of the 15 were "modest". The 10's engine was converted to overhead valves in 1923 and monobloc , while the next year, the Ten also got a Waymann body option. The new 10/26 replaced the older 10 in 1924. it offered
623-528: A dinner hosted by the Association of Riley Clubs celebrating the centenary of Riley, BMW Chairman Bernd Pischetsrieder , who was an enthusiast for many historical British marques, announced that the Riley name was to return. He stated that development of a new model was to begin immediately, with Rover engineering director Nick Stephenson in charge of the project. It was later revealed that BMW had developed
712-845: A distinctive character. Three owners' clubs cater for enthusiasts: the Riley Motor Club, which was founded in 1925 and caters for all Rileys; the Riley Register, which is exclusively for Rileys built up until 1940; and the Riley RM Club, which is exclusively for the RM series, built between 1946 and 1957. Many original racing Rileys compete regularly in VSCC ( Vintage Sports Car Club ) events, and pre-war racing 'specials' continue to be created from tired or derelict saloons. After buying Rover Group in 1994, BMW planned to revive Riley. At
801-441: A female passenger, making good time in torrential rain. The first Singer-designed car was the 4-cylinder 2.4-litre 12/14 of 1906. The engine was bought in from Aster . Singer made their first four-wheel car in 1905. It was designed by Scottish engineer Alexander Craig and was a variant of a design he had done for Lea-Francis having a 2-cylinder 1,853 or 2,471 cc (113.1 or 150.8 cu in) engine. The Craig engine
890-519: A high-volume supplier of engines and components. The rest of the Riley companies later became part of Nuffield and then BMC , but PR Motors remained independent. After the death of Percy Riley in 1941, his business began producing transmission components. It still exists today, producing marine and off-highway vehicle applications, as PRM Newage Limited based in Aldermans Green, Coventry. Percy's widow Norah ran his business for many years, and
979-402: A moving assembly line in their latest acquisition, Singer's offerings were eclipsed by new models from Austin, Morris, and Hillman ; from 1932, these were joined by the new Ford Model Y . The Senior would be redesigned in 1928, with capacity increased to 1,571 cc (95.9 cu in) and an additional crankshaft main bearing added (up from two to three). And, like the Junior and Six,
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#17327718727951068-531: A necessary balancing amount from their mother and in 1903 established the separate Riley Engine Company, also in Coventry. A few years later the other two Riley brothers, Stanley and Cecil, having left school joined their elder brothers in the business. At first, the Riley Engine Company simply supplied engines for Riley motorcycles and also to Singer , a newly emerging motorcycle manufacturer in
1157-464: A new range of larger cars introduced. All cars were now White and Poppe powered. Singer experimented with a cyclecar, powered by a transversely-mounted aircooled engine in 1911–12. Instead, the company built a light car, the Ten , which debuted in 1912 with a 10 hp (7.5 kW) 1,096 cc (66.9 cu in) four-cylinder engine; its main drawback was a three-speed transmission built into
1246-415: A platform for the success of motorsports' first women racing drivers such as Kay Petre , Dorothy Champney and Joan Richmond . Another engineer and driver, Freddie Dixon , was responsible for extensive improvements to engine and chassis tuning, creating a number of 'specials' that exploited the basic Riley design still further, and contributed greatly to its success on the track. For series production,
1335-508: A programme of rationalisation, in which the Riley marque was an early casualty. The badge began to be discontinued in many export markets almost immediately. A BLMC press release was reported in The Times of 9 July 1969: "British Leyland will stop making Riley cars from today. "With less than 1 per cent of the home market, they are not viable" the company said last night. The decision will end 60 years of motoring history. No other marques in
1424-470: A projected 1.5-litre version, was rejected as underpowered). The Pathfinder body was later reworked and, with a different engine and rear suspension, sold as the Wolseley 6/90 . The Riley lost its distinct (though externally subtle) differences in 1958, and the 6/90 of that year was available badge engineered as a Riley Two-Point-Six . Although this was the only postwar 6-cylinder Riley, its C-Series engine
