Bmc Riley 1.5
Built: 1957–1965 · Series: Other models
More machines from model year 1957
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BMC Riley 1.5 – key facts: sportier-trimmed Riley version of a shared British Motor Corporation platform with twin carburettors and wood dashboard trim, built from 1957 to 1965
Riley was a British car marque that, within the British Motor Corporation alongside Austin, Morris, MG and Wolseley, served as a separate badge for more sportingly tuned versions of shared platforms. The Riley 1.5 was part of this badge-sharing practice, in which the same bodyshell was sold under several names with different trim.
Read on 3 more paragraphs
The Riley 1.5 was built from 1957 to 1965. Within the British Motor Corporation, the Riley version of a shared platform was typically the sportier one: sharper steering, a twin-carburettor engine giving more power than the plainer mass-market siblings, and a more upmarket interior with wood trim on the dashboard, characteristic of the Riley marque.
As a four-cylinder mid-size car of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Riley 1.5 was a unitary-construction saloon with a front engine and rear-wheel drive, typical of this class in Britain. The twin-carburettor set-up of the Riley version targeted buyers wanting a livelier drive than the base versions of its sister marques, without giving up a four-door family car.
Buying such a car second-hand, the condition of the unitary bodyshell matters most: rust on sills, wheel arches and floor pans is the rule rather than the exception for British steel bodies of this generation. The twin carburettors need carefully balanced tuning, or fuel consumption suffers and idling becomes rough, and the supply of Riley-specific chrome trim and badges is considerably tighter than for the visually identical mass-market siblings.
Sources: SpecCodex-Register: Kennwerte des Modells Riley 1.5
Technical data
Engine
| Engine | 1489 cc L B-Series Straight-4correct |
|---|
Dimensions and weights
| Length | 152 in)correct |
|---|---|
| Width | 60.5correct |
| Height | 59.5correct |
| Wheelbase | 86correct |
| Unladen weight | 2,072correct |
Drivetrain and chassis
| Gearbox | 4-speed manual gearbox; synchromesh on top 3 ratioscorrect |
|---|
Origin and approval
| Assembly plants | United Kingdom; Victoria Park, Australiacorrect |
|---|---|
| Body | 4-door salooncorrect |
| Vehicle class | midsize carcorrect |
Other data
| Predecessor | Riley RME/Wolseley 15/50correct |
|---|---|
| Successor | Riley Kestrel/Wolseley 1100/1300correct |
Frequently asked questions
When was the Bmc Riley 1.5 built?
Production years: 1957–1965.
What to check before buying
- Check the hour meter against the service records — a replaced instrument is the most common gap.
- Compare the data plate and chassis number with the papers.
- Shift the gearbox cold and warm — jumps only show up at temperature.
- Ask about parts availability for this build year — the running costs hang on it.
A general list for this type of machine — no substitute for an inspection or an appraiser.
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