Riley: Autovia
Note: This is a sub-section of Riley
Autovia was a short lived brand of British car made in Coventry between 1937 and 1938.
The venture was ambitious and even included setting up a school for chauffeurs. The cars were expensive and it was a market sector well served by other companies. About 35 cars were made.
The company was created by Riley as a subsidiary to produce large luxury cars. A 2,849 cc V-8 engine was developed from existing Riley engine blocks and coupled to either a pre selector gearbox bought from Armstrong Siddeley Motors or a conventional four speed manual unit. Drive was to the rear wheels through a live axle with worm gear final drive.
Two body types were advertised, a sports saloon and a limousine mostly built by Arthur Mulliner.
The venture failed when Riley went bankrupt. When they were taken over by the Nuffield Organization Autovia was not resurrected.