1513-445: A single three-wheeled automobile. Meanwhile, the elder of the Riley brothers, Victor Riley, although supportive of his brother's embryonic motor-car enterprise, devoted his energies to the core bicycle business. Riley's founder William Riley remained resolutely opposed to diverting the resources of his bicycle business into motor cars, and in 1902 three of his sons, Victor, Percy and younger brother Allan Riley pooled resources, borrowed
1602-503: A small car was a practical proposition. It was much more sturdily built than otherwise similar cyclecars . With its four-cylinder ten horsepower engine the Singer Ten was launched at the 1912 Cycle and Motor Cycle Show at Olympia . William Rootes , a Singer apprentice at the time of its development and consummate car-salesman, contracted to buy 50, the entire first year's supply. It became a best-seller. Ultimately, Singer's business
1691-462: A spoked aluminium wheel, known as a motorwheel . It was a 222 cc (13.5 cu in) four-stroke designed by former Beeston employees Edwin Perks and Frank Birch. A unique feature was that the engine, fuel tank, carburettor and low-tension magneto were all housed in a two-sided cast alloy spoked wheel. It was probably the first motor bicycle to be provided with magneto ignition. It was perhaps
1780-726: A three-door concept car based on the Rover 75 , named the Riley Coupe. The project was later cancelled after Pischetsrieder's removal in 1999, and BMW's subsequent divestment of the MG Rover Group in 2000. The rights to the Triumph and Riley marques , along with Mini , were retained by BMW. In 2007 William Riley, who claims to be a descendant of the Riley family (although this has been disputed), formed MG Sports and Racing Europe Ltd. This new business acquired assets relating to
1869-531: A tricycle, rear wheels driven by chain, which also featured a handbrake (designed by Singer and his associate, R. H. Lea) on the rear axle. In about 1888, Singer introduced the Rational , a diamond-framed model with wheels the same size, each about 30 in (76 cm) diameter. It also offered removable handlebars and removable rear wheel. While safer, its performance suffered. Nevertheless, it proved popular with cycle tourers. In 1895, Singer Cycle faced
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#17327718727951958-402: A £600,000 "floatation by that egregious company promoter" Terah Hooley , but survived. It also weathered an industry slump in 1898 that wiped out many British bicycle makers. Singer Cycle Company began producing motor cars in 1901. Singer Cycle began motor vehicle production in 1901, purchasing the manufacturing rights to the Perks & Birch Motor Wheel, a one-cylinder engine contained in
2047-583: The Aston Clinton hillclimb . The Ten would also be sold by William Rootes , former Singer apprentice turned dealer. On 11 July 1914, Beatrice Blore drove a Singer Ten car up the cable track (with a gradient of 1 in 3 in places) of the Great Orme , in Llandudno , North Wales , becoming the first woman to drive up the steep and challenging headland. She was six months pregnant at the time and
2136-674: The British Motor Corporation . Now, Riley was positioned between MG and Wolseley and most Riley models became, like those, little more than badge-engineered versions of Austin / Morris designs. However, the first all-new Riley under BMC was designated the RMH, and because of its distinctive engine and suspension design, it has been called 'the last real Riley'. This was the Pathfinder , with Riley's familiar 2.5-litre four developed to produce 110 bhp. (The RMG 'Wayfarer',
2225-511: The Brooklands lap record in 1921 at 74.42 mph (119.77 km/h). Meanwhile, the 10/26 became the 1,308 cc (79.8 cu in)-engined Senior , joined by the new Six , powered by a 1,776 cc (108.4 cu in) inline six based on the 10/26's and four-wheel servo-assisted brakes from Clayton Dewandre . The same year, Singer took over Calcott Brothers . In the 1920s, Singer sales climbed steadily, By 1928, Singer
2314-573: The Citroën Traction Avant provided precise handling. Their flowing lines were particularly well-balanced, combining pre-war coachbuilt elegance with more modern features, such as headlamps faired into the front wings. The RMC, a 3-seater roadster, was an unsuccessful attempt to break into the US market. The RMD was an elegant 4/5-seater two-door drophead, of which few were made. The 1.5-litre RME and 2.5-litre RMF were later developments of
