Registration - CUO 97C

Chassis No. - RA252639921

M.O.T. - Exempt

Odometer - TBC

This very tidy MKII Elf is finished in the pleasing combination of white over Florentine Blue. According to Vehicle Data Check it has remained in the current ownership since 2008, during which time it has seen service as a wedding car and been generally pampered. The last MOT was carried out in August 2015, by which time the little Riley had clocked up some 97,120 miles – since when it appears to have travelled only 441 more. The vendor informs us that the interior was renewed around six years ago, and he presently regards the 998cc A Series engine, four-speed manual gearbox, bodywork, paintwork and blue leather interior trim as all being in ‘good’ order. He is now selling ‘CUO 97C’ complete with Matsui radio/cassette player and such period-style adornments as chrome badge bar, headlight peaks, wing mirrors and wing-mounted telescopic radio aerial. A tempting alternative to a standard Mini and offered at No Reserve.

The Riley Elf and Wolseley Hornet were luxury versions of the standard Mini. They sported longer, slightly finned rear wings and larger boots. The front-end treatment incorporated each marque's traditional upright grille design, giving the cars a less utilitarian appearance than their deliberately basic sibling. They sported larger-diameter hubcaps, over-riders, leather-trimmed seats and wood-veneer dashboards - the full width version on the Riley being one of the main differentiators between it and the Wolseley. The Riley was the more expensive of the two - the dearest factory-built Mini of all. There were three versions of the Elf during its nine-year reign. The MKI was powered by the 848cc version of BMC’s ubiquitous A Series engine, while a single-carburettor version of the Mini Cooper's 998cc power unit was employed in the Mark II variant of 1963. In tune with upgrades on the standard Mini, Hydrolastic suspension was fitted from September 1964. Some 30,912 Elfs were produced all told.

In summary:

• A cleanly-presented and clearly pampered five-owner example
• Treated to a replacement interior just five years ago
• Being offered at No Reserve