western australia

Mind your step

@JudyEv (382483)

Rockingham, Australia

March 10, 2023 8:07am CST

The photo is a close-up of a Byfield Riley. Cliff Byfield, from Western Australia, built the car from a salvaged Riley and completed the project at the age of 94. Not content with doing his own panel beating and metal shaping, he is also a talented wood worker and even does his own upholstery. In all he has hand-crafted 15 cars almost single-handedly, as well as finding time to design and build furniture and musical instruments, including a harp. Cliff enlisted in the Royal Australia Air Force at the start of World War II and had over 30 missions over France and Germany to his credit as a tail gunner in Lancaster bombers. I asked Vince to take this photo to show the cute little steps which enabled passengers to get into the rear seats. The front of the car was shown in one of my recent posts. Can you see the steps?

11 people like this

11 responses

@LadyDuck (502798)

• Italy

10 Mar 23

Those little steps were surely great as there was no door for the rear seat. Those cars had beautiful colours, now all cars are more or less the same shape and the same colour.

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@LadyDuck (502798)

• Italy

11 Mar 23

@JudyEv And most car are light silver, dark silver black or white

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

Yes, it is hard to tell the models apart now.

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@BarBaraPrz (51838)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

10 Mar 23

I always wondered how one was to get into the rumble seat. I see it has its own windscreen but no roof should it rain.

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@BarBaraPrz (51838)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

11 Mar 23

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@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

I guess you'd get wet if you were in the rumble seat.

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@RebeccasFarm (91297)

• United States

10 Mar 23

Oh I tell you Judy such fancy stuff they had on cars.

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@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

They did indeed. Imagine trying to get into this space without steps! lol

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@Ronrybs (21492)

• London, England

10 Mar 23

Hand made care and in a limited edition, they must be worth a fortune!

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

Cliff is still making cars in his backyard. His is an amazing story.

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@LindaOHio (222806)

• United States

13 Mar 23

Yes, I see the steps. Cliff certainly is ambitious.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Mar 23

I think he is 92 now and still building cars.

@Beestring (15372)

• Hong Kong

10 Mar 23

Yes, I see the steps. I wonder how long it takes to build a car by hand. Amazing.

2 people like this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

The article I read said usually two years, give or take a bit.

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@shaggin (74987)

• United States

10 Mar 23

Oh wow those steps are neat. I’ve never seen that. I assume the back doors don’t open is why.

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@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

You'd need to be pretty agile to get in without steps, that's for sure.

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@snowy22315 (209145)

• United States

10 Mar 23

I see a step....pretty fancy car.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

There are two steps. I'd say they were essential given the garb people wore in those days.

@wolfgirl569 (135966)

• Marion, Ohio

10 Mar 23

That is a cute idea

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

Pretty nifty, eh?

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (91157)

• United States

10 Mar 23

That car is gorgeous and the steps are so cute. Cliff is really a talented guy and still pretty busy at 94 yrs old.

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

He is still working on his cars. It's probably what keeps him going.

@Icydoll (36713)

• India

10 Mar 23

Yeah I can see the cute little steps that is in the picture.its looking very cute .

1 person likes this

@JudyEv (382483)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Mar 23

It's a lovely little car, isn't it?

1 person likes this