RILEY SPECS - NUFFIELD

as Old as the Industry, as modern as the Hour

Chassis Numbers

Many of the specifications pages refer to Chassis Numbers for certain elements of the information. As a result I have felt it necessary to include a page to help decipher the Chassis Number of your car. In many cases, this will also allow you to identify the original engine and bodystyle that the car carried.

post-Takeover (Nuffield) Rileys
When Nuffield acquired Riley in 1938, they immediately set about restructuring the range. Within months, all of the original Riley models were permanently discontinued (in reality, few had been produced for a number of months), being replaced by a new Riley developed Saloon and Drophead on each of the 12/4 and 16/4 chassis. The Saloon bore a very strong resemblance to the outgoing Adelphi, which had proved the strongest seller at the end, while the Drophead was a new design.
After a number of customer requests, the Kestrel was relaunched with the larger engine, most examples probably used stockpiled bodies and components.
General SpecificationProduction Figures

12hp Models

Riley 12hp Saloon 4-door Saloon. (1939-40)
Riley 12hp DHC 2-door DHC. (1939-40)

16hp Models

Riley 16hp Kestrel 4-door Fastback Saloon. (1939-40)
Riley 16hp Saloon 4-door Saloon. (1939-40)
Riley 16hp DHC 2-door DHC. (1939-40)