2403-554: The ERA , a voiturette (Formula 2) racing car based on the supercharged 6-cylinder 'White Riley', developed by ERA founder Raymond Mays in the mid-thirties. BMW of Munich , Germany was interested in expanding its range into England. The Riley brothers were more interested in a larger British concern, and looked to Triumph Motor Company , also of Coventry, as a natural fit. However, in February 1938 negotiations were suspended. On 24 February
2492-523: The MG XPower SV sports car from PricewaterhouseCoopers , the administrators of the defunct MG Rover Group, and intended to continue production of the model as the MG XPower WR. Production never began. In September 2010, Autocar magazine reported that BMW was considering reviving the Riley brand as a variant of the redesigned MINI. This would most likely be a luxury version, inspired by
2581-668: The 'Ulster' Imp, MPH, and Sprite, proved some of the most successful works and privateer racing cars of the late 1920s and early 1930s. At Le Mans in 1934, Rileys finished 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 12th, winning the Rudge-Whitworth Cup, the Team Prize, two class awards, and the Ladies' Prize. Rileys also distinguished themselves at the Ulster TT, at Brooklands itself, and at smaller events like hill climbs, while providing
2670-475: The 1935 Ulster Tourist Trophy , where all three wrecked, all from the same cause (steering failure) and all, incredibly, at the same spot. All the drivers literally walked away unscathed, but Singer's reputation in racing was beyond repair. In summer 1934, the Eleven was launched and was very innovative in its class by including the clutch-less "Fluidrive" Fluid coupling and Independent front suspension , and
2759-756: The BMC era was the Kestrel 1100/1300, based on the Austin/Morris 1100/1300 saloon ( BMC ADO16 ). This also had siblings in Wolseley and MG versions. After objections from Riley enthusiasts, the Kestrel name was dropped for the last facelift in 1968, the Riley 1300. Between 1966 and 1968, a series of mergers took place in the British motor industry, ultimately creating the British Leyland Motor Corporation, whose management embarked on
Riley MPH - Misplaced Pages Continue
2848-474: The British Leyland stable are likely to suffer the same fate "in the foreseeable future". The last Riley badged car was produced in 1969, and the marque became dormant. For many enthusiasts, the name of Riley still resonates in the 21st century. In spite of the decline of the marque under BMC and British Leyland, surviving Rileys of the period are now popular, with the Riley 'face' and badge lending
2937-513: The Elf of 1961–9, with a 'notchback' (booted) body, and the interior trimmed in wood and leather in the manner of earlier Rileys. No sources were quoted, however, and in the absence of any statement from BMW reports of the possible resurrection of Riley must be regarded as highly speculative. Autocar reiterated this information in April 2016. Notable bodies Singer (car) Singer Motors Limited
3026-626: The First World War. The Singer brand was absorbed into their Rootes Group which had been an enthusiastic exponent of badge engineering since the early 1930s. The next Singer car, the Gazelle , was a more up-market Hillman Minx . which retained the pre-war designed Singer OHV engine for the I and II versions until 1958, when the IIA was given the Minx pushrod engine. The Vogue, which ran alongside
3115-512: The Ford Model Y (a popular subject for copying), with two-bearing crankshafts and a 972 cc (59.3 cu in) engine; this, and its high £127 pricetag, made it uncompetitive. It had a two-bearing crankshaft and was the first Singer with a synchromesh gearbox, albeit with only three forward gears. Continuing decline in sales led to financial trouble, and Singer attempted to cut costs, such as by switching back to mechanical brakes on
3204-686: The Hunter in 1954; the high-priced Hunter was equally in vain. (Though specified with an optional HRG-designed DOHC engine, this was likely never sold. ) In the December 2011 edition of Automobile Magazine , a 1954 SM1500 was compared to an MG TD , finding the Singer the superior roadster. By 1955, the business was in financial difficulties and the Rootes Brothers bought it the following year. They had first handled Singer sales just before
