Supplying this Kestrel was a pleasure, and Steph is an absolute pro. I've been banging on for years about how underrated Rileys are, so it's great to get them out to a wider audience! ❤
@@idriveaclassic They're too busy packing them with user-unfriendly electronics, which are prone to leave you stranded. Riley is a marque that really should still exist.
Wilson Pre Selector has a gear change pedal not a clutch, Only ever driven them on Buses etc absolutely fantastic transmission given what was around at the time.
Well demonstrated. At last a beautiful proper Riley. The engineering on them is second to none. I currently use a 1/1/2 RM, RMB 2 1/2 and a 1933 Lynx. The lynx knocks spots off the MG TB/TC range in terms of road holding. Looks like some steering wander on camera; having driven that model in manual form, I can vouch for their excellent cornering and ease of use. The owner certainly has a good machine ripe for sensitive improvement. I also have run a pre-selector Daimler. Parked just shy of the garage wall once and could not get it started next day. The box needed a little forward creep to engage and the wall stopped it, so I had to struggle to roll it back a bit. You learn the little foibles of classic motoring the hard way at times! Thank you for posting.
Steph, that pedal is not a clutch, it’s a gear change pedal. You need to depress and release it very smartly to effect the change, I believe that Riley has a centrifugal clutch which engages smoothly and quickly as you press the accelerator. If you were releasing the change pedal in the manner of a normal clutch you will get that hesitant start which seemed to be there when you set off. Pre selector gearboxes are pure magic once you really get the hang of them. I also believe that Riley were a brand which never deserved to be killed off. If there was ever a British auto maker who could have effectively challenged the incoming BMW’s, Mercedes,and later the Audis, then that car was a Riley. What a disgrace it was when BMC just badge engineered their wallowmobiles of Farinas into supposed sporting saloons, no wonder true Riley afficianados gave up on them.
So to move off from a standstill, you select first gear, then punch the change pedal, releasing it instantly, then increase the revs using the accelerator pedal, and the car will move off smoothly?
@@autophyte Yes, that’s exactly right. Pressing the change pedal and releasing it actually applies a brake band on an epicyclic gear much as a true automatic box does. If you’re at all hesitant in the action, in particular not depressing the pedal fully, the brake band will catch on the gear but not actually lock on and the pedal will then be propelled back up with all the power of the engine behind it. The usual result is the smashing of your knee against the hard steel rim of a pre war steering wheel. Now, ask me how I know all this!!!
@@malcolmherbert5127 Ouch! Were you maimed for life? Today, that would be cause for legal action and a recall. But I now know how the box worked -epicyclic gears and bands. I was trying to imagine how a gear could be selected in advance with regular gears, countershafts, etc. Thanks for that.
@@autophyte My first car, bought when I was 18, was a 1937 Armstrong Siddeley 14 hp. It had a Wilson pre selector and the aforementioned knee smashing occurred quite a few times. Should you be further interested the antiques expert David Harper has a RU-vid channel and one of his videos is a review, drive, and valuation of one of these cars. I bought it in 1966 for £50 and when I got it home my dad, who was an engineer, went out to look at it. His first words were “the man who sold you that should be in jail”.
I'm 23 and have recently bought a pre-war motor myself. It's great to hear about other young adults picking up this hobby! It fills me with insperation.
A pre-war car owned by a young lady...that's great! Classic car movement needs young people more than anything else. Thank you for another superb video, Steph. Keep it up!
A perfect car to start in. A sporting proper car that can be driven long distances at a good pace, great handling and the saloons are comfortable to take friends out. Most Rileys have been 'tickled' as time went on as into the 1950's they were still a very competitive car compared with a majority of new cars coming out. A lot were converted into racing specials, a trend which continues today. The marque is still respected on the track and the road with new spare parts available including race accessories. Try the early 9 h.p. cars which are just as magical, pre 31 tourers and the Monaco.
This is a very pretty car and your opening sequence really looked like it would have fit right into the era it would have come from. Kudos to the owner for keeping it in such good shape.
'Sometimes seem convoluted' is an understatement. I'm building a vintage Riley, have all the books and am in the register and I can't get them all straight in my head. I think Riley's are underrated cars still which is a good thing since the prices haven't gone as mad as some other makes. The name itself is now owned by BMW I think.
Apart from maybe put some subtle indicators on it for safety reasons, I would not change another detail on that car. I cannot believe just how perfect it is, I am so jealous that you got to drive this one.
