VICTOR RILEY 1935-2025
Victor Riley was one of the last genuinely direct links with the founding fathers of the British motor industry. He knew his grandfather William Riley when the old man was 90 and Victor was five in 1939, and even then found the Victorian industrialist a little intimidating.
William Riley Jnr was the latest in a long line of Coventry weavers when, in 1890, he joined the goldrush in bicycle manufacture that was sweeping Coventry. Yet it was his five sons (including Victor’s father, also known as Victor) who transformed the business into car-making 15 years later, initially against his will. This soon led to the exceptional Riley Nine in 1927 that brought commercial success and motor racing laurels.
Victor Riley, born in 1935, was too young to join the family firm, which was sold to Lord Nuffield in 1938, instead following a career in component manufacturing with what became a part of GKN.
But his passion was always the Riley marque, which he expressed through owning the cars and campaigning unceasingly to keep interest in them alive. In the 1990s, his efforts almost succeeded in a revival of the marque under BMW.
He did, however, help establish a permanent home for The Riley Archive in Coventry’s Canal Basin, pouring his energy into raising funds and promoting it at dinners and in local schools. He also initiated a replica of the very first car (the original having been lost) that was designed by his Uncle Percy when he himself was a 16-year-old schoolboy.
Victor carried this same sense of tradition into his daily life. He travelled the country by train, right up until last year, and never owned a mobile phone or used email. Everything with Victor was done by letter or by telephone call – even event reservations.
Victor became a Club member on 24 November 1958 at the age of 23, when his family purchased Life Membership for him. In January 2016, he proudly joined the Senior 100. Over the years, he was a vibrant and dedicated presence at Club events – full of energy and warmth, generous with his time, and always enthusiastic about keeping the Riley spirit alive.
We will remember him not only as a custodian of the marque’s history, but as a kind and engaging friend whose enthusiasm drew others in. Our condolences go to his family and friends.
