Riley Elf
| Produced: |
1961-1969, 30912 produced. |
|---|---|
| Types: |
Saloon,2 doors,4 seats |
In 1961 BMC announced two new "badge-engineered" versions of its, by now, famous Mini saloon design, the Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet. The Riley version was the more expensive of the two cars and could be distinguished by its Riley grille and badging.
The new cars used a modified Mini bodyshell which featured an elongated nose/front wings to incorporate the upright grille designs. More importantly the rear of the car was considerably different, longer rear wings provided a much larger boot and gave a distinguished look.
Power came from a 34bhp, 848cc A-Series as found in standard Minis along with all the other usual Mini mechanical features. In 1963 a MKII arrived which used a 998cc engine to improve performance, a final MKIII came in 1966 which introduced wind-up windows and fresh air facia vents. Production of the Elf ended in 1969 after 31,000 had been built.
| Capacity | Config | Model | Bore/Stroke | CR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 848cc | S4 OHV | BMC A-Series | 62.92mm x 68.25mm | |
| 998cc | S4 OHV | BMC A-Series | 62.93mm x 76.2mm |
| Top Speed | 0-60 | SQM | MPG | Engine Pwr | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 mph | 32.3 s | 32 mpg |
| Title | Pages | Options | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Article |
Buying Guide - Elf and Hornet |
106 |
 |
|
| Publication | Practical Classics March 2011 | |||
| Buying Guide - Elf and Hornet - The long-tailed Minis with upmarket Riley and Wolseley badges. | ||||
| Article |
Road test - National Elf service |
48 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Car Mart March 2009 | |||
| Road test - National Elf service- BMC's poshest take on the Mini, adapted to do what rally cars do best - go far and fast! | ||||
| Article |
Six of the best...Badge-engineered classics |
11 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Car Mart August 2007 | |||
| Six of the best...Badge-engineered classics- Humber Sceptre MKIII, Riley Elf/Wolseley Hornet, MG Magnette MK III & IV, Triumoh Acclaim, Vanden Plas 1500, Bentley T-Series. | ||||
| Article |
'What's it all about, Elfie?' 1969 Riley Elf Mk III |
20 |
|
|
| Publication | Classic Car Mart April 2005 | |||
| 'What's it all about, Elfie?' - Posh, pretty (and pretty rare today), the Riley Elf is a distinguished Mini-Variant. Steve Wilson ignores all the obvious elven myths and gets behind the wheel of a small car with class. | ||||
