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Parent Category: R

Category: Riley

Riley 8/90 Adelphi,Kestrel motor car history from 1937

Make:	Riley
Designation:	8/90 Adelphi,Kestrel
Production period:	1935
Class :	Luxury car
Body versions :	Saloon,Roadster
Engines:	Petrol 2.2 liters

The Riley 8/90 was a car by Riley made only in 1935   .

History

It was a top-of-the-range vehicle that Riley launched in 1935. The first British produced V8 OHV engine was constructively formed from two four-cylinder engines of the type 9 at a 90 degree angle , had 2178 cc displacement and made 80 bhp (59 kW). The Adelphi saloon had a 9 foot chassis.The Kestrel Roadster reached a top speed of 131 km / h.

After a short time (in the same year) the model was discontinued because it was not very successful. As a successor appeared in 1937, the Riley 2 1/2 .

General Specification

Engine type: 2.2 liters V8
Engine Detail: Bore 60.32mm Stroke 95.22mm
Engine size: 2178 CC
Power: 80HP
Gearbox: Preselector 4-speed Armstrong Siddeley
Length:4356 mm
Width: 1556 mm
Wheelbase: 2858 mm
Curb weight: 1575 kg
Brakes: Girling Drums
Drive: Rear wheel drive

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Parent Category: R

Category: Riley

 Riley Nine Brooklands

Overview
Manufacturer	Riley
Production	1927 to 1931
Body and chassis
Class	Sports
Layout	Roadster
Powertrain
Engine	1087 cc
Transmission	Four-speed manual

 

 Riley Nine Brooklands', Great Britain from 1927 to 1931

The Riley Cycle Company of Coventry, Warwickshire, built their first car as a small single-cylinder voiturette with belt-drive. It did not enter production. In 1900 they began production in a modest way, building motor tricycles ; tricars with simple engines contiliued great Welsh driver-engineer J. G. Parry in production until 1907.

Later models used a Thomas was working on the Brooklands 1034 cc V -twin engine and it was this unit sports version of the Riley Nine, and after which powered the first four-wheeled Riley Parry Thomas died attacking the Land Speed cars. Through the twenties Rileys grew in Record at Pendine Sands in March 1927 the sophistication and performance and in 1927 work was continued by Reid Railton. there was even a supercharged version of the The Brooklands Nine became the epitome Redwing available of the British sports car, with low-slung and Then Percy Riley introduced his advanced rakish lines, an almost horizontal steering and sophisticated Nine model. The prototype column and flaring front wings.

The specialist Riley Nine was announced in the summer of firm of Thomson & Taylor assembled the 1926 and justifiably caused a sensation. Its first few cars actually at Brooklands, but Riley engine was a 1087 cc, 32 bhp four-cylinder unit later took over production themselves.

With in which the camshafts controlling valve high-compression pistons and high-lift cam opening were situated high in the engine flanks profiles the Brooklands' power was boosted but not overhead, actuating the inclined from the Touring Nine's 32 bhp to 50 bhp at valves through short pushrods, combined 5000 rpm. The Brooklands Nine could achieve with a cylinder head featuring hemispherical 80 mph easily, making it a true match for the combustion chambers—known as the 'PR French Salmson and Amilcar opposition, Head' after Percy Riley himself. This unit and it was to achieve a long and noble record was to remain the basis of Riley production of competition success. until as late as 1957. By the end of 1926 the Non-standard approach to the TT in demonstrated during Ille 1928 lace by this Riley Nine.

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Parent Category: R

Category: Riley

Riley Elf

1961 to 1969
Overview
Also called	Austin Mini  Morris Mini Wolseley Hornet
Production	1961 - 1969
Assembly	United Kingdom
Designer	Sir Alec Issigonis
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door saloon
Powertrain
Engine	850 cc (0.9 l) I4 997 cc (1.0 l) I4 998 cc (1.0 l) I4 1,071 cc (1.1 l) I4 1,275 cc (1.3 l) I4

 

Built as more luxurious versions of the Mini, both the Wolseley Hornet and the Riley Elf had longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots that gave the cars a more traditional three-box design. Wheelbase of the Elf and Hornet remained at 2.036 m (6.68 ft), whereas the overall length was increased to 3.27 m (10.7 ft). This resulted in a dry weight of 638 kg (1,407 lb)/642.3 kg (1,416 lb) (rubber/hydrolastic suspension) for the Elf and 618 kg (1,362 lb)/636.4 kg (1,403 lb) for the Hornet respectively.The distribution of weight to the front axle, 40 % and rear axle 60 %.

Front-end treatment, which incorporated each marque's traditional upright grille design (the Hornet's grille with a lit "Wolseley" badge), also contributed to a less utilitarian appearance. The cars had larger-diameter chrome hubcaps than the Austin and Morris Minis, and additional chrome accents, bumper overriders and wood-veneer dashboards. The Riley was the more expensive of the two cars. The name "Wolseley Hornet" was first used on a 1930s sports car, while the name "Elf" recalled the Riley Sprite and Imp sports cars, also of the 1930s. The full-width dashboard was a differentiator between the Elf and Hornet. This dashboard was the idea of Christopher Milner the Sales Manager for Riley. Both the Riley Elf's and Wolseley Hornet's bodies were built at Fisher & Ludlow under their "Fisholow" brandname. Plates in the engine compartment on the right side fitch plate bear evidence of this speciality. Very early Mark I versions of both cars (e.g. press photo of 445MWL) had no overriders on the bumpers and a single piece front wing (A-panel and wing in one piece, no outside seam below scuttle panel) that was soon given up again, allegedly due to cost.fuel tank capacity: 5.50 imp gat, 6.60 US gal, 25 1.

