The Vintage Sports Car Club of Australia

History of this Vehicle

1951 Powell - Riley 2.5 Litre Special It was with astonishment that John Phillips asked me to say a few words about Ray Powell’s (my father) 2 ½ Riley Special. Particularly, when the car is not truly a Vintage .However, when John explained Ray was an active member and many people knew him and mentioned that, as there were many specials, and varied registers in the club in the 70’s.

 I started to relent.

 He cinched me by adding that an ever-hungry magazine editor would dearly appreciate a contribution.

I could hardly refuse.It is difficult to say when the seeds germinated on this project hobby car.

 Some Lancia parts from Cyril Nichols, put aside for who knows when.

 More than likely a project was in mind but when Kevin Piggott’s brother mentioned a wrecked RMB Riley with spare engine, as my father used to like say, at “the right price”.

I think it was then that, Ray, professionally a design engineer, literally went to the Drawing board.The result 5 years of weekend and when you felt like it work. Voile` a Riley Special !!

 In the flavour of a pre-war car.Many of you I’m sure will recall the car.

Black Fabric Body with Polished Aluminium Bonnet and Cycle Guards.

Sporting 16”X 4½” stainless steel wire wheels. Slab fuel tank.

 Simple but striking.A roadster, 50’s modern pre-war car ?

Completed at the beginning of the 70’s?

Little Sunday hill climb special ?I was just flicking through John Medley’s, excellent Easter Bathurst book recently and thought the Special wouldn’t be out of place. Probably, a little bit of all the above.The car probably would still be being built except for those dam ADR’s the bane of the enthusiast.In detail the Powell Special Has a standard 2 ½ Chassis Cutting 18” from the mid-section then shut.Standard Riley engine and gearbox (with the exception that the gear lever casing and extension rods were shortened).Standard Riley torsion bar up font semi-elliptic rear suspension tied down by a centrally located “A” bar.1948 Ford rear axle with associated rear Girlings Hand brake actuated by MG TF “fly off”. Stopping power up front with MK 1V Jag Lockheed drums.

Dual braking Independent front/ rear combination ensures you never run out of skids!

Drive train by Mk 2 Jag telescopic drive shaft.

Wheel centres & hubs courtesy of Lancia Lambda as are the Headlights with Bosch lenses. Body is all Powell some say it is a square rigged with bonnet and   guards rolled by Alan Stanfield.

 Flat screened with TF MG support it was always the intent to fabricate an aero screen / full screen combination however this has not come to pass.

 The special has no hood.Riley rack and pinion with MK1V steering whee lComfy Bucket seats, though not adjustable, most agree are supportive and gripping even with the special’s firm ride.

The 2½ twin camshaft engine delivers a torquey 100 bhp and has to take its own 19 cwt plus 280 lb occupants sprightly up mountain roads.Weight distribution, a true 50/50 delivers controllable 4-wheel drift on the skinny crossply tyresRear axle ratio suited to deliver a true 100 mph.

Although this does give a close 1st – to 2nd gearbox change I do have a new crown wheel and pinion but have never gotten around to fitting them.

The special will pull away, on the level, nicely in 3rd.An article did make the popular Sports Car World Jan/Mar 1977 New Series Vol.39, No.1.and was billed as ”The Last New~Old Riley” by Geoffrey Bewley. 

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