Riley Pathfinder

This is a good model of a fine British car.

I recently learnt from my reading & research that under Lord Nuffield's BMC these cars were made at the MG factory, in Abingdon where I live, which makes sense. The two fine sporting marques under the BMC umbrella being produced by the same craftsmen.  This was the last Riley designed by Riley, all the remainder were re-badged Wolseleys or Austins.

I think a Riley Pathfinder is in my ultimate British car collection along with a Rover P5 a Triumph 2000, Humber Hawk or Super Snipe, Jaguar Mk X, Austin Healy 3000, Alvis TD21, DB4, E Type (lets not start on the foreigners - Citroen DS, '62 Mercedes 220SE, '59 Chevy, '53 Cadillac....). Trouble is when you like big cars you need a big building to keep them in, I live in a terrace house.

205 & 205M

he Corgi Riley Pathfinder was part of the original Corgi brand launch in 1956 in both freewheeling mode and mechanical with the flywheel friction motor (205M). The freewheeling version was either red or blue and remained in the range through to 1962. Both colours are of similar (high) value. The mechanical version was either red or shades of blue. There is no two-tone version.

209 Police

There was also a Police version (209) in black which was available from 1958 to 1962, how to give a new lease of life to an aging model - and to add play value, Police cars are much more fun and open up all sorts of possibilities. The Riley Pathfinder civilian model had been part of the first 1956 release of Corgi cars. Here it is again a couple of years later in June 1958 getting its second wind as Corgi's first ever Police car. The trick must have worked because they did it again the following January with the Jag Mk1, turning it into a Fire Chief car.

The Riley Pathfinder Police Car was always black with a roof beacon reading 'POLICE' and having a bell on one side and a siren on the other. The bell, according to the Great Book of Corgi, modelled from the real thing, is frequently missing. The car was deleted in 1962 and there are no listed variations.