During the H.B.H period my father, being a carpenter by trade, modified some Citroen and Riley cars to Shooting-brakes. I have no idea as to how many of these vehicles were produced nor whether they were "sold" to individuals or built for other suppliers; but it was clearly a sideline to their caravan building operation. However, they were evidently particularly proud of these vehicles as these photographs were professionally produced by Charles Darg; unlike the other photographs of caravans that were amateur snapshots.
The first two photographs below were taken outside the church of St John The Baptist at the top end of Royal Lane where it joins the Uxbridge Road at Hillingdon, Middlesex. The third image appears to be outside the Red Lion pub opposite the church.
I had previously mistakenly attributed the original of this vehicle as a Citroen, however I am grateful to Colin Peck of the Woodie Car Club for his advice that the car is in fact a Riley RM (either a 1.5 or 2.5 litre). Colin states that it is a very unusual car.
(The Woodie Car Club website no longer exists and if anyone knows of its new Internet address I would be pleased to know of it. Ed.)
Amazingly, as a result of both the efforts of Colin Peck of the Woodie Car Club and Alec Gatherer of the Riley RM Car Club, it would appear that an H.B.H Shooting-brake, almost identical to the one above, has been discovered in Essex. The owner has kindly offered to allow me to visit but due to personal circumstances I haven't had the opportunity to do so as yet.
2018 Update: Ros King, of the Riley Archives Project, has sent in these photographs of SMF 867, the H.B.H. Shooting-brake discovered in Essex. Pictured here in 1981, in a very sorry state, it has at least retained the vestige of evidence that it is indeed one of the H.B.H. vehicles.
