Riley RMF Saloon

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Low-slung, rakish and elegant, the RM series was the last range of cars to be developed independently by Riley before the 1952 merger of Riley's Nuffield Organisation with Austin to form BMC. Originally made in Coventry, by 1949 production had moved to the MG works at Abingdon.

While the RMA and RME made do with a 1.5-litre engine, the RMB and its successor, the RMF, had the 2.5-litre 'Big-Four' with twin camshafts mounted high at the sides of the cylinder block, hemispherical combustion chambers and twin SU carbs. In RMF form the engine produced 100bhp giving the car a top speed just a whisker shy of the magic ton, driving through a four-speed gearbox linked to a new hypoid bevel rear axle by an open propshaft.

All the RM models were built on separate chassis assemblies with unstressed, ash-framed steel panelwork and a fabric-covered roof, although the RMF had a bigger rear window which improved visibility. The RMF also had fully hydraulic drum brakes rather than the hydro-mechanical system of the earlier cars and featured independent torsion bar front suspension and rack-and-pinion steering which gave excellent ride and handling for the era. In production for less than two years, just 1,050 RMFs were made before it was replaced by the Gerald Palmer-designed Pathfinder in 1954.

This 1953 model appears to have been last MOTd in 1978 having been barn-stored since around that time. The vendor believes that it has lived near his Monmouthshire home for much of its life and it shows just one owner since 1979 in the accompanying old style logbook, although bidders are advised that the registration number is not currently recognised by the DVLA.

It has been running recently, the vendor describing the engine, gearbox, clutch and steering as surprisingly good, although he is unable to confirm that the indicated mileage of 21,000 is genuine. Sold as a full-on restoration project, it nonetheless appears largely complete and looks like a very worthwhile project for the Riley enthusiast with some time on their hands.

Handsome, powerful and with excellent handling and brakes, these late-model RMFs have become highly sought after in recent years, this genuine barn find emerging onto the market after hiding away for nearly 40 years.