Coys Auction - True Greats
Royal Horticultural Halls
Elverton St
Westminster
London SW1
Tuesday 7 December 2010
Riley's 16/4 or Big-4 engine was launched in 1937, as a replacement for the 15/6. It was designed around the same basic ideas and features as the successful 12/4, although it was one litre bigger and initially provided more power than Rileys were used to, but a stiffer chassis and other improvements soon overcame this.
Available body styles were the ever popular Kestrel and Adelphi, and the new Continental Saloon unique to the 16/4. A Lynx was also made available shortly after launch, as well as the chassis minus coachwork, which received only one period body, the Redfern saloon tourer from Maltby’s of Folkestone. Despite several attempts to fit the Briggs Touring body to the chassis, it is unknown whether any were sold, despite claimed sightings of one in the 1960s.
EKT 335 is perhaps the last surviving example of the Riley chassis fitted with the Redfern body by Maltby’s. F