Lot Ended
Description
Wonderfully original with bags of character and lots of history from
new; as good underneath as it us up top; hard to find in this condition and
just how we like them!
The
magnificent Riley Nine made its debut in 1926 and quickly became the most
desirable small sporting car on the market, contemporary road testers running
out of superlatives in their enthusiasm for the car. Its chassis, suspension and
bodywork were the work of Stanley Riley, while Percy Riley designed the
brilliant little 9hp engine.
The 1087cc unit
thrived on high revs, which it would happily and reliably maintain for long
periods of time thanks to its clever design. Twin camshafts were mounted high in
the block, making for short and light pushrods which operated valves set at 45
degrees to the head. This, coupled with a crossflow head design, enabled
prodigious power to be extracted from this willing unit.
The vast majority were sold with attractive saloon bodywork,
although the Nine also cemented its sporting credentials with some
giant-slaying performances by the Brooklands and Imp models that were also
supplied by the factory.
The mainstream models
were named after exotic French holiday destinations such as Biarritz, San Remo
and Monaco. The fabric-bodied Monaco made its debut at Shelsley Walsh in 1926,
racing driver Tony Rolt recalling in his memoirs: “The sensation it caused… how
we flocked to the finishing paddock at the top of the hill to make a closer
examination. We had never seen anything like it before. How low it
was!”.
First registered in London in February
1929, this delightful Monaco comes with an interesting history file from new.
First owned by an Edith Lewis of Kensington, it then had three further local
owners before passing to a PJ Preece of Northampton in 1966 and then to DH
Hewitson of Cheadle in 1968.
A letter from
Preece to Hewitson dated January 1968 states that he wanted £175 for the car and
that it had been extensively overhauled including a rebuilt engine with new
pistons, bearings, valves and guides. The chassis had new king pins, spring
shackle buses, brakes and tyres. The body had new Triplex windows, new bulkhead,
new running boards and floor boards but was otherwise highly original. It also
had new carpets, all the interior wood was revarnished and it had been
completely rewired.
Hewitson kept the car
until 2008, invoices showing that it had a fair bit of work carried out in
1992/93 by Henry Stringer of Ilkley following a period in storage. This included
an engine overhaul with new piston rings; cylinder head overhaul; complete
rewire; new door check straps; both front wings restored and repainted plus
various other recommissioning jobs.
An old MOT
shows that the car was recording 18,568 miles at that point and, assuming the
odometer works correctly, it has only covered around 200 miles since. The Riley
then had two further owners, invoices showing that the magneto was rebuilt in
2017 and the armature was replaced in 2019.
As
you can see in the photos, the car looks wonderfully sound and original and has
been starting promptly and running well as we have moved it around on site. It
comes with an interesting file of invoices and correspondence, some useful
technical literature and a Pitman’s Book of the Riley Nine.
Light, stylish and comfortable, the Monaco remains
ever-popular as it combines sprightly performance on the road with good handling
and a vast supply of affordable spare parts. This beautifully patinated and
nicely preserved example looks mighty tempting at the sensible guide price
suggested.
For more information contact
James on 07970 309907 or email [email protected]