Sold | 1935 Riley 12/4 Kestrel

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£9,844

1935 Riley 12/4 Kestrel

United Kingdom • 25 Jun 2025

Vehicle Details

AI Listing Summary

This 1935 Riley 12/4 Kestrel, with known history back to 1962 and a connection to Sir Arthur Russell, has been painstakingly restored over 20 years but requires finishing. Sold with no reserve, it includes its original carburettors and logbook, presenting an opportunity for an enthusiast to complete a rare pre-WW2 saloon.

Condition

5

The car is described as needing 'final finishing-off work cosmetically' and being '95% there' after a long restoration. It has been used on the road recently, suggesting it's mechanically functional, but the need for further work and the vendor's struggle to work on it indicates noticeable cosmetic and mechanical wear.

/ 10

Transmission:

[Transmission]

Chassis No:

22T 2112

Odometer:

[Odometer Reading]

Reg Number:

RD 7007

RHD/LHD:

RHD

Among the best-looking pre-WW2 British saloons, the Riley Kestrel debuted in 1933.

Boasting a `double dropped' chassis with inter axle seating and `Aero Line' styling, the newcomer was powered by a variety of four and six-cylinder engines ranging from 9hp to 15hp.

Highly capable and stylish, the 12/4 Kestrel was capable of over 70mph with many enthusiasts preferring the Four-Light `22T' version over the later and heavier Six-Light model.

First registered on the 15 th June 1935 as ‘RD 7007’, chassis 22T 2112 was first registered in the Reading area.

It is understood that the first registered keeper when the car was new was Sir Arthur Russell, who is noted to have curated one of the greatest collections of British Isle minerals extant, now housed in the Natural History Museum.

The recorded history starts with the accompanying 1962 dated buff logbook, which records that it was by then in the ownership of Sir Arthur’s son, Christopher.

Christopher sold the Riley in 1964 to Peter Howe...