60s Riley Elf MK2 - the most glamorous classic Mini ever made!

For any garage or restoration enquiries about the restoration company mentioned (ADO Restoration) for your own classic, please email [email protected] Riley Elf MK2 We should probably thank not only David the owner today, but his friend Martin for this fabulous Elf hitting the channel, because I know Martin has really given David the push to get it back on the road and what a brilliant bit of influence that has been, because the test today has been stop started with people wandering over to take photos of the car and offer praise. Something we’ve not seen with a test car to this degree in months! Anyway, back to the Elf, because this is definitely the lesser spotted more glamorous sister of the Mini and one worth giving more than a passing glance. Launched in 1961 and based on the Morris Mini, BMC started bringing the idea to life not long after the launch of the Mini in the summer of 59 and the idea was to take the Mini and create something which extended the range and therefore took a larger market share. The booted design wasn’t unique to the Elf and you see it in the Hornet too, but of the two, this was the better specced and more sporty of the two. The Elf had the upper hand in class and refinement with two tone paintwork and wheel trims as standard, a different rear lamp treatment and stainless steel side windows. Inside, the car was specced with superior interior trim and walnut dash. There’s also bits you may not spot until you’re working on the car such as the additional sound deadening . You’ll note as we go along that the car is spritely and spirited and realistically, it’s the 998cc engine which gives it that edge, which was a 17% increase on the MK1 which had been fitted with a smaller engine. The car performs well on economy, which you’d expect from a Mini derived product and you can expect when driven in a more sedate fashion to get a respectable 50mpg out of the car according to the manufacturer brochures - but for those of you who like driving like i do - perhaps aim for 40 and be pleased with it. David’s father Roy reckoned he was averaging 42mpg. Roy also reported you could achieve 30mph in less than 6 seconds and 50mph in 15 seconds - all in all - more than enough for a car even today on our clogged roads. For enquiring minds, it’s got 38 bhp at 5250rpm. Suspension on these varies depending on the age of the vehicle and if you’re going for a MK1 or MK2 like this, you’ll be running on independent cone set up and for the MK3, you get independent hydralastic. it’s probably worth mentioning at this point that this is a very late MK2, because the MK3 was brought into the market in 1964. Although in production for less than a decade, which seems so swift in comparison to the Mini, it had 2 facelifts and sold over 30,000 units. The car sadly lost out to the rationalisation of the marques sitting until British Leyland and when they retired the Riley name, this lovely little car seemed to get swept away with it.