"Speed Guarantees"

“Speed Guarantees”

I was very interested to read your article “Speed Guarantees” on page 1176 of September MOTOR SPORT. You ask at the end of the article “does anyone remember any others?”. In fact Rileys offered guaranteed road speeds on both Redwinger sports models. On page 51 of the new Riley book “As Old as the Industry” David Styles writes of the Riley Redwinger Sports: “both were given guaranteed road speeds; the two-seater 70 m.p.h. and the four-seater 60 m.p.h.”

I think that these figures, for a 10.8 sidevalve with a running chassis weighing around 15 cwt. compare very favourably with those mentioned in your article. The only reason the four-seater had a lower guaranteed speed was because it ran a lower axle-ratio (4.7 to 1 against the 4.3 to 1 of the two-seater).

You mentioned in the Prescott report that Dick Hardy was present totes both the sand-racer and the Hardy Special; he is in fact second from left (walking) behind his old special photographed on the start line.

Thanking you for all your support one mayor another. Silverstone RICHARD ODELL