1966 Riley Kestrel (ADO16)

(Please note that this car is not for sale by Motorcar Portfolio - I just thought that was a good-looking frame & Bob is a pal.)

Under 70,000 original 3-owner miles from new - in Auckland, New Zealand from 1966-2008
Very original and totally rust-free throughout - no cancer anywhere.
Underbody still wears much of its original satin-black finish, no 'mud' in rockers, floors or elsewhere.
One repaint from new about 20 years ago. Much mechanical work performed recently - scroll down!

Yes, it's like a 4-door Mini that larger people actually fit in and can enjoy, plus it handles incredibly with it's "Rides on Water" Hydrolastic suspension. Only the Austin 1100, America and Vanden Plas were offered in the USA as an AD016 and nearly all of these were 2-door cars, so this 4-door Riley Kestrel is very rare and likely the only one in North America.

Much original paperwork including "Passport to Service" book, owner's manual and much more!

I have owned numerous ADO16 BMC/British Leyland cars , but none as completely rust-free as this one. The car was imported in a large lot by the fellow in Charleston, South Carolina last year but had a number of needs. I pointed these out to his people on-site and negotiated a price still higher than my current reserve to own such a solid ADO16, let alone what is likely the sole example of a (BMC) Riley Kestrel in the USA. Keep reading for a comprehensive report on all the work I did to make this car safe, fully functional and reliable.

Because this car has never been restored, merely resprayed once for its senior-citizen owner, it retains a high degree of originality. There are some light dings in the bumpers and pitting to the lamp surrounds and trunk lid handle. I replaced the very badly-pitted number plate lamp with a new old stock part. I also acquired a set of new hubcaps and emblems that will go with the car at the Buy it Now price or can be sold to the high bidder at my cost. I also have a spare front grille and a brand-new owner's manual in considerably better condition than the original that is still with the car.

One of the worst things about this car when I acquired it was the original exhaust. There wasn't much left of the tail section and the front wasn't much better. I bought a header for a Mini from Seven Enterprises and modified it to fit in the ADO16, then turned the car over to my exhaust guys to finish the system. They did a great job, the car is quiet but much more responsive and no longer wheezy as it was with the 1 1/4" ID exhaust it was built with.

Oh, yes, that's the original EnZed license plate beneath the 1966 Virginia plate. '66 tags do not go with the car unless you want them badly enough and live here in VA.

The car was purchased new in Auckland, then sold again there a few years later to its long-term owner who passed the car on to his grandson when he was no longer able to drive. This grandson tidied the car up some ca. 2002 and made it roadworthy enough to pass N.Z.'s 'Warrant of Fitness'. The car still carries its January, 2008 sticker and 2008 registration on the windscreen. However, on arriving stateside, the car required the aforementioned exhaust, rear brake hoses, a recharging of the Alex Moulton Hydrolastic suspension, new clutch hydraulics, heater valve, motor mounts and a few other items detailed beneath.

So, now we've done a walkaround, let's have a look underneath!

Note original pans and new exhaust in this and the next few photos.

Apart from a little road dirt, the rockers are just as tidy as the top side.

Note the stainless-braided center brake hose, it's not nearly as close to the exhaust as it appears in this photo. I also used stainless-braided hose for the rear side hoses; the fronts appeared nearly new and did not require changing. Both brake and clutch fluid was completely flushed; the entirety of the clutch hydraulics were changed.

More, from the other side.

That's all from underneath; I think I made my point!!

Ouch! Hit my head on the door (just so you know where we are relative to the last photo). The interior save carpet is completely original; doorpanels are really in great shape throughout.

Only the Riley and Vanden Plas Princess featured leather in an ADO 16. The rear seat is original and has only one tear at the top facing the rear window. I used Gliptone leather cleaner and conditioner to rejuvenate it as much as was possible.

This is the driver's doorpanel. Amazingly well-preserved.

Apologies for the fuzzy shot, must have had something to do with focusing on the Australian sheepskin covers. The driver's seat has some wear, the leather came away from the stitching due to entry wear from people sliding in and out of the car over more than 40 years. The passenger's seat has some wear but no major leather loss. The sheeps hold you in place and are cool in the summer and warm in the winter anyway, so no great loss. Note original "KANGOL" seatbelts.