As far as I can remember no one in our family has ever owned a Riley, plenty of Austins and Fords though. These are truly beautiful cars and well designed for their time. The pre-selector box is a great thing to have on such a car once you get the hang of it. I think we can deduce that it is easy to drive Steph! No need to apologise for emphasising that. Thank you Steph for a great review and thank you to Alex for taking on such a lovely Motor. It seems to have found a very good home and will be respectfully restored I am sure. 👍👍
A stunner. Riley's were a cut above. I found a box of papers in the loft in a box. One item was a diary of a trip in 1947 by a couple from UK to Lake Como in a Riley. Fascinating insight into a world long gone... sadly! Thanks for posting.
Absolutely gorgeous motor, those pre war Riley's were up with the best, Its great to see young drivers getting into the scene. Knocks spots off a Fiesta or Clio that does, would love a 2 seat sport version of a Sprite.
Great presentation, far better than a lot of know it all blokes. I have loved this car ever since I saw one for sale for £100 back in 1965 ! Thank you.
Amother brillant video and a beautiful car. Its great to see younger people and women taking classic cars on and keeping them on the road. Young people are the future for classics. Well done to all
Lovely car. I had a 1949 1.5ltr RMA in my early 20s, covered about 120,000 miles including in Germany, down France & across Spain also towed a small caravan in the UK. It also had the excellent twin cam crossflow engine, a precise gearchange with manual gearbox, sadly no overdrive, which would have given efoortless 70mph cruising. Had to sell when mortgage rates climbed to 17%!
This has to be one of my favourite videos so far. The car is beautiful. I am extremely envious of Alex, and I wish her all the best with this fabulous motor!
Goodness, what a gem! I’ve long admired Rileys from afar (USA) for their keen styling and sporting attitude, not to mention the neat little details like their valve train design, etc. Excellent episode, Steph!
Fabulous. My neighbour bought an unsavable 1 1/2 and made a single seater special from it which has done extraordinarily well at hillclimbs. 220bhp from that 1500 engine. Great video as ever.
Thank you, Mademoiselle. I'm still French but now I want a Riley! In reality I already loved Rileys before :) but it's the first time I am seduced by the standard version too...
What a beautiful and elegant car, and kudos to the young owner for keeping it on the road and sharing it with the world (I’m half a world away and get to enjoy being introduced to the brand Riley!). It’s incredible to see it on the road and in traffic, I’m sure it puts a smile on many faces!
For some years I had a friend at work who had a collection of Riley 9's that he was restoring. He also had a Daimler Special Sports that had the pre-selector gear change. He let me have a drive and, as you said, it was easy to use and get used to.
Hi Steph, I've watched your videos right from the beginning and enjoy your enthusiasm for classics. I've also watched you gain knowledge over this time and now they are really excellent. You are becoming much more assured and professional in your presentations. Keep it up! I am also fan of preselector gearboxes, I have owned a few ( one a RT Leyland double decker) and they were introduced to make driving easy for stop start driving. You can't stall a preselector! Just one minor correction Steph! The left pedal is not the clutch pedal! It's known as the " gear selector pedal" I'm being picky!! The other one I owned was a Lanchester 14 which was a 4 cylinder version of the Daimler Conquest which had 6 cylinders. Most Daimler, Lanchester and B.S.A's of this era were preselector as well as some Riley's. If you maintained them well the were very reliable, less chance of abuse by the driver due to clutch slipping causing premature wear on normal clutch type gearboxes.
Hats off to Alex for taking on the care of this important piece of automotive history. Thanks to Steph for the very informative vid too - I've learned a lot more than I already knew about these quirky but surprisingly capable cars.
This car is SUCH a BEAUTY! Perfect proportions. I've heard of pre-selector transmissions in some of those hoity-toity French marques, but I had not an inkling that British cars used them, too. Certainly, I've never seen them in operation...until now! You've just made a real reference work in expounding on this car's gearbox. The quiet running of that engine was truly a surprise to me. It's so smooth and well-mannered. Mahalo for yet another fine documentary. There's an urgency, I feel, in recording these cars in operation before events make that unlawful (heaven forefend). This Riley experience is really a rare treat indeed. Aloha!
@@paulqueripel3493 I never got to see any pre-Routemaster buses in London, but I very fondly recall the ones I saw in the 1960s. Can't say I miss the diesel smoke. Haven't lived in London in 42 years, though. I hope those diesel fumes have been long gone in these fine days.
