1985 Riley Challenger Release date 4/1/1985
The darling of the 1983 North American International Auto Show is arriving at your local Riley/Freightmaster Dealer on September 1st! That’s right, the 1985 Riley Challenger will be ready at your dealership September 1st.
Following extensive testing in 1983 at our Top Secret testing facility outside of El Paso, Texas, we are proud to show off the all new Challenger.
This car is new from the ground up. It’s basically as you saw it at it’s premier at the Auto Show, but with some tweaks. Gone are the round headlights in favor of the now standard dual rectangular lights. The Concept, which was drivable and was actually an early testing platform had a small V8 that made only 150HP. Not the production car. The production car makes an incredible 300HP! That’s right 300. That’s over 50 more than you get from the big guys from Detroit in their “Sporty” cars.
Our car can handle those extra ponies, too. With a sophisticated Double Wishbone suspension both front and rear, our car can handle just about any turn you can throw at it with ease. With our 5 Speed Gearbox, speeds of 150MPH are possible making it the fastest car in it’s class.
Now you may be thinking “It’s a Riley, and Rileys are a bit of an old biffer’s car.” I can assure you that it is not an old biffer’s car. It is a modern, quick car.
There will be three trim levels. An SC which makes 200HP, the SL, which makes 300HP but is more of a luxury coupe than a sports car, then there is the Challenger Sport. Here’s some photos of the Challenger lineup. Enjoy and remember to check out your Riley/Freightmaster Dealer on September 1st to see this wonderfully quick and well handling car.
The Challenger Sport
The SL
The SC
Incoming News 5/3/1985. Bill Early, driver of the #9 Corks Challenger posted a qualifying speed of 215MPH in a NASCAR prepared Riley Challenger Sport.
Looking back on it all.
When we started our 7 car lines in 1936, we hoped for the best, but expected the worst when it came to this venture. As we contemplate the final days of production and the last minute designs, we sat back and looked through the history of the Motor Car Division and found out that we were basically pioneers in Automotive history. We were the first Company with a completely Automatic line up in 1955, we were the first to go quad headlight in 1955. Most of our competitors didn’t start that until 1957. We were the first NASCAR Champions in the 1949 Royale Coupe and are the current NASCAR Lap Record Holder at 215MPH at Alabama International Speedway (now Talladega Superspeedway) in the qualifier leading up to the Wilton 500. We didn’t expect to be industry leaders on so many fronts like the first company to have a 200MPH production car. We just wanted to make high end cars affordable and lower priced cars well.
I think what started this change was having to focus on wartime production during World War II.
We as a Company took a long, hard look at ourselves, saw how scattered our focus was, and changed our ways. We went from 7 model ranges before the war down to 4 after the war. The gentlemen and ladies who ran the Motor Car Divisions during the war set us on a path that made us into the Industry success that we are today, and we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.
In doing this project and re-telling the history of our Company, I have a deeper appreciation for every model that was produced before my reign and still produced today. I am also amazed at how far we advanced as a Company and how we made it through the tough times. At the end, I am going to put two photos. One is our first post-war car and the other is our Finale Edition Royale. Royale has been here since 1936 and I hope we gave it a hell of a send off.
Yours truly, Jezza
Chairman of the Board
TopSimmer MotorCars Division
