Riley RME

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Riley's four-seater 1.5-litre RMA Saloon was introduced in 1945 with low, streamlined styling and an opulent interior designed to appeal to the more discerning motorist.

The cars were built on separate chassis assemblies with unstressed, ash-framed steel panelwork and a fabric-covered roof. Power came from a 1,496cc overhead valve four-cylinder engine with twin camshafts, mounted high in the cylinder block. Producing 54bhp, it propelled the car to a top speed of 75mph. The running gear was advanced for its time with rack-and-pinion steering and torsion bar independent front suspension.

In 1951 the RMA was replaced by the RME, essentially the same car, but with open prop shaft, hypoid axle, fully hydraulic brakes and a larger rear window. Noted for its outstanding handling, the RME was summed up by Motor magazine as follows: “With its many traditional British features, its good road manners and its excellent build quality and finish, the latest Riley will appeal to discerning drivers whose taste runs to an individual car of very pleasing up-to-date line.” By 1954 it had lost its running boards and gained rear wheel spats, the model continuing in production until the arrival of the new Riley One-Point-Five in 1955.

First registered in Bournemouth in January 1953, this lovely RME has had just seven owners from new (all detailed in the history file) and was one-family-owned from 1968 to 1986. Between 1991 and 2005 the car was kept unused and in storage before being acquired by the previous owner who immediately commenced a full restoration which was to take two years and £7,000 to complete, fully documented in many bills and photos on file. 

As you can see the work was carried out to a high standard and the car still looks good today with a retrimmed red leather interior that perfectly complements the Autumn Red paintwork. The cylinder head has been fitted with hardened valve seats to make it suitable for unleaded fuel and was recently overhauled by Enginetech of Hartlebury. The brakes have also been fully overhauled very recently with new linings and wheel cylinders, the suspension has been rebuilt with new shocks all round and new rear springs, while a new exhaust system has also been fitted.

Since the restoration was completed the car has covered less than 3,000 miles, the odometer being set to zero when it was returned to the road in November 2007. MOT’d until May 2017 (although its age makes it exempt from this test), it drives beautifully as we discovered on a short test drive on the occasion of our visit with a commendably quiet emgine and a smooth ride.

It comes with the aforementioned restoration bills and photos, an original owner’s handbook, a period sales brochure and wiring diagram, two old green log books from 1964 and 1968 plus a modern V5C. A cracking car in all respects, it is ready to enjoy right away.