The 1937 Riley 12/4 Sports Special sits at the intersection of two important British motoring traditions: Riley's sophisticated pre-war engineering and the long-standing culture of building "specials" from older chassis.The Riley 12/4: An Advanced Sporting CarThe underlying Riley 12/4 was introduced in 1935 as Riley's new 1 -litre model.

It replaced the older six-cylinder 12/6 and featured a remarkably advanced 1,496cc four-cylinder engine designed by Hugh Rose.

The engine used twin camshafts mounted high in the block and was known for producing impressive performance from modest displacement.

Many cars were equipped with the famous Armstrong Siddeley/Wilson pre-selector gearbox, allowing rapid gear changes that felt almost futuristic in the 1930s.The 12/4 range included:Falcon saloonsKestrel sporting saloonsLynx tourersThe more competition-focused Sprite sports modelBy 1937, Riley offered one of the most diverse and sporting ranges in Britain, drawing heavily on the marque's succes...