3293-623: The Minx/Gazelle from 1961, was based on the Hillman Super Minx with differing front end styling and more luxurious trim. After 1958, all Singer products were mere badge-engineered models. By 1970, Rootes were themselves struggling financially. They had been acquired by the American Chrysler corporation, and founder (by then Sir) William Rootes had died in 1964. In April 1970, as part of a rationalisation process,
3382-540: The Nine in 1939. In May 1936, W. E. Bullock, who had been managing director from 1919 together with his son, general manager from 1931, resigned following criticism from the shareholders at their annual general meeting. No longer viable, Singer & Co Limited was dissolved in December 1936 and what had been its business was transferred to a new company, Singer Motors Limited. In 1938, the three-bearing 9 hp (6.7 kW) OHC engine of 1,074 cc (65.5 cu in)
3471-482: The Riley Cycle Company changed its name to Riley (Coventry) Limited as William Riley focused it on becoming a wire-spoked wheel supplier for the burgeoning motor industry, the detachable wheel having been invented (and patented) by Percy and distributed to over 180 motor manufacturers, and by 1912 the father's business had also dropped automobile manufacture in order to concentrate capacity and resources on
3560-525: The Riley was marketed as the more performance-oriented option, having an uprated engine, twin SU carburettors , and a close-ratio gearbox. With its good handling, compact, sports-saloon styling and well-appointed interior, the One-Point-Five quite successfully recaptured the character of the 1930s light saloons. At the top of the Riley range for April 1959 was the new Riley 4/Sixty-Eight saloon. Again, it
3649-534: The Ten and Twelve saloons all returned to production with little change. In 1948, Singer's first streamlined car appeared, the SM1500 (designed by Technical Director Shorter ), which featured coil spring IFS. and a separate chassis, still using the SOHC 1500cc engin; It was, however, expensive, at £799, and hopes it would save the company proved in vain. The SM1500 was given a traditional radiator grille and renamed
Riley MPH - Misplaced Pages Continue
3738-509: The area, but the Riley Engine 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 Riley Engine Company expanded the next year. William Riley reversed his former opposition to his sons' preference for motorised vehicles and Riley Cycle halted motorcycle production in 1907 to focus on automobiles. Bicycle production also ceased in 1911. In 1912,
3827-479: The axle at the rear. Large, fifteen-inch drum brakes were used. Elegant bodywork was mainly of aluminium built over a traditional wood frame and featured a long bonnet, front wings flowing into running boards and a short, rounded tail. The windscreen could fold flat to reduce air resistance. A choice of three sizes of the six-cylinder engine was available, 1458 cc, 1633 cc or 1726 cc fitted with triple or more usually twin SU carburettors . The engines had
3916-487: The business, and formed a new company, Riley Motors Limited. However, in spite of the announced intention to be wound up, Riley (Coventry) Limited, perhaps for tax reasons, continued under the management of Victor Riley presumably with the necessary consents of debenture holders (part paid) creditors (nothing) and former shareholders (nothing). Nuffield passed ownership to his Morris Motors Limited for £100. Along with other Morris Motors subsidiaries Wolseley and MG , Riley
4005-405: The company, resulting in further consolidation of its financial position". Mr Victor Riley then said this did not mean that the company would cease its activities. On 30 September, Victor Riley announced that Riley (Coventry) Limited would be wound up but it would appear that the proceeds of liquidation would be insufficient to meet the amount due to debenture holders. Nuffield paid £ 143,000 for
4094-498: The concerns of the marque's loyal customers by re-introducing the Kestrel 2.5 litre Sports Saloon in updated form, but as the factory was turned over to wartime production, this was a short-lived development. After the war, Riley installed the old engines in new models, based in concept on the 1936–38 'Continental', a fashionable 'notchback' design whose name had been changed prior to release to 'Close-Coupled Touring Saloon' owing to feared objections from Rolls-Royce. The 1.5-litre engine
4183-456: The directors placed Riley (Coventry) Limited and Autovia in voluntary receivership. On 10 March the Triumph board announced merger negotiations had been dropped. It was announced on 9 September 1938 that Lord Nuffield had bought the assets and goodwill of Riley Motors (Coventry) Limited from the receiver, and that on completion he would transfer ownership to Morris Motors Limited "on terms which will show very considerable financial advantage to
