USA Elf/Hornet Register

Car: 1968 Riley Elf
Color: Damask Red/Whitehall Beige
Original Reg Number if known: OBC715F
State currently registered in: South Carolina on vintage 1968 plates.
Car's Name: Kreacher
Car's Owner: Brian Smart
Comments: Has been restored and "upgraded" with Honda D16Z6 VTEC engine and 5-speed, 13 inch wheels, disc brakes, twin tanks, Mazda Miata leather seats, electronic gauges, etc. Featured in April 2010 Mini Magazine and January 2010 MC2 Magazine. Selected as Mini Magazine Mini of the Month for April 2010 and was in the running for MM 2010 Mini of the Year. Won first place in modified class at both CMU Mini 50 and Mini Meet East Meets West 2009.

Car: 1969 Riley Elf Mk III
Color: Black (Original color is debatable.)
Original Registration: UK # LCO985H
Current Registration: USA, North Carolina
Name: Sambo
Owner: Jim Ferguson
Comments: Imported from Kirkby-in-Ashfield, England by the owner in Sept. 2009 with help from the E/H Forum members. Mostly original except for dry suspension and A+ 998 engine from a Metro installed by the previous owner. I replaced the seats with Knightsbridge seats. Mechanical and cosmetic clean up has made a great driver and an occasional show winner.

Car: 1967 Riley Elf Mk III
Color: Primer Gray (Original color is Fiesta Yellow like color.)
Original Registration: Unknown
Current Registration: California vintage black plates
Name: Lulu (was Biscuits)
Owner: Mike Hammonds
Comments: Imported from New Zealand to California in the 1980's by previous owner. Original 998 bored to 1014cc. Cooper head with HS4 carb, Maniflow exhaust, four pot disc brakes up front, spaced alloy drums in back, coil spring conversion (was hydro) , magnolia gauges, Corbeau seats, MiniSpares quick shifter, Les Leston steering wheel, MKII Cosmic wheels powder coated SunGold.

Car: 1968 Wolseley Hornet Mk III
Color:Cumulous Grey/Yukon Grey
Original Registration: UMP543F
Current Registration: Ohio Historic Plate
Name: Walter (after Jeff Dunham's character)
Owner: Paul Strieby
Comments: Imported from England in the early 2000's. Found its way to Michigan where it was sold to the previous Owner. It is a 28K mile Original car, and its mission in life is to be a nice distance driver. I am in the process of installing a 1380 with 3.1 diff. I will install a laminated windscreen to replace its Zebra Zone non-laminated one. New carpets and I hope to work over the original seats to bring them back to life. It has two classic Mini Garage mates -- 67 Austin Cooper S and 68 Morris Woody Traveller (and two BINIs).

Engine swap now complete -- pics of the process can be seen at: https://picasaweb.google.com/paulsminis/HornetEngineSwap?authkey=Gv1sRgCL-2kZWRgM-geA#

I almost forgot this one!

Car: 1967 Riley Elf
Color: Originally Cumberland Green
Original Reg Number: Unknown
State currently registered in: South Carolina permanent trailer plate.
Car's Name: 'Alf Elf
Car's Owner: Brian Smart
Comments: Pulled from a muddy field in Georgia. Mostly rotten but the grille was worth more than the car. Now in bits being made into a trailer to pull behind Kreacher.

Update: 'Alf is now on the road and enjoying a second life.

Car: 1968 Riley Elf
Color: Ext. Green/ Int. White
Car Origin: New Zealand
State currently registered in: New Jersey, Historic Plates
Car's Name: Olive
Car's Owner: N. Herman

howdy from Florida. I haven't visited the forum in a while and had not see the USA section until today. Some of you have contacted me in the past as the USA rep for the EHR. This year I asked Chuck Heleker to take half the USA, so now he is west and I am east. Every now and then I get an email asking for help finding or selling an Elf or Hornet. I try to help if I can.

We had 4, one is gone, but still have 3 Elfs, one gray, one blue, one red. This past year the older boy got his driver's license. For his first year of driving the insurance costs go zooming up, so we have let the Elfs sit unregistered and unlicensed to save a few pennies. This was a good time to catch up on some needed repairs anyway. This month I drove a couple of them again, just tootling around my neighborhood, and decided it was time to get going again, so the gray one is back on the road, the red one is not quite ready. The weather is starting to cool off a bit, and I hope to enter a few local events soon. There is a fun rally this weekend just a few miles from here, that would be a good shakedown run.

Holler if you need anything.

John Rowland

1968 Riley Elf LDC888G. Looked nice when I got him, fell apart quickly. I'll be charitable and assume that all the really badly-executed bodywork was done before importation to the US.

is how he looked when I got him.


is the reason I'm tearing him apart.

Car: 1965 Wolseley Hornet MK II
Original Reg: not known/shipped from NZ
State currently Reg: Nevada
Car Name: Nigel
Owner: Jessica

No upgrades

Car...1968 Riley Elf MkIII
Origin...Originally a CKD car sent in pieces to New Zealand. Assembled at the New Plymouth plant and sold originally at Moller Motors in Auckland. Had two owners in NZ. Shipped to Charleston, SC in 2010. Sold on Ebay to a couple of people in NJ. A friend of mine sold it to me.
Current condition...Restored to original build specs...finished in Spring 2013.
Car name..."Olive"
Currently registered in NJ.
Owners...Mike and Linda

Car:1969 Wolesely Hornet MKIII
UK Reg #KVV 593G
Origin: was purchased in Bury St Edmunds UK in 2012. Orginal owner lived about 45 minute fom London I believe the town was brixton. car sat for a couple of years after his wife passing until he finally decided to sell it.
Condition: Fair have original bumpers bonnet trim and side trim. Boxes of spare parts original owners manual and vehicle book.
Currently registered in North Carolina

Car: 1967/68 Wolseley Hornet MKIII
U.K. Reg #RAP 433G
Color: White with red roof
Owners: John and Nancy
Currently registered in FL as I just bought it out of CA. He bought it out of NJ who I think brought it over from the UK.
Condition: In fairly good shape with minor rust issues. Going to drive it as is and maintain until I finish my other Mini restoration, then it will be restored.

Car: 1966 Riley Elf MkII
U.K. Reg #KMK 316C
Color: Florentine Blue body and roof, Black interior
Owner: Tom Woodward
Purchased on 01/20/2022 from Michigan. Appears to have been "restored" in the UK prior to import.  The last MOT in the UK was 1998.  The car has had several modifications, a different 998, custom dual exhaust, no overriders and is a very solid runner.