Mileage May Vary

Slide into the wood and leather cabin of our hand-me-down 1949 Riley RMB, and you’ll be transported (despite the sad fact that this handsome saloon has not been driven in about four decades), transported to an earlier time when details, materials, and finishes mattered. A time when motoring was an appreciated privilege whether commuting to work or traveling on a family vacation. The feel and smell, indeed the very aura of this antique evoke a slower, more congenial, and possibly even a more romantic prelude to this frenzied future through which we’re catapulting. But be advised, your mileage may vary.

In the weeks ahead I’ll gather together some photos. Illustrations, and information about this family heirloom. I’ll try to present them in some semblance of usefulness, so that I may conjure a suitable sequel to the memories we made… once upon a time.

Returning to the topic of a beautiful vintage British motorcar… [a] 1949 Riley RM [that] has been part of my family for more than four decades. Lots of nostalgia and sentimentality hiding behind that seductive exterior! But lamentably she’s spent far too many years under cover, alone, collecting dust,… (Source: Riley Redux?)

Too long neglected, too often demoted in the protean punch list of one-day-some-day priorities, the Riley’s time has come.

I’ve been questioning, courting and catalyzing transformation, questing for permission, endeavoring to leap and untether and undock… I’ve been evaluating — Susan and I have both been evaluating — whether or not it’s time for transition, BIG transition. For the Riley. For Rosslyn. For us.

(Source: Riley & Icehouse)

And yet my progress toward the goal of rehoming our bonny saloon has been piffling and virtually nonexistent. Now it’s time for a change.

And why?

Sentimentality, my friend.

Mileage May Vary Haiku
 
This vintage dash and
split windscreen once guided my
parents to-from fêtes.

The odometer, accurate so far as I know, indicates 88,595 miles. A skinny sum for a vehicle that has witnessed three quarters of a century.

After years of hopeful, good intentions, it’s time to concede that this handsome artifact of yesteryear is better destined for another family, another home. This vintage British motorcar has migrated from Rosslyn’s carriage barn to a secure, climate controlled facility where we can begin to prepare her for rehoming. Stay tuned…