DAVID G.STYLES
No-one is better qualified to present this story than Dr David G Styles. Since publishing this, his first major book, in 1982, he has achieved international acclaim for his writings, with his automotive history
material being translated and published in Europe, Australasia and North America. His knowledge and presentation of his subject was recognised by the Society of Automotive Historians with their coveted Cugnot Award in 1983.
Four years later, the Riley Register presented him with its Bulletin Award, then the Society of Automotive Historians presented him with an Award of Distinction for his book: Sporting Rileys - The Forgotten Champions. Since then, he has written many more books, including Riley - Beyond the Blue Diamond, for which he was awarded Silver and Bronze medals by the International Automotive Media Conference. His total tally of IAMC awards include two Moto Awards, two Gold Medals, nine Silver Medals and two Bronze. He has twice won the Vintage Motor Cycle Club's Bob Currie Memorial Award and the Riley Register has presented him with the Percy Riley Fellowes Trophy and the Arnold Farrar Cup for his promotion of the Riley name and his services to the Riley Register.
David Styles grew up surrounded by quality engineering. His father was a self-taught toolmaker and his uncle a toolroom foreman in the best of Coventry's aero engine and motor industries. He first fell in love with Rileys as a small boy and acquired his first Riley car whilst serving in the Royal Air Force. Since then, he has owned the first production Sprite two-seater, an Imp two-seater, a Brooklands Nine and a Touring Sprite Saloon ("That was the fastest Riley I ever drove", he said). He has also had post-war Rileys, including a 2 1/2 litre Saloon and a BMC Riley 1300. But today, his great passion is for Rileys built at the turn of the 19th/20th Century, the period, in his view, of Riley's greatest innovation.
Joining the Riley Register in 1961, David Styles has been an area secretary, then secretary and chairman of the Riley Register Spares Sub-Committee. He became Registrar/Historian in 1970 and was Chairman of the National Committee for ten years from 1986. He is still the Riley Register's Historian and in 2001 became Editor of the Riley Register Bulletin.
When first published in 1982, this book was acclaimed by the motoring press as: "...an exceedingly welcome and very worthwhile addition to Riley literature..." (Motor Sport - 1982), "....an absolute must..." (The Riley Register Bulletin - 1982), "Few volumes come to mind which have stood the test of time or are destined to do so. Riley enthusiasts need look no further than David Styles' complete history of the marque..." (The Automobile - 1982), "All you ever wanted to know about Rileys. . . .well-researched and informative . . . . deserves to succeed" (Classic and Sports Car - 1982), "...this magnificent work was worth the wait. It will go down as one of the most outstanding volumes of automotive history of our time" (Bulb Horn -1983),
"...intended as a reference for the Riley enthusiast and succeeds admirably in its purpose..." (the VSCC Bulletin - 1983). In 1983, the book went on to win the most coveted of prizes from the internationally renowned Society of Automotive Historians, the Cugnot Award, for "the best book on automotive history published in 1982".
We are led through the complete history of Riley products, beginning with the bicycle and wheel-making businesses, followed by all the vehicle types on two, three and four wheels produced between 1898 and 1969. Two chapters cover the sporting Rileys and the Riley-based specials (though reference to the companion volume Sporting Rileys - The Forgotten Champions will reveal much more on that subject, whilst for those seeking more information on the migration of the Riley family to Coventry and the growth from weaving into wheeled vehicles would benefit from referring to Riley - Beyond the Blue Diamond). Appendices list over 4,000 known Rileys, detail Riley patents, Riley Clubs worldwide and notable competition successes.
Volume II then covers the cars built under the Nuffield and British Motor Corporation periods, culminating in the final episode under British Leyland, before that corporation drew a line under the name "Riley" and ceased production of cars under that badge.