4272-542: The drive was a publicity stunt developed by her partner George Wilkin Browne to help sell the cars at his Llandudno garage, North Wales Silver Motors. The cars were advertised for sale for £195. Production was suspended for the First World War , then resumed afterward. Except for detail changes, the engine remained the same until the Ten ended production in 1923; the chassis was redesigned in 1921. The two-seater
4361-407: The economy, mass-market brand, and Wolseley the luxury marque. Aside from their small saloons, MG largely offered performance cars, especially with their open sportsters, while Riley sought to be both sporty and luxurious. With Wolseley also competing for the top position, however, the range was crowded and confused. The confusion became more acute in 1952 with the merger of Nuffield and Austin as
4450-424: The emergence of SS Cars at Coventry was a direct challenge. Disagreements between the Riley brothers about the future direction of the enterprise grew. Victor Riley had set up a new ultra-luxury concern, Autovia , to produce a V8 saloon and limousine to compete with Rolls-Royce . By contrast, Percy, however, did not favour an entry into the luxury market, and the Riley Engine Company had been renamed PR Motors to be
4539-446: The engine configuration was extended into a larger 12 horsepower '4', six-cylinder and even V8 versions, powering an increasingly confusing range of touring and sports cars. The soundness and longevity of the engine design is illustrated by Mike Hawthorn 's early racing success after WW2 in pre-war Rileys, in particular his father's Sprite. By about 1936, however, the business had overextended, with too many models and few common parts, and
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#17327718727954628-417: The first mechanically operated inlet valve. By 1899, Percy Riley moved from producing motorcycles to his first prototype four-wheeled quadricycle. Little is known about Percy Riley's first motor car. It is, however, well attested that the engine featured mechanically operated cylinder valves at a time when other engines depended on the vacuum effect of the descending piston to suck the inlet valve(s) open. That
4717-472: The industry, as modern as the hour." Riley grew rapidly through the 1920s and 1930s. The Riley Engine Company produced 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder engines, while Midland built more than a dozen different bodies. Riley models at this time included: Introduced in 1926 in a modest but innovatively-designed fabric bodied saloon, Percy Riley's small capacity Riley 9 engine was a high revving unit; ground-breaking and ahead of its time in many respects. It has been called
4806-479: The last Singer rolled off the assembly line, almost 100 years after George Singer built the first cycle. The last car to carry the Singer name was an upmarket version of the rear engined Hillman Imp called the Chamois. With the take over of Rootes by Chrysler begun in 1964 and completed in 1967, many of the brands were set to vanish and use of the Singer name ended in 1970. The site of the Singer factory in Coventry
4895-418: The most significant engine development of the 1920s. It has hemispherical combustion chambers and inclined overhead valves, with twin camshafts set high in the cylinder block, and valves operated by short pushrods. This provided power and efficiency without the servicing complexity of an overhead camshaft layout. It soon attracted the attention of tuners and builders of 'specials' for sporting purposes. One such
4984-560: The new Sports Nine Sports , which made its debut at the London Motor Show that same year; it featured a two-bearing crankshaft engine of 972cc, which gave the car its name. Owing to manufacturing difficulties of the new bodywork, the "9" engine was fitted to a number of Junior chassis' as a stopgap until the production cars were ready, which gave rise to the incredibly rare "Junior-Nine". The production numbers are unknown, and only 8 are known to have survived. And in 1933, The Nine
