Engine Punk

If it looks right, it is right. I mentioned this car when I visited Wiscombe Park hillclimb for the VSCC event in May. Having camped overnight, the day dawned wet under foot but brightening overhead. One of our neighbours asked me if would help him start his car while Pete Low packed away his tent so, thinking it was a member of the public in a bit of a fix, I said okay and wandered over. Imagine my surprise with this little baby, a supercharged Riley Big 4 with three SU carburettors. Its caretaker was the youngest out of three generations of the Spollen family and my job was to hold the seat squab over the bellmouths to act as a choke. In the end, the engine didn't need me at all. We flooded it once with my operating my cushion but it struck me that this car was very well sorted and preferred to breathe the Wiscombe air without any restriction. However, I was able to ask many questions about this car. It had been assembled some years ago by the grandfather and was raced ...