Mileage as of these photos as shown. I think I took it for a 2 mile spin after this and may do so again a few times prior to sale, so odometer may vary slightly.

Note warm oil pressure - and this with ZDDP-rich Brad-Penn (Kendall GT-1) SAE 30 'Break-In'. Recommend Brad-Penn 20W50 for regular use as it has nearly as much (far more than autoparts-store oil) ZDDP as the 'Break-In', but I have this in it as I only use the car for short trips and it gets started frequently from cold. The transmission shifts very nicely.

The engine is the original BMC A-Series 1098cc 4-cylinder making approximately 55 bhp. It scoots right along. I've done the following to the car since acquiring it:

22 MAY 09 - OIL & FILTER CHANGED, SAE 30 BRAD PENN, PLUGS/WIRES, LUCAS SPORT COIL,
MB BOSCH BALLAST RESISTOR, GENERATOR REBUILT,

3 AUG 09 - REMOTE SHIFTER MOUNT CHANGED, NEW CLUTCH MASTER & SLAVE CYLINDERS & NEW HOSE, NEW HEATER VALVE.

1 SEPT 09 - SUSPENSION EVACUATED AND PUMPED UP, ANTIFREEZE CHANGED, MOTOR MOUNTS, NEW EXHAUST, BRAKES CHECKED AND ADJUSTED, CARBS BALANCED, INTAKE ADAPTED FOR HEADER, NOS LUCAS VOLTAGE REGULATOR FITTED.

11 SEP 09 - SPEEDOMETER CABLE BROKE, REPLACED - ALL THREE REAR BRAKE HOSES

For those concerned about the Hydrolastic suspension, the only thing wrong with it was a loose Schrader valve on the right side charging point. The old pipes were long ago replaced for flexible hoses that run to the rear accumulators. There are no leaks and the car drives and handles as it should.

I also note that cap, rotor, plugs and condenser are relatively fresh as is the battery. There are no electrical gremlins (knock on wood dash). I have a factory service manual around here somewhere and some other spares like a spare set of rims, the spare grille and takeoff bits from the work done earlier this year.

If you can make it out in this photo, note the header, cleaned-up carbs and intake. No more pressed-steel exhaust manifold here.

who am I? why am I selling?

I'm Chip Lamb, writer for publications such as Sports Car Market and Classic Motorsports magazines. I also have a small parts business, consult to a handful of collector automobile auction companies and Concours d'Elegances, flip oddball cars and more. I like cars like this, but I've had my fun and it's time to move this on to someone who might enjoy it more regularly.
Mind you, the collector automobile hobby is a sickness, so interesting classic car or motorcycle trades are always welcome up or down. I like survivor-grade stuff in similarly-excellent condition, so if you have something like that up or down from the Riley and want to put this under the tree for that special someone in your life, we can always talk. Please, don't offer me your late-model Japanese sport bike, tuned Honda, clapped-out Cadillac, something rusty or broken as a trade - you get the picture - I just won't reply.

We are looking for a nice '71-73 Super Beetle in similar condition (earlier Bugs always considered); always looking for unusual bikes like nice '70s BMW R90Ses, real Triumph Bonnevilles - I'll always take a nice 2-digit '50s-'70s SAAB 2-stroke or V4 - other cool British or European cars, pre-war American, considered - you get the idea.

Otherwise...

payment & shipping

Payment is due within seven days of auction close in cash or certified funds unless other arrangements are made with me in advance of your bid. Buy it Now purchasers will get free enclosed shipping within 200 miles of Richmond, VA - this includes the ports of Chester, PA, Norfolk, VA and Baltimore, MD should you want to bring this home to Jolly Olde England.

For everyone else (and those farther away), shipping must occur within fourteen days of auction close unless other arrangements are made with me in advance of your bid. The car's not really in the way in the back of the garage, so if you need for me to 'hide' it until Christmas, say, that's fine, so long as I am paid within a week.

Please contact me prior to bidding if you are very new to eBay (i.e. have 10 or fewer feedbacks), you have a bunch of negatives or are unclear about anything. It's a 43 year old car, so there's no warranty or guarantee but I'll be happy to help you with any questions post-sale.

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS?

E-MAIL ME OR CALL 804-357-4926