French marques, be they hoity toity or not, were more likely to have the Cotal box. People describe it as a pre selector but it wasn't. It was a semi automatic so you had a clutch to start and then a little lever to change gear. You didn't have to press a pedal as well.
@@jimcabezola3051 the RT was the one in Summer Holiday, similar to the RM route master, but the grille was narrower. They would have still been in use in the 60s.
Hi Steph, I have 1933 Daimler LQ2/20 limo with pre-select gearbox. Allow me to point out something to make your driving experience nicer. The clutch is not a clutch. It engages the gear, you don't slip it. To use properly, place right foot on brake. Engage 1st. Select, Down and Up. The box is a semi automatic and the car will sit in gear stationary. Remove foot from brake, remove handbrake and accelerate. Much easier. Come and drive mine, with free lesson!
Back in the 60's our Family Doctor .." Dr Malcolm" we called Him , had one in Black ,,, & a daily driver ...Flash as you like ... Used to sit in his cars when he visited ...he had a Saab 96 2 Stroke Rally as well ..what days ... 200Kid
That pre select gear box very nice and it would be great at deturing car thief's as the normal manual gearbox. I have never driven a car with a preselect gear box but it looks like a lot of fun also another great review of a great motor car
@@williampratt1066 Now l have riden a motorcycle with a central fugal clutch a Honda CT90 l was a telegram deliverer for the GPO so l could probably get my head around a car with a central fugal clutch
Lovely car, and terrific review Steph. I really like the styling of the RM Rileys, and this one is not far short of them in the looks department. One day, if I get the chance, I would like to get something with those kind of classic lines (my fav's are Citroen Traction Avant, RM Riley's or even a similar era Rover), to go with my "modern classic" (a '93 Ford Fairlane). Thanks again Steph. Cheers!
This brought back very happy memories of my Kestrel of the same vintage. Failure to get that gear change right, and the pedal flew up past it’s stop position and up my trouser leg. Also, the car has wooden floorboards and going through a puddle was a very watery experience… I think the only reason NOT to rev it when you are stationary is in case it’s in gear. There’s nothing to stop you starting the engine when it’s in gear, and if you rev it the car will lurch forwards. This is obviously something that in later years was addressed in normal automatic gearboxes.
Great memories! I avoid revving the car in neutral because the preselector, when in neutral, runs at about 3x the engine RPM! When they lurch forwards or backwards I believe it is because neutral is essentially a mix of first or reverse and the bands are set too far in one favour, thus requiring adjustment 😄
What a beautiful Reilly this is, very cute. Modern cars are so bland, but this has car has character. Great vid as usual Steph, but its so good to hear that Alex owns the car. Always great to hear about young people getting involved in classic cars. I havent seen a Reilly since I lived in Melbourne. Australia
I‘m still amazed that it is okay just to have semaphore trafficators on older cars in the UK (or no mirrors on the outside). Here in Germany, it is a legal requirement to have aftermarket indicators added to your car (you then might enable the original trafficators or just keep them). By the way, hazard warning lights are also mandatory. And: So good to see that pre-war motoring will still be known and executed by younger generations. Thumbs up!
What an absolute treasure! Never seen one, let alone even heard of one before [American]. Glad to see it's out on the road and not stuffed in a museum somewhere.
Beautiful sweeping lines and sleek , made from British steel , not like the clone monsters you see around nowadays & why would anyone want to force these fantastic pieces of engineering from our roads.
While I agree and find these beautiful, most of the cars of the era, on both sides of the pond, looked a great deal like each other. Similar fenders, proportions, layout, radiators were only slightly different yet somehow the distinguishing characteristic of each make.
Total class Steph, beautiful car with a superb interior. I always thought that preselectors were a good idea. The rear signal lights are very tasteful.
What a lovely car. Thanks to people like Alex for keeping them on the road and thanks to Steph for letting those of us (me!) not brave enough to take one on, into their world for a moment. I would love it if you could revisit this one from time to time as it gets restored.
The stalling on this car is so lithe And sleek. We really don’t have an equivalent in American cars pre-war to this in this price range. Thank you for a great video!
What an absolutely fabulous car, love Rileys, such classy cars. That horn was fantastic! I have to really admire Alex for driving and caring for such a truly splendid machine. My Grandfather had a Riley Pathfinder, as well as a Daimler with the Wilson pre-selector. I kind of wish there were still pre-selector boxes available today, they are so lovely. Awesome video Steph, as always; I really do love seeing these vintage machines and hearing those wonderful engine sounds, and the coach built standards they were made to.