The Elf's and Hornet's special bumper overriders first appeared in 1962. Early production Mark Is also had a combination of leather and cloth seats (Elf R-A2S1-101 to FR2333, Hornet W-A2S1-101 to FW2105) whereas all later models had full leather seats. Mark I models were equipped with single leading shoe brakes on the front.

Both the Elf and the Hornet went through three versions. Initially, they used the 848 cc (51.7 cu in) 34 bhp (25 kW) engine (engine type 8WR) with a single HS2 carburettor, changing to a single HS2 carburettor 38 bhp (28 kW).

PERFORMANCE:848 cc

• Engine Capacity 51.86 cu in, 848 cu cm;
• Fuel Consumption 42.1 m imp gal, 35.1 m US gal, 6.7 1 x 100 km
• Max Speed 64 mph, 103 km h
• max power (SAE): 37 hp at 5500 rpm
• max torque (SAE): 44 1b ft, 6.1 kgm at 2900 rpm
• max number of engine rpm: 5500

version of the Cooper's 998 cc (60.9 cu in) power unit (engine type 9WR) in the Mark II in 1963. This increased the car's top speed from 71 to 77 mph (114 to 124 km/h) . Therefore, Mark II cars also came with increased braking power in the form of front drum brakes with twin leading shoes to cope with the increased power output.

Both Mark I and Mark II featured four-speed, gearboxes (three synchromesh gears) with rod gear change, a.k.a. "magic wand" type. Automatic gearboxes became available on the Mark II in 1965 as an option. The Mark III facelift of 1966 brought not only wind-up windows and fresh-air facia vents, but disc brakes replaced front drum brakes, too. Concealed door hinges were introduced two years before these were seen on the mainstream Mini. The gear selecting mechanism was updated to the rod type, as seen on all later Mini type cars. Automatic gearboxes were available to the Mark III in 1967 again. Full-four synchromesh gearing was eventually introduced during 1968. 30,912 Riley Elfs and 28,455 Wolseley Hornets were built. Production ceased in late 1969 when British Leyland discontinued the Riley and Wolseley brand names.

Later Mark III Elf

Vehicle Identification – Serial Number Prefix Letter Code:

• First prefix letter – name: R-Riley, W-Wolseley
• Second prefix letter – engine type: A
• Third prefix letter – body type: 2S – 2-door Saloon
• Fourth prefix – series of model: 1 – 1st series, 2 – 2nd series, 3 – 3rd series
• Fifth prefix (used to denote cars different to standard right hand drive): L – left hand drive

Code example: R-A2S1-154321 (Riley, A type engine, 2 door saloon, 1st series, serial number "154321")

In Film and Television

Riley Elf MkIII in Inspector George Gently TV Series

Riley Elf MkI in The House That Dripped Blood, Movie from 1971.

Details

Parent Category: R

Category: Riley

Riley RMA

1945 to 1952
Overview
Production	1945–52 10,504 produced.
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door saloon
Powertrain
Engine	1.5 L Straight-4
Chronology
Successor	Riley RME

 

The Riley RM Series was the last automobile series developed independently by Riley. RM vehicles were produced from 1945, after the Second World War

For many years the Riley concern was family-owned, but during the 1930s it gradually ran into financial difficulties. In 1938 the Receiver was called in, and in the autumn of that year Lord Nuffield took the company over, for amalgamation into his group. The 1939 models were shortlived, and much influenced by Nuffield thinking. During the war all jigs and tools for these cars were destroyed, so Riley's postwar priority was to get a new car ready for sale.
The RM series of cars was prepared at breakneck speed by Harry Rush's team in Coventry, followed mainly traditional Riley thinking, and were an immediate and lasting success. The first of the range was announced in the late summer of 1945, only three months after the war ended, and deliveries began in the spring of 1946. Basis of the design was a new box-section chassis frame.

112.5in. frame being for the 1496cc engine. Both had torsion bar independent front all pre-war cars had beam front axles) and rack and suspension (a Riley innovation pinion steering. The engines were closely similar, but had different roots in Riley history; both were four-cylinder units, both had two camshafts mounted high in the side of the cylinder block, and both had opposed valves operating in part-spherical cylinder heads. Paradoxically, though they were long-stroke designs which did not rev very freely when standard, their breathing efficiency was very high indeed. At first the traditional Riley torque-tube transmission was a feature, but this was displaced by an open prop-shaft and a hypoid axle in 1952.

Bodies were built by traditional coachbuilt methods by the Morris Bodies Branch factory in Coventry. At first the only body available was a four-door saloon with sleek but rather old-fashioned styling, which included long swept wings and running boards. There was an upstanding Riley radiator, and the headlamps were only partially faired into the front sheet metal; differences in wheelbase were covered by short or long bonnets and front wings. Later, from 1948, a drophead coupe was also offered, along with a two/three-seater Roadster intended for the American market.

The RMA was the first post-war Riley. It used the 1.5 L engine and was equipped with hydro-mechanical brakes and an independent suspension using torsion bars in front. The body frame (not to be confused with the chassis) was made of wood in the English tradition, and the car featured traditional styling.The car was capable of reaching 75 mph (121 km/h). The RMA was produced from 1945 until 1952 when it was replaced by the RME. 

 Bore, stroke and capacity 69 x 100mm., 1496cc. maximum power 55bhp at 4500rpm.; maximum torque 761b.ft. at 3000rpm. No drophead model marketed.