Riley MPH

The origins of the Riley Company can be traced to 1896 and for a little more than four decades, before they were acquired by the Nuffield Organization, they produced automobiles that were always sporting and innovative. During the early 1930s, the sedans were known as the Merlin or Falcon, or exciting locations such as Monaco or Biarritz, and for customers who wanted to combine sportsmanship with aerodynamics, there was the swept-back tail version called the Kestrel. The open touring body styles had names like Gamecock or Alpine.

The Riley MPH was introduced in 1934 and was based on the Riley IMP. The prototype MPH car was given a six-cylinder engine and mounted on an earlier T.T. chassis. It was clothed in aluminum bodywork similar to the contemporary Alfa Romeos. It was entered in the 1934 Scottish Rally and proved to be a capable contender.

The production versions of the MPH soon followed. They were available with a choice of engines, initially the 12/6 and the 14/6 and later the 12/6 and the 15/6. They were a dynamic vehicle that had stunning looks, impressive performance, innovative design, and even finished 2nd and 3rd at LeMans in 1934.

Approximately sixteen to twenty examples were produced.
By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2009