5073-471: The only motorcycle engine of its era with reliable ignition. These were fitted to bicycles. The design was used by Singer & Co in the rear wheel and then the front wheel of a trike. In 1904, he developed a range of more conventional motorcycles which included 346 cc two strokes and, from 1911, side-valve models of 299 cc and 535 cc. In 1913 Singer & Co offered an open-frame ladies model. Singer & Co stopped building motorcycles at
5162-476: The outbreak of the First World War . In 1909, Singer & Co built a series of racers and roadsters and entered several bikes in races, including the Isle of Man Senior TT in 1914. George E. Stanley broke the one-hour record at Brooklands race track on a Singer motorcycle in 1912, becoming the first ever rider of a 350 cc motorcycle to cover over 60 miles (97 km) in an hour. Singer's first tricar
5251-504: The pedal cycle craze that swept Britain at the end of the 19th century William Riley Jr. who had interests in the textile industry purchased the business and in 1896 incorporated a company to own it named The Riley Cycle Company Limited. Later, cycle gear maker Sturmey Archer was added to the portfolio. Riley's middle son, Percy, left school in the same year and soon began to dabble in automobiles . He built his first car at 16, in 1898, secretly, because his father did not approve. It featured
5340-525: The rear axle. The Ten was the company's first big seller. The same year, two years after George Singer's death, the "bicycle wheel" radiator emblem was deleted. That year's primary product was a 16/20, powered by a White & Poppe engine. The use of their own power plants spread through the range until by the outbreak of the First World War all models except the low-volume 3.3-litre 20 hp were so equipped. The Ten's performance attracted interest from former racing cyclist Lionel Martin , who bought
5429-402: The saloon versions, which continued in production into the mid-1950s. Nuffield removed Victor Riley in 1947. In early 1949 the Coventry works were made an extension of Morris Motors' engine branch. Riley production was consolidated with MG at Abingdon . Wolseley production was moved to Cowley. Nuffield's marques were then organised in a similar way to those of General Motors : Morris was
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#17327718727955518-522: The top of the price range was the £480 Charles Frederick ‘C F’ Beauvais-designed Kaye Don saloon, built on the Silent-Six platform. Hydraulic brakes were standard, except for the Kaye Don, which relied on servo-boosted Dewandre brakes. A sliding sunshine roof was also available. In 1932, Leo J. Shorter became chief engineer (by 1940, technical director ). He and two other designers created
5607-486: The top-priced saloon and a "waterfall" grille, which lent the car its common name. The range continued in a very complex manner using developments of the ohc Junior engine, with an 848 cc (51.7 cu in), the Ten, the sidevalve 1,476 cc (90.1 cu in) 12/6, the sidevalve 18/6 (now 2,041 cc (124.5 cu in)), and the OHV Silent-Six (now 2,180 cc (133 cu in)). At
5696-506: The track was increased. One other model was a fabric-bodied convertible saloon , the Sun . The redesign left Singer with a few hundred older chassis, which the company bodied and sold as Deliverys , at £180. Toward the end of the year, a privateer ran a two-seat Junior up Porlock Hill one hundred times in fifteen hours, which moved Singer to rename that model the Porlock. In 1929,
5785-433: The traditional Riley arrangement of twin camshafts mounted high in the crankcase. Aluminium alloy connecting rods were used. The 1726 engine had an output of 56.8 PS (56.0 bhp) (41.8 kW) at 4800 rpm. Drive was to the rear wheels through a choice of either a four-speed manual "crash" gear box or an ENV pre-selector gearbox supplied by Armstrong Siddeley . The top speed of the 17 hp (1726 cc) engined version
5874-402: The war, the Riley companies were restructured. Nero joined Riley (Coventry) as the sole producer of automobiles. Riley Motor Manufacturing under the control of Allan Riley became 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
5963-460: The wheels. Exploitation of this new and rapidly expanding lucrative business sector made commercial sense for William Riley, but the abandonment of his motorcycle and then of his automobile business which had been the principal customer for his sons' Riley Engine Company enforced a rethink on the engine business. In early 1913, Percy was joined by three of his brothers (Victor, Stanley, and Allan) to focus on manufacturing entire automobiles. The works
