1936 Riley - Elegance from a bygone age For Sale

The Riley Merlin was built in Coventry in 1936. This example was one of a batch exported to Australia immediately after manufacture, where it remained until 2014. Its specific history dates back to the early 60s when it was acquired by an enthusiast and brought into regular use. It then underwent a more extensive restoration in the late 80s, after which it was a regular sight at classic car shows and on the roads around Adelaide. The colour scheme with its light colours is typical of Australian cars and ideal for hot and sunny weather. It was imported back into the UK in September 2014 by the present owners.

Bodily the car is in excellent condition; it came from one of the driest parts of Australia and consequently there is no rust. The Merlin has an all-steel body without the usual pre-war wooden frame, so a rust-free example is now comparatively rare. One of the first jobs on its return to the UK was to be undersealed for protection against the British weather.

This car has been garaged since it returned to the UK and only used in the summer. The paintwork dates from the 80s restoration and has minor chips, giving it a patina of age without being tatty. There are no significant dents or damage on the bodywork.

To make this 85-year old car safe for modern traffic, age-sympathetic indicators and brake lights have been fitted. The original trafficators were removed in Australia to comply with legislation, but are in a box of parts that comes with the car.

The interior is in excellent condition with no damage, scratches or scuffs to the seats or carpets. The front seats are adjustable for leg-room. The seats were reupholstered during the 80s restoration using a brown vinyl rexine material which matches the door panels and headlight covers. The sunroof is finished in matching brown vinyl. The windscreen opens for extra ventilation, while vents are also fitted in the front footwells. The doors and boot can be locked, and all windows wind down as they should.

The Art-Deco design of the instrument panel and interior roof light is simply charming. The wooden dashboard and door cappings are original. The steering wheel controls include an advance/ retard lever, hand throttle, indicators and lighting controls as well as the preselector lever. Switches on and under the dashboard control the front spotlight, interior lights and wipers. The white Jaeger gauges include a clock, speedometer, ammeter, and fuel level, oil pressure and water temperature gauges. The mileage reading dates from the full restoration in the 80s.

The spare wheel sits in its own cover on the boot lid, and the rear registration plate light/ brake light is connected via a plug-in connector inside the spare wheel cover. The boot contains an original jack (not recommended for use!), and the boot lid is held in place with leather straps when open. 4 new tyres were fitted in 2015 with fresh inner tubes. There are two spare wire-spoked wheels, both with tightened spokes, and painted to match.

The car is powered by a four-cylinder 1, 496 cc (91. 3 cu in) 12/ 4 engine with an SU carburettor. Designed by Hugh Rose, it was based on the Riley Nine engine but with some significant changes including the cylinder block and crankcase being cast as one unit. It was advanced for its day with twin camshafts mounted high in the engine block, cross flow head on some versions, and an SU carburettor.

The 1500 cc engine can keep up with modern traffic and runs on standard unleaded fuel. The fuel is supplied via a modern fuel pump (concealed under the driver's seat), via a large SU carburettor. The Merlin was one of the earliest cars to be originally fitted with a modern coil ignition system instead of a magneto, and has a standard 12V battery in the boot. There is a master cutoff switch on the rear parcel shelf. The ignition key turns on the power, and the starter is a pushbutton. There are tool storage compartments under the bonnet.

The 4-speed Preselector transmission features the type III automatic centrifugal clutch. If you're new to vintage motoring with this type of transmission, it's simple to use - no need for double-declutching. Simply select the gear you will need next on the steering column lever, and then when ready, sharply press and release the pedal on the floor to engage the gear. The clutch automatically disengages when the engine revs drop below 500 rpm (it's a slow idle), so you can roll to a stop in any gear. To move away again, simply engage 1st while waiting, then press the accelerator and the clutch will re-engage.

The chassis has half-elliptic leaf springs all round and Girling rod brakes are fitted.

All in all, this car offers a fine entry point to vintage motoring and will give its new owner many years of pleasure!

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