Driver Magazine - 2025 - issue 1 of 3 - Magazine - Page 33
There’s no definitive record of exactly when Percy’s detachable wheel first emerged. While he may have started working
on the idea before the Stepney wheel gained widespread use, family records suggest his development was directly
influenced by its popularity.
THE PROTOTYPE
Before the 1907 production model was released, Riley would have gone through a research and development phase in
preparation to put the 9hp into production.
Once the team had a design idea, they would have started work on a prototype and it looks like this exact car was just
that!
This experimental vehicle had a V-twin engine, essentially two 4.5hp units sharing a crankshaft, a design carried over from
the earlier Tricar, and it also had the first 4-wheeled Riley chassis with fully removable wheels.
After 1905, records are scarce but there is a photo of our unique Riley from 1918 which shows it still in one piece and on the
road.
A SPECIAL DISCOVERY
Decades later, this one-of-one prototype was discovered on a farm, seemingly hidden away at some point in the past to
protect it from the difficulties of the time and the dangers of war.
When it was finally found again, it was little more than a collection of scattered parts and metal debris.
However, the team at Bridge Classic Cars knew it was a special car (although not quite how special at the time) so felt that
they had to rebuild what could easily be called a piece of motoring archaeology.
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