6052-430: Was Britain's businesswoman of the year in 1960. By 1937 Riley began to look to other manufacturers for partnerships. A contract with Briggs Motor Bodies of Dagenham to provide all-steel bodies for a cheaper, more mass-market saloon had already turned sour, with dozens of unsold bodies littering the factory. It had withdrawn from works racing after its most successful year, 1934, although it continued to supply engines for
6141-428: Was Britain's third largest car maker after Austin and Morris . Singer, restricted by a built-in site, acquired other companies for factory space. In 1926, they made 9,000 cars. In 1929, with seven factories and 8,000 employees, they produced 28,000 cars, though having just 15% they trailed far behind Austin and Morris which shared 60% of the market. Hampered by their new acquisitions, the cost of new machinery and
6230-471: Was a British motor vehicle manufacturing business, originally a bicycle manufacturer founded as Singer & Co by George Singer , in 1874 in Coventry , England. Singer & Co's bicycle manufacture continued. From 1901 George Singer's Singer Motor Co made cars and commercial vehicles. Singer Motor Co was the first motor manufacturer to make a small economy car that was a replica of a large car, showing
6319-507: Was a badge-engineered version of other BMC models. The steering was perhaps the worst feature of the car, being Austin-derived cam and peg rather than the rack and pinion of the One-Point-Five. Overall, it could not provide the sharp and positive drive associated with previous Rileys, being based on the modest Austin Cambridge and Morris Oxford . Sharing many features with the similarly upmarket MG Magnette Mark III and Wolseley 15/60 , it
6408-509: Was acquired by his Rootes Group in 1956, which continued the brand until 1970, a few years following Rootes' acquisition by the American Chrysler corporation. George Singer began his bicycle-making business in Coventry in 1874. At the time, he was foreman of the Coventry Sewing Machine Company , from which he resigned. He was joined in the business by J. E. Stringer, his brother-in-law. It appears Singer
6497-670: 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 Riley refocusing on the under-2-litre market segment. Riley and Wolseley were linked in small cars as well. Launched in 1957, the Riley One-Point-Five and Wolseley 1500 were based on the unused but intended replacement for the Morris Minor . They shared their exteriors, but
6586-511: Was also offered with "aerodynamic" Airstream coachwork ; the name was given independent of the Chrysler . Independent front suspension was added to the Nine in 1935, while the larger models got Fluidrive transmissions. The new two litre Sixteen debuted that year as well, also with IFS. The Nine became the Bantam in 1935, which also debuted at the London Motor Show; it was a close copy of
6675-476: Was approximately 90 mph (145 km/h). The exact number made is not known, but is believed to be around 15, and it was expensive at £ 550. Numerous replicas have, however, been made. Fourteen original cars are thought to survive. Riley (automobile) Riley was a British motorcar and bicycle manufacturer from 1890. Riley became part of the Nuffield Organization in 1938 and
6764-459: Was demonstrated some years later when Benz developed and patented a mechanically operated inlet valve process of their own but were unable to collect royalties on their system from British companies; the courts were persuaded that the system used by British auto-makers was based on the one pioneered by Percy, which had comfortably anticipated equivalent developments in Germany. In 1900, Riley sold
6853-533: Was engineer and driver J.G. Parry-Thomas , who conceived the Riley 'Brooklands' (at first called the '9' Speed Model) in his workshops at the Brooklands racing circuit in Surrey. After Parry-Thomas was killed during a land speed record attempt in 1927, his close collaborator Reid Railton stepped in to finish the job. Officially backed by Riley, the Brooklands, along with later developments and variations such as
6942-508: Was inspired to produce a bicycle safer than the Ordinary ( penny-farthing ) type standard at the time, by cyclist George Dominy. Singer did not alter the large front and small rear wheel design of the Ordinary, but by raking the front forks (a first) did make it safer. He patented the design on 24 October 1878. He followed this with an 1879 model having a large rear wheel and small front wheels which could be folded aside. and in 1885 with
