1935 Riley Special
Sale Price: SOLD
In the 1930’s Rileys were the car to have. They were well designed and engineered with many innovative features. Arguably the Riley 9 Monaco was the game-changer for the company which was introduced in 1926.
It featured a remarkable 4-cylinder, twin-camshaft, 1087cc, hemispherical head engine with inlet and exhaust valves on opposite sides and was such an efficient design that it could be tuned to give high power at very high revs.
During the inter-war period, the Riley 9 was one of the most successful light sporting cars produced by the British motor industry and made by the Riley Car Company of Coventry, England. It was produced with a wide range of body styles between 1926 and 1938.
Given its quality and performance, it is little wonder so many models were produced, and this gave rise to several sports models including the Sprite, Imp, MPH with racing specials being common developments of this excellent car.
We are pleased to offer for sale this fabulous Riley Special. This is a truly excellent example of a special based on a Riley 9 engine and running gear. The current owner who is based in Queensland purchased the car some 15 years ago and has enjoyed 9,000 miles during his ownership.
The car was rebuilt in 2007 by Warwick Parsons a noted specialist in restoring vintage cars who expertly created the body in aluminium in the spirit of an MPH/Imp. It is outstanding in every respect and the attention to detail is incredible to see.
The all-aluminium body was fashioned over a metal frame and is just stunning. The paint quality is simply flawless and reflects the overall quality of the work. There are small stone chips to the front area, but this is being picky. The colour suits the car incredibly well and contrasts beautifully with the brightwork which is flawless. It presents underneath as well as it does on top!
The interior of the car is trimmed in fine stone colour leather which is free from any marks or tears. The grey carpets are all in fine order and work well with the colour scheme of the overall car.
Turn the key and the engine fires up easily and settles into a smooth idle. Out on the open road this car is just superb. The original engine from the Riley 9 pulls well and cruises happily in today’s traffic. The engine is responsive and given the cars weight makes for an entertaining drive.
The engine was subject to a rebuild around 8 years ago with only around 3,000 miles driven on it since. The pre-selector gearbox is a delight to use and works through the gears happily. Using it is quite addictive and you can see why it was such a desirable feature in period. The timber dash and instruments look wonderfully appealing and whilst a mixture of old and new look the part and provide all the information you need.
The exhaust note is great to hear, and the engine is very willing. The brakes have been converted to a hydraulic system which only helps in providing more responsive braking.
The interior of this car is just lovely, and the leather seats are very comfortable and beautifully trimmed in excellent quality leather. Of note is the excellent driving position well suited to distance motoring.
There is a roof with the car which is like new along with a Tonneau cover. The sealed storage area in the car provides some decent space to carry luggage.
The car as received numerous awards which underlines the quality of this car.
This example presents as if it is still fresh from its build, and this provides a great opportunity to acquire a wonderful Riley Special at a fraction of the cost to build one now. The car is serviced, on the button and ready to go.
