Description
This car provides a rare opportunity to buy an untouched, unmolested and intact Riley 12hp from 1940. It's available complete with the dust and cobwebs from decades of storage. It would make a wonderful 'oily rag' car, a great restoration project, or as the basis for a special. Best of all, it's complete, and not the usual assortment of boxes of bits. Nobody has started to restore it, and then abandoned the job. In other words, you won't be left puzzling what someone else has done to it, because nothing has been done to this car, and everything is original.
The engine hasn't been started in my ownership (2020) and prior to that is unknown. I have gently turned the engine using the handle, and there was some movement. I didn't turn any further as all I wanted to ascertain is that it wasn't seized. Similarly, I have found that the opening front screen is free. I have not tried the steel sunroof. The leather seats are in great condition and would clean up nicely. All the doors, boot and bonnet open, and the car rolls freely. The floors and boot floor all look to be sound, and the chassis likewise. I have no idea as to the mileage this car has done.
It will require a trailer to transport.
I would be willing to consider a swap/ part ex for a Jaguar X300 or a Rover P4, as long as they were roadworthy or MOT'd if that is required in the case of a Jaguar. This Riley went into storage in the late 1960's and remained there until 2020. It was recovered with the intention of making it into a roadworthy car. This hasn't happened due to other projects and priorities.
This is a rare car in that production started in 1939, and the outbreak of war meant that production stopped for the duration. After the war, Riley introduced the RM series, so this model had the shortest of all production runs.
To recap, as far as I can tell, everything is present for the next owner. I have the original logbook and a single key.
