9th Dec, 2009 13:45
The Pavilion Gardens
1968 Riley Elf MK III
Estimated at £4,500 - £5,500
Lot details
Registration No: PUD355F
Chassis No: RA2531162967A
Mot Expiry: Aug 2010
From its October 1961 launch the Riley Elf was always the most upmarket factory-built luxury Mini available. The extended boot with vestigial tail fins gave 2.5 extra cubic feet of stowage, and the part leather seats and full-width veneered dashboard added class. The standard 848cc A-series was said to lack power and the long, non-remote gearlever from the standard car was fitted. From March 1963 an upgraded MKII version was offered, with added oomph from the 998cc A-series. In tune with upgrades on the standard Mini, Hydrolastic suspension appeared from September 1964, but the big news was the October 1966 introduction of the Elf MKIII. For the first time on a Mini, concealed door hinges and winding windows were standardised, even though the huge doorbins were retained. Face level air-vents made an appearance on the full-width dash, and the MKIII was modified to use the remote gearchange assembly fitted to the Cooper models, improving the change quality and reducing the length of gear lever on show in the cabin. In this developed form, the Elf ran until British Leyland rationalised the model range with the Clubman bodystyle's launch in October 1969.
On a period-perfect `UD' Oxford plate and registered on 1st June 1968, this particular example is reportedly in "very good overall" condition. The odometer shows an unwarranted 73,000 miles, however, the vendor believes that this figure may well represent the total covered from new citing the condition of the original interior trim as partial proof. Any sorted Mini is a delight to drive, but low mileage examples are usually hard to beat as they have often never been apart or modified with performance or pattern-quality parts. Mini Cooper Register members value the longer Elf and Hornet models as long-distance touring cars - the extra boot area provides ample room for increased luggage, while the sound-proofing and quality of interior trim materials makes an Elf such as this ideal for one of the club's long-range forays on old Monte Carlo routes as a Mini-limo. With an MOT running until 5 August 2010, this Elf provides an interesting alternative to the ubiquity of the Cooper variant, and still ticks those Issigonis boxes of packaging, handling and usability.
Registration No: PUD355F
Chassis No: RA2531162967A
Mot Expiry: Aug 2010
From its October 1961 launch the Riley Elf was always the most upmarket factory-built luxury Mini available. The extended boot with vestigial tail fins gave 2.5 extra cubic feet of stowage, and the part leather seats and full-width veneered dashboard added class. The standard 848cc A-series was said to lack power and the long, non-remote gearlever from the standard car was fitted. From March 1963 an upgraded MKII version was offered, with added oomph from the 998cc A-series. In tune with upgrades on the standard Mini, Hydrolastic suspension appeared from September 1964, but the big news was the October 1966 introduction of the Elf MKIII. For the first time on a Mini, concealed door hinges and winding windows were standardised, even though the huge doorbins were retained. Face level air-vents made an appearance on the full-width dash, and the MKIII was modified to use the remote gearchange assembly fitted to the Cooper models, improving the change quality and reducing the length of gear lever on show in the cabin. In this developed form, the Elf ran until British Leyland rationalised the model range with the Clubman bodystyle's launch in October 1969.
On a period-perfect `UD' Oxford plate and registered on 1st June 1968, this particular example is reportedly in "very good overall" condition. The odometer shows an unwarranted 73,000 miles, however, the vendor believes that this figure may well represent the total covered from new citing the condition of the original interior trim as partial proof. Any sorted Mini is a delight to drive, but low mileage examples are usually hard to beat as they have often never been apart or modified with performance or pattern-quality parts. Mini Cooper Register members value the longer Elf and Hornet models as long-distance touring cars - the extra boot area provides ample room for increased luggage, while the sound-proofing and quality of interior trim materials makes an Elf such as this ideal for one of the club's long-range forays on old Monte Carlo routes as a Mini-limo. With an MOT running until 5 August 2010, this Elf provides an interesting alternative to the ubiquity of the Cooper variant, and still ticks those Issigonis boxes of packaging, handling and usability.
Auction: The Pavilion Gardens, 9th Dec, 2009
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