1951

This 1951 Riley RMD drophead coupe is one of approximately 500 examples produced between mid-1949 and May 1951. Finished in red over red upholstery, the car is powered by a 2,443cc inline-four mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Equipment includes a convertible top with a black parade boot as well as body-color 16″ steel wheels, hubcaps, whitewall tires, rear-hinged doors, semaphore turn signals, chrome-finished split bumpers, wood interior trim, Jaeger instrumentation, and a banjo-style steering wheel. The car was refurbished under prior ownership, and it was acquired in 2018 by the Petersen Automotive Museum of Los Angeles, California. This left-hand-drive RMD is now offered at no reserve with a California title. Debuting at the 33rd International Motor Exhibition at Earls Court in 1948, the RMD was produced by Riley with steel bodywork mounted over a wood frame and a steel chassis. This example was refinished in red under previous ownership and features a convertible soft top with landau bars accompanied by a black parade boot. Further exterior details include rear-hinged doors, chrome-finished split bumpers, semaphore turn signals, running boards, and a single exhaust outlet. Imperfections in the paint are visible across multiple body panels. Body-color 16″ steel wheels wear chrome-accented hubcaps and are mounted with Coker Classic whitewall tires, while a spare is stored in a compartment beneath the trunk. The car is equipped with rack-and-pinion steering, independent front suspension with torsion bars, and a live rear axle with semi-elliptical leaf springs. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel drum brakes. The cabin houses front bucket seats and a rear bench trimmed in red leather upholstery accompanied by color-coordinated door panels and carpeting. Wood trim adorns the dashboard and the door caps, the latter of which feature integrated ashtrays. The driver’s armrest shows wear. A banjo-style steering wheel with an ivory-colored rim sits ahead of a red instrument panel that houses Jaeger instrumentation including a 100-mph speedometer, a clock, and auxiliary gauges. The five-digit odometer shows 27k miles, approximately 10 of which have been added under current ownership; true mileage is unknown. The 2,443cc “Big Four” twin-cam OHV inline-four came equipped with a pair of H4 SU carburetors and was factory rated at 100 horsepower and 134 lb-ft of torque. The carburetors were lubricated and the fuel system was drained and refilled in December 2023. The seller recommends performing an oil change. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a floor-shifted four-speed manual transmission. Additional underside images are presented in the gallery below. The California title is marked with a “Title Only” notation and lists the model year as 1952.