7031-592: Was installed in the RMA , and the Big Four was installed in the RMB . Both engines, being derived from pre-war models, lent themselves as power units for specials and new specialist manufacturers, such as Donald Healey . The RM series, sold under the "Magnificent Motoring" slogan, became a re-affirmation of Riley values in both road behaviour and appearance. 'Torsionic' front independent suspension and steering design inspired by
7120-471: Was introduced, the three speed gearbox only had synchro between 2nd and top. From 1938 to 1955, Singer Motors Ltd supplied new OHC engines (a few 9HP, a 10HP and numerous 12 HPs plus 4-speed gearboxes) for fitment to HRG Engineering Company 's sports cars at Tolworth, Surrey - these replaced the 1.5 litre Meadows engines fitted to earlier cars. After the Second World War , the new Roadster and
7209-525: Was joined by a new 14 hp (10 kW) six-cylinder, a 1.5 Horsepower six-cylinder, and a 2-Liter six-cylinder, while the Junior was dropped and the new sidevalve-engined 12 displaced the Ten. The Sports Nine was "an immediate success" among trials racers, and Singer entered a specially-prepared version at Le Mans , which led to the Nine being commonly called the Le Mans. Singer earned an "excellent reputation" in racing before three works Nines appeared at
7298-404: Was later promoted as a member of the Nuffield Organization . Riley Motors Limited seems to have begun trading at the end of the 1940s when Riley (Coventry) Limited disappeared. Nuffield quickly took measures to firm up the Riley business. Autovia was discontinued, having built only 35 cars. Riley refocused on the 4-cylinder market with two engines: A 1.5-litre 12 hp engine and the "Big Four",
7387-602: 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 business, 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. In 1918, after
7476-633: Was merged into the British Leyland Motor Corporation in 1968. In July 1969 British Leyland announced the immediate end of Riley production, although 1969 was a difficult year for the UK automotive industry and many cars from Riley's inventory may have been first registered in 1970. Today, the Riley trademark is owned by BMW . The business began as the Bonnick Cycle Company of Coventry , England. In 1890 during
7565-468: Was priced at £395. In 1921, Singer purchased motorcycle and cyclecar maker Coventry Premier , selling a four-wheeler of their design, powered by a 1,005 cc (61.3 cu in) water-cooled V-twin , for £250, under that name until 1924. The engine was changed to a four-cylinder Singer in 1922, but the car ceased production in 1923. In 1922, Singer's first six-cylinder was a 1,999 cc (122.0 cu in) of 15 hp (11 kW), with
7654-417: Was replaced by another tricar, which had two front wheels and a driven rear, more horsepower, and a coachbuilt body, but with the passenger now in front of the driver. Muriel Hind drove a Singer Tricar in the 1906 Land's End to John O'Groats Trial, with aviation pioneer Hilda Hewlett as her passenger and mechanic. She also drove a tricar in the twenty four hour London to Edinburgh Trial, again with
7743-537: Was replaced in 1906 by White & Poppe engines in Singer's two light car models. These were a 7 hp (5.2 kW) twin and a 12/14 four-cylinder. These were joined by a White & Poppe-engined Doctor's Brougham and two Auster -powered tourers , a 12/14 and a 20/22. For 1907, the Lea-Francis design was dropped and a range of two-, three- and four-cylinder models was launched, using White and Poppe engines. The Aster engined models were dropped in 1909 and
7832-787: Was the Tri- Voiturette . It was powered by a 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 hp (1.9 kW) engine, and offered in two models, the No. 1 (passenger facing backward) and Mo. 2 (passenger facing forward); both fitted the passenger seat well behind the rear axle. At the 1902 Cordingly Show, at the Islington Agricultural Hall, Singer showed two commercial variants of the Tri-Voiturette, the Motor Carrier, one for tradesmen, one for dairymen. The Tri-Voiturette
7921-594: Was the most luxurious of the versions, which were all comfortable and spacious, and (nominally) styled by Farina . In 1961 the car was refreshed, along with its siblings, and rebadged as the 4/Seventy-Two . 1961 saw the introduction of the Riley Elf based on the original Mini. Again, a Wolseley model, the Hornet, was introduced simultaneously. This time, the Riley and Wolseley versions differed visually by their grilles, but were mechanically identical. The final Riley of
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