Page 20 - May2022

Cave, cont inued from page 19

A sports/touring/family car, the Lynx with its full-size
bench seat in the back (right) and actual leg room,
was situated behind the two front bucket seats. It
was designed to haul up to five, if the third person
was slender and could be fitted between two regular
sized riders. (Perhaps this is where the phrase
?playing footsies? originated.)

l
Today, I?l sit in the left front, with my large,
American-sized feet, destined to overlap in the
narrow footwell of the Lynx?s shortened front cabin,
its longish bonnet eating up sheet metal and space
as it reaches toward the horizon to cover its
capacious engine compartment (right). I?m quickly
star struck and soon to be intrigued.

Mike, who up to now has been pointing out the
advanced engineering that was the mark of Riley
motors in the company?s prime, also points out
casually, as a matter of interest that this particular
Lynx has a cup holder.

Imagine, a built-in cup holder in 1937! I look around
at the dash (right) trying to figure out where it might
be concealed.

Mike lets me look for a moment, then neatly
removes from the floorboard, in front of what will be
my seat , a flattened cardboard object that looks
remarkably like what you would receive through the
drive -through window of a fast food chain.
Apparently, you can have a passenger with feet or a
cup holder on the floor but not both. Gotcha! Mike
has clearly told this joke, about the car?s two-holer ,
to the gullible more than once. I gather from the
t
ejection of the lopsided gray container that we won?
be drinking coffee on our outing. (I?m also confident
the ?cup holder? was returned to its place once our
drive was over.)

While surprised at the physical condition of the
Lynx, I'm not disappointed by the reality of it. The
life of this car that has been resolutely used,
including a past life as a hill climbing racer ( at right)
in Singapore while owned by a British petroleum
engineer, is reflected in its current state. It is a
survivor, one still delivering its intended
purpose? to be driven and enjoyed with gusto. St ory cont inues on p. 21
20