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RN Saloon Register
It is some time since I gave an update on the register, which I took over from Dave Martin nearly 30 years ago. At present, the register contains full or partial details of 673 RN saloons as follows: -
- Nine standard saloons (ones that I know are genuine fixed head and not plated over De Luxe saloon sunshine roofs)
- One assembled in Germany by Willys Overland Crossley
- 137 De Luxe saloons with rear petrol tanks
Additionally, I know of another 20 cars but do not have any details of them, for example, GC 977 featured in the film 'Danny Champion Of The World', or KX 6835 shown at the beginning of the BBC2 programme on the Beaulieu Autojumble. With people selling registration numbers, it's very difficult to keep track of individual cars.
The earliest RN on the register is RN 101 (which must have been the first made as 102 in a typical starting point for a series), and the latest RN 14630, which would suggest that nearly 15,000 were manufactured in its 12-month-long production run before the introduction of its replacement, the RP, in October 1932.
The RN saloon was the first long-wheelbase saloon and was introduced in October 1931 with a 3-speed gearbox, a scuttle-mounted fuel tank, centrally mounted dashboard instruments, and two exposed vertical rear body seams. During it's one-year production run, it underwent many detail changes and finished life with a 4-speed gearbox, rear-mounted fuel tank, offset instrument panel and concealed vertical rear body seams such that at a glance it could be mistaken for the later RP saloon.
The principal changes were: 1) In in late 1931, or early 1932, the petrol tank end seams were altered from one with a flat top, bottom and sides to one having a raised lip around the ends. 2) From 20 January 1932, a smaller starter switch without the central brass screw was fitted to a revised bracket which, like the earlier one, was spot-welded to the transmission tunnel. The terminal cover was also revised, being secured to the bracket with the screws that secured the switch. The four bolt holes for the earlier terminal cover are located behind the later bracket on cars made as late as August 1932.
3) Somewhere between chassis numbers 148797 and 149456, the curved door pockets were changed to rectangular pockets, and a strip of carpet was fitted along the bottom of the door. About the same time, the carpet-covered trim on the inside of the sills changed from three red-fibre pieces to a one-piece steel fabrication.
4) In April 1932, from car B5 6100, the rear number plate and rear lamp bracket became a one-piece pressing, and the rear lamp had only one side window - the Lucas AT201L. Previously, the lamp bracket had been riveted to the number plate, and the lamp had a window cut in each side of the barrel - the Lucas AT201. Curiously, this conflicts with Austin's 'alterations to design' note of September/October stating that a new design of tail lamp was fitted from car B5 6100, secured by two nuts (the pork pie lamp?). However, the one-piece rear number plate on one of our cars has only one large hole for the lamp. Also, I have a period photograph of one of the last RNs produced, which shows a Lucas AT201L lamp. At about the same time, the headlining arrangement was simplified, with the rear portion being a single piece, similar to the RP saloon.
5) From chassis 159534, in September 1932, the RN was given a major change preparatory to the introduction of the narrower RP saloon in October. This included the four-speed gearbox, a rear petrol tank, a D-type rear axle, instruments mounted in a separate panel in front of the driver, and concealed vertical rear body seams. To accommodate the longer 4-speed gearbox, the engine was moved forward approximately ¾" by repositioning the feet on the crankcase, and the starting handle housing and fan spindle were shortened by ¾". The exhaust tailpipe was also rerouted over the rear axle to the back of the car; previously, it terminated under the rear axle. I also suspect this is when the all-black Lucas Graves double filament double-dipping headlamps with 10 vertical flutes in the glass were replaced by the later all-chrome lamps. In this guise, the only external clues that this model is an RN are the sunroof, the scuttle waist moulding, and the absence of trafficators.
The majority of RNs produced were De Luxe models, fitted with sunroofs of an unknown make but identical in design to the Pytchley fitted to the 1934 Riley. This particular design is prone to leaking along its rear edge because of the forward slope of the roof, and at the front edge due to blockage/corrosion of the drains over the windscreen. As a result, many RN sunshine roofs were plated over. All three of my RNs had suffered this fate but have since been restored; it's a lot of work to complete, but worth it. The RP saloon was fitted with a different design of sunroof that overcame these faults.
The standard (fixed-head) RN saloon had a fabric-covered frame fixed to the roof opening, which, surprisingly, was a different size to that in the De Luxe saloon, necessitating a different roof pressing. Consequently, it is possible to identify a genuine standard RN saloon from a plated over De Luxe RN. The other distinguishing features of a standard saloon are: -
1) Stove enamelled mild steel wheel centres (Staybrite on the De Luxe) - and before anyone questions this, I've had one for 38 years!
2) The front seats had only 3 pleats on the backs.
3) There was no capping on the inside of the doors behind the door pull.
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