RILEY, the classic English car name killed off by British Leyland rationalisation in the 1960s, is set to make a dramatic comeback. The much-loved marque will return in the form of a high-performance luxury coupe based on the platform of R40, the new Rover 600 and 800 replacement which will be launched at the Motor Show in October.

BMW, which bought Rover four years ago, has ordered the company to produce a full-scale concept by the end of next year. 'We will rise to the challenge. It looks like the Riley is on the way back,' said a spokesman. The car will have to be a coupe because re-creating the kind of saloon Riley became famous for in the 1950s would compete head-on with BMW.'

It is thought that the next generation Riley will be a potential rival to Jaguar. It will have a 3.0-litre version of the KV6 engine and will be marketed worldwide.