RILEY · RILEY 1.5 · Cars
RILEY 1.5 Uncommon
As of 2025 Q4, 1,137 RILEY 1.5s remain registered in the UK — an increasingly uncommon sight on today's roads. That's down from a peak of 1,141 in 2023 Q1 — only 100% of the high-water mark, a loss of about 4 cars. Unusually, the numbers are actually rising — up 6 (0.5%) over the past year, as imports and barn-finds rejoin the register faster than cars leave it.
Survivors over time
How rare is it?
Uncommon — a few thousand still about (1,137).
Rarer than 33% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.
Fuel breakdown
Trend
About the 1.5
The Riley RM is a series of executive cars and compact executive cars that were made by Riley Motors from 1945 until 1955. They were the last models developed independently by Riley before its parent company, Nuffield, merged with Austin to form BMC. The RM series was produced in Coventry until 1949, when production moved to the MG works at Abingdon. Until 1952, models were marketed as the Riley 1½ Litre and the Riley 2½ Litre. The term RM has been used retrospectively to encompass models produced before 1952. There were four types of RM vehicles produced. All used Riley engines with four cylinders...
RILEY 1.5 — questions & answers
How many RILEY 1.5 are left in the UK?
As of 2025 Q4, 1,137 RILEY 1.5 were still registered in the UK — 821 licensed and on the road, plus 316 declared SORN (off-road). The figures come from official DVLA vehicle licensing data.
Is the RILEY 1.5 rare?
The RILEY 1.5 is uncommon, with 1,137 still about, making it rarer than 33% of the 2,408 UK car models we track.
Is the RILEY 1.5 increasing or decreasing?
Over the last year the number of RILEY 1.5 on UK roads rose by 6 (0.5%).
What fuel do most RILEY 1.5 use?
Most RILEY 1.5 run on petrol — about 100% of those still registered, with the rest split across gas (lpg).
When did the RILEY 1.5 peak?
The RILEY 1.5 peaked at 1,141 registered in 2023 Q1, and was first recorded in the data in 2014 Q3.