1954 Riley RME 1.5

Description

• AT AUCTION – Please click HERE
• Featured in The TV Series ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘The Royal’
• Photographic record of older resto
• Long term ownership
• From a deceased estate

Released in 1952, the Riley RME was an improved RMA. It used the 1.5 litre inline-four and featured a hydraulic braking system. An RME tested by The Motor magazine in 1952 had a top speed of 75 mph.

History and background

Ron owned the Riley for 35 years. After suffering traumatic burn injuries in 1987, Ron looked for a way to help with his recovery. Being a VBRA panel beater, sprayer and mechanic, he figured he would follow his heart and take on a classic restoration project. Having owned a Riley RME when he was just 21 years old, he searched high and low for one that he could fettle with in his workshop. Twenty-five miles away, in Stanley, a Mr Dobson was looking to rehome LAJ 537. A deal was done, and Ron trailered the Riley RME back to the workshop. You’ll see from the restoration photographs in the image gallery that LAJ 537 was nowhere near the car it is today. Ron certainly had a project on his hands! Fast forward two years, and the restoration was almost complete. Five more years of tinkering to get the Riley just how he wanted, and Ron was ready to show the world his amazing achievement.

Since 1997 the Riley RME has been used to ferry blushing brides to the church, appeared in TV series The Royal and starred in the period drama Heartbeat.

Sadly, Ron passed away two years ago. Until now, the family haven’t felt like they could let go of LAJ 537 as it holds too many precious memories, but they know that Ron would hate the car to be sat in a garage, unseen for years. So here we are. The Riley has been lightly recommissioned and is ready to grace the roads once again.

Outside.

A curvaceous, sleek 4-door saloon, with seating for five people. The steel-frame chassis supports the low-slung coach-built body, sporting a “leather top” roof covering. The attractive blue paint scheme suits the wonderful flowing lines of the Riley and is believed to be its original colour. You can see from the images that the paint has been matched to the colour on the bulkhead.

There are numerous photographs in the history folder documenting all the work. Flicking through the photographs, you cannot fail to be impressed at the result.

The Riley was tucked away for a couple of years and kept under a cover. It appears the cover may have sweated and left micro dots on areas across the car. The boot lid being the worst, please do study the photographs.

The brightwork, as you can see, is all good. The imposing front grille and headlamps top off a wonderful looking classic car.

Inside

Step inside the cabin of the 1954 Riley RME, and you’re instantly transported to an era where luxury meant leather, wood, and attention to detail. The burl walnut dashboard, housing the stunning dials and resplendent with its polished veneer, evokes an ambiance of years gone by.

The three-spoke steering wheel rests comfortably in your hands, providing a tactile connection to the road ahead. Every knob and switch feel like a work of art, a testament to the uncompromising craftsmanship of this era.

We understand the original interior has been refurbished rather than torn out and replaced. They are only original once. The blue carpet looks new, though. We spotted a small crack in the dash and minor splits on a seat. That isn’t bad, is it? Either way, it looks a wonderful place to be.

Mechanicals

Under the hood, the 1954 Riley RME conceals a heart of precision engineering. The robust inline-four pot engine purrs to life with a gentle twist of the key, delivering a refined and responsive performance. The images indicate it has clearly been looked after.

• There is a plaque on the engine declaring this is a “BMC replacement unit”
• At the front are double wishbones, longitudinal torsion bars and telescopic shock absorbers
• Rack and pinion steering
• Four speed manual gearbox

This set-up gave the car exceptional road holding, not surpassed until the modern era.

The history folder includes the current V5, two older V5s, several MOT certificates, images of the restoration, invoices, receipts and a photograph of the Riley with its original owner.

Our view

Charming pre-war looks, married to post-war road manners. It may look old-school, but the Riley RM was Britain’s first new post-war car that wasn’t just a reworked Thirties design. As a result, these stylish saloons are surprisingly modern to drive, with their Girling brakes, torsion bar front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering. Easy to maintain and capable of a useful turn of speed in modern traffic.

Owning a classic like a Riley RME isn’t just owning a car; it’s becoming a custodian of history, a curator of automotive elegance, and a connoisseur of timeless style. Happy Bidding.

Vehicle Location: Tadcaster, North Yorkshire LS24 – it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendors.

Would like to arrange a viewing or have a question about this Riley RME 1.5? Please contact us at team@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

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The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

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