The Riley Pathfinder is often regarded as the last true Riley model and represented a major stylistic change over the earlier Riley RMF, giving the car a much more modern, streamlined look. Appearing for the first time in October 1953 at the London Motor Show, the new look was from designer Gerald Palmer and in many ways mimicked the smaller Wolseley 4/44 and MG Magnette models he also penned, which predated it (and the Pathfinder’s Wolseley equivalent, the 6/90) by a couple of years.

Underneath the stylish bodywork the long-running 2.5-litre, twin-cam, ‘Big Four’ engine was used (as it had been in Riley’s top models since 1937). Some of the running gear was also carried over from the RMF – such as the sophisticated independent front suspension using wishbones and torsion bar. This, together with a coil sprung, live rear axle, secured with radius arms and Panhard rod produced a vehicle noted for its plush and supple ride. Coupled with an uprated Big Four engine (100+bhp) this made the Pathfinder a genuine 100mph car – as proven by circulating the Montlhery test track in France for an hour at that speed.

Despite its many good points, the Pathfinder did not have a long production run. Riley cars had long been seen as niche market, specialist vehicles with relatively modest sales. Having been designed shortly before the merger of the Nuffield organization with Austin to form the British Motor Corp. in 1952, it was an early subject of product range rationalisation within the new corporation and production stopped in 1957, by which time around 5,000 had been built. Its close relative – the 6-cylinder Wolseley - lasted another couple of years.

This example of the Pathfinder was first registered, new in the UK, in February 1956 as WHU 339. We do not have any documentation relating to its early years but believe it to have been a company car for the Hawker Siddeley organisation. In 2010 it was purchased by a Jersey-resident engineer with just 56,000 miles showing. The car has subsequently received much mechanical work and has led a gentle, well cared for life in the island.