1950's "Sports" Saloons
Discussion
Bit of a long shot but ...
I'm considering getting a 1950's saloon with reasonable performance. Budget around £15k.
I'd shortlisted to Riley RMB/RMF and Alvic TC21 but recently started looking at Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires.
Does anyone have enough experience of owning/driving any or all of the above in order to give an opinion ?
Thanks
I'm considering getting a 1950's saloon with reasonable performance. Budget around £15k.
I'd shortlisted to Riley RMB/RMF and Alvic TC21 but recently started looking at Armstrong Siddeley Sapphires.
Does anyone have enough experience of owning/driving any or all of the above in order to give an opinion ?
Thanks
Also, no direct ownership experience other than I have driven a 2.5 litre RM and an A-S Star Sapphire.
They were both charming to drive, perfectly able to keep up with modern traffic and genuinely comfortable and reasonably refined.
I ended up buying a Jaguar MkVIIM which was an absolute hoot, all of the above but with added performance and handling. It would sit happily on the motorway at 80/90 mph in overdrive whilst the traffic parted in front of it.
It is one of very few cars I regret selling.
They were both charming to drive, perfectly able to keep up with modern traffic and genuinely comfortable and reasonably refined.
I ended up buying a Jaguar MkVIIM which was an absolute hoot, all of the above but with added performance and handling. It would sit happily on the motorway at 80/90 mph in overdrive whilst the traffic parted in front of it.
It is one of very few cars I regret selling.
You can get an Alvis TA21 or TC21 in the budget. Good that Riley is, the 3.0 litre six cylinder engine in the Alvis is superb and it makes a lovely noise when pressing on. Technical support and parts supply are excellent.
I have no experience of Armstrong Siddeleys.
Edit to add. The TA21 is a very different machine to the 4-cylinder Alvis TA14. The TA14 is really a refreshed late 1930s design, while the '21' models are significantly updated in all respects.
I have no experience of Armstrong Siddeleys.
Edit to add. The TA21 is a very different machine to the 4-cylinder Alvis TA14. The TA14 is really a refreshed late 1930s design, while the '21' models are significantly updated in all respects.
Edited by FarmerJim on Monday 16th February 11:54
As ever I am going to be really helpful and ask if the budget might have some flex in it? this is for sale for £20k but sounds like the chap needs to move it on so... might be worth a call and a chat?
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C2006482
This looks and sounds like it is a usable example and with the 3.4 engine performance would be fine. And fairly usable over all. I have take the 3.4 mk2 1,500 miles to France and back a few times and really no issues with that.
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C2006482
This looks and sounds like it is a usable example and with the 3.4 engine performance would be fine. And fairly usable over all. I have take the 3.4 mk2 1,500 miles to France and back a few times and really no issues with that.
I've owned a Mk1 Jaguar and really loved it but now looking for somethig different.
I like the look of this Armstrong Siddeley - quite a bit more power than the Riley or Alvis but I know very little about them. Maybe a push to call it a sports saloon although they seem to have decent performance for the era.
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1981496
I like the look of this Armstrong Siddeley - quite a bit more power than the Riley or Alvis but I know very little about them. Maybe a push to call it a sports saloon although they seem to have decent performance for the era.
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1981496
mph said:
I've owned a Mk1 Jaguar and really loved it but now looking for somethig different.
I like the look of this Armstrong Siddeley - quite a bit more power than the Riley or Alvis but I know very little about them. Maybe a push to call it a sports saloon although they seem to have decent performance for the era.
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1981496
They're a match for the big jaguars, decent performance as standard and the engine is a not highly tuned hemi-head so if you wanted to fettle it there's plenty of potential(Sopwith's Sphinx obtained over 200hp with not much more than high compression pistons). The Star benefits from disc brakes but the auto box may damp the performance compared to the manual or pre-selector of the 346.I like the look of this Armstrong Siddeley - quite a bit more power than the Riley or Alvis but I know very little about them. Maybe a push to call it a sports saloon although they seem to have decent performance for the era.
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1981496
biggbn said:
What about one of the ultimate q cars, a Daimler Majestic Major. 220hp 120mph British hot rod...
An old acquaintance had one of these.He dragged it out of a barn where it had been resting for years. For practicality he cleaned the windscreen, put some air in the tyres and checked the oil. Fresh fuel in the tank, new battery. Started straight up. Literally drove it from the barn to the MoT station. It failed, but only on a holed silencer. The tester mentioned that he had a scrap XJ6 round the back. They whipped a back box off it, fitted it to the Daimler and it passed. This was pre-advisory MoT, so the tester's notes merely mentioned that the underside was difficult to assess due to cobwebs.
Fun fact: although they're all automatics, you can bump start them (assuming you can push them).
Watcher of the skies said:
And another option, a personal favourite of mine, is the Riley Pathfinder.
Agreed - my father owned an early Pathfinder back in the day. Lovely car, with its 2.5 twin-cam engine, 110BHP, and a genuine 99.5MPH top speed. 
...and well within OP's budget:-
https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C2011679
Edited by ttthilvester on Tuesday 17th February 09:15
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