How Did We Get Here – Part 3

Before the Tornado:

Let’s rewind a bit from last week’s edition. It’s 1974, I’m 14 years old, and already working for Harry, my dad at his shop in Kelvin, Ontario.

While restoring classic British sports cars, we took on a unique project for a gentleman named Mr. White from London, Ontario. After many discussions about this project, he had his heart set on a replica of a 1936 Riley MPH. The original Riley IMP, its predecessor, only saw 16 roll out of production, each one sporting a six-cylinder engine. Mr. White was friends with Greg Bagnall, a longstanding friend of Dad’s who also called London home. Through our chats, it was clear that crafting this car had to be done.

To us, the Riley was the most beautiful masterpiece of its time, and we were determined to build a replica of this car, modernized for the street to 1970 standards.

This replica was called the Kelvin.

Back then, pre-internet, we were old-school, relying on a single photograph to mirror the original car. Every dimension, every scale was meticulously extracted from that picture. The Kelvin was built around a 1970 Triumph TR6 drivetrain, extending the chassis by a foot in front to capture the Riley MPH’s iconic design.

This project was completed in a little over two years. We planned a limited series, and by the time chassis number 1 was completed, chassis number 2 was already in the works.

By late 1978, the car was ready, and as soon as the Ontario weather cooperated, we hit the road and the car weighed 1,970 lbs.

During this time, I was still in school, I’d take two buses to get to school, a good 20 miles from the shop. This school offered automotive classes, a machine shop, and welding, classes you couldn’t find in other schools nearby. Harry would pick me up at noon, and I’d head back to the shop for the afternoon/evening shift. The drive home? All 20 miles of it in the Kelvin, with Dad snoozing in the passenger seat. Guess he had trusted my driving skills?

We’ll discuss more of the Kelvin in later editions, as you can see in the photo, the Kelvin was one of the many cars destroyed in the tornado. Fast forward to now, the Kelvin is here, being restored by myself at our shop in San Diego, CA.

You might notice that Rylee, Ali’s daughter and my first grandchild, name was inspired by this car. Although spelled differently, Rylee, only two years old, has loved cars since day one. Motorsports is in our blood. One day, she’ll drive the Kelvin too, continuing the Woodford legacy.

-Anthony Woodford