RILEY MOTOR CARS -
14/6 Specifications

as Old as the Industry, as modern as the Hour
Featuring: Brief History; Recognition Features.

Brief History

The 14/6 was introduced to replace the ageing sidevalve 11.9 and 10.8 (11/40) models. It was designed along the same lines as the highly successful Nine engine, essentially being 'a 9 and a half'. The early Bodies available were the Saloon and Tourer (both later renamed Alpine), and the Stelvio and Deauville Coachbuilt Saloons. From 1933 these were slowly replaced by the new Kestrel, Falcon and Lynx, as well as the more upmarket Winchester and Edinburgh models. Various other bodies were made available, although few seem to have been built.

The 14/6 survived until 1935, when it was progressively replaced by the 15/6, itself essentially a bored-out version of the same block, albeit with lots of detail improvements. In the meantime, many other capacity engines had been built from the same block, including a 12/6 used in production cars. The majority of the others were specifically used to enter various racing categories, and even after Riley officially withdrew from motor sport, these engines continued to be available to third parties.

Recognition Features

The early 14/6 models were only available with the 14/6 engine and chassis, and so are readily identifiable. However, with the launch of the 12/6 engine in 1932, there were a number of bodies available with either engine. Initially, the Alpine body was adjusted and renamed the Mentone, with a slightly lower trim level. However, by 1933 the Kestrel and Lynx were available with either engine, and were visually identical, being the same body and chassis. It is probable that the trim levels were different to reflect the engine size and price.
When the 15/6 engine arrived in 1935 to replace the older 14/6, many of the bodies were carried over almost unchanged, and as they were direct replacements there was no need to adjust trim levels either. This makes it particularly difficult to tell the difference without opening the bonnet and looking at the chassis plate or engine installation.