Riley’s RM series is usually cited as the last true iteration of the breed (Pathfinder aside!) because the Nuffield Group, which owned the company, permitted it a degree of autonomy into the mid-'50s before the Riley brand was reduced to just another exercise in badge engineering.
Built from 1945-’55, the RM maintained the Coventry company’s proud history in competition by combining traditional British luxury with surprisingly sporty performance that makes it spritely even in today’s traffic.
Available in twin-cam 1496cc and 2443cc four-cylinder guises, the former’s lighter weight was more suited to town and country lanes, while the heavier, faster, 2½-litre machine was better savoured on the open road, thanks to its higher gearing and extra power.
Despite being launched after the allies had seen off Hitler, the RM still sported a pre-war look and was produced using labour-intensive techniques, including an wooden ash frame.
It had some advanced features for the time, though, such as a vee-windscreen, rack-and-pinion steering, and torsion-bar and double-wishbone independent front suspension.
Aside from the extra weight of the engine, the 2½-litre variant necessitated a longer bonnet and beefed-up chassis, brakes, suspension and radiator, all of which blunted the advantage of the power upgrade.
It is easily identified by a grille badge painted a lighter shade of blue than smaller-engined car.
Performance in the 1½-litre was often boosted with twin carbs or by skimming the heads and fitting a larger SU H4 carburettor.
