Very rare, last of the high spec Riley 1300 cars, before they were discontinued.

A rare opportunity to acquire a very special little car. Probably one of the most useable and practical classics you can buy.  BMC 1100 & 1300 cars (ADO16) were the best selling cars in Great Britain in the 1960's and were considered a design marvel. they were  considered to be one of the most advanced family motor cars in the World. Despite being a small car on the outside. nbsp;they were remarkably roomy  inside. partly due to the transverse engine layout. They also had hydrolastic suspension which was very advanced for the time and way ahead of conventional suspension systems of the swinging sixties. This innovative suspension produced a really smooth ride over most  road surfaces. ironing out pot holes and the like. British engineering was world class at the time but the BMC team wanted the best for their new babe. so for the body design they turned to Pininfarina styling and design center in Turin Italy. this collaboration. resulted in a best seller.   Despite production numbers of 2. 32. 80 ( All years and models) very few are now left on the road. For a mass produced car they were an  ingenious design. nbsp;unfortunately body protection was not high on the agenda . consequently rust was their biggest enemy. and it was a formidable one. So after 50 or so years of British winters. they have become a very rare sight on the roads of Britain. when I decided to try and find a good one. I considered all the ADO16 derivatives ( They are all good in their own way) 3 cars had what I consider to be the best engine (1300 GT - MG and the MKII Riley 1300) the GT was a bit brash for me  with their bright colour schemes. The vanden plas had the lovely interior. but often had  automatic gearboxes. were heavier and were that much slower.  After a process of elimination I had my heart set on The Riley with its historic motoring legacy. The late MKII Riley has a  factory fitted cooper twin carburetor engine . a close ratio manual gearbox. a leather sports steering wheel  a rev counter. nd excellent  handling . all this made for a spirited drive. in addition to this they had a very nice comfortable  interior with superior sound proofing similar to the Vanden Plas models.  I soon discovered they were as rare as hens teeth. they only made this model for 10 months and produced only 2. 74 in total. production ended in July 1969. The car i'm selling was one of the last. and wasn't registered until April 1970. During my 2 year search. very few Riley 1300s  came up for sale. when they did. they were disappointing body wise. especially a car advertised as being a concourse car. that had some iffy looking welding repairs at some point . and needed more! Then by chance. I came across XNX 67H. before I had a chance to look underneath the car I was invited to drive her. I couldnt believe how crisp everything was . she was very nippy . and handled very well. with no shakes or rattles. the interior was factory fresh. I could see she was solid. and decided there and then to buy her. It wasnt until I got her home a few days later that I wiped the mud off the inner wheel arches and some areas underneath . to my amazement there was no sign of the usual black underseal. just shiny paint . even the rear subframe was shiny. I have owned  several AD016 cars in my time. including my first ever car . and I have never seen such a rust free example  as this . its amazing . When I took her for its first MOT in my ownership . the tester rolled his eyes when he saw what had come in because he remembered them as being. in his words. 'Rot Boxes' when he looked underneath. he said someone must have spent a fortune restoring this car. then as he looked closer and saw the factory spot welds he  realised it had never  been restored. and was even more astounded.  This is genuinely a reluctant sale. I know I could never find another Riley 1300 in this condition. not one that I could afford at least. but as we approach retirement we have decided to move house and will not have room for everything.   I would be happy to answer any questions from fellow enthusiasts. Anyone genuinely interested in bidding on the car would be very welcome to come and have a look at a mutually convenient time. Polite request. please only bid if you genuinely want to buy the car. and have the necessary means to do so.  

Also published at eBay.co.uk

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