1931 Riley 9 Four Seat Tourer

Designed by the Riley brothers Percy and Stanley, the ‘9’ arrived on Britain’s roads in 1927 and by the time production had ended in 1938, the model had become one of the most successful of its type in the inter-war years, no doubt due in part to its adaptability. From the first 1087cc fabric bodied Monaco saloon and a four-seat tourer, the Nine evolved into a huge variety of guises, ranging from the sporting saloon, such as the Kestrel and the aforementioned Monaco, to the Brooklands and Imp sports cars, by way of Tourers and Coupes.

This Riley left the factory in late 1931, but is in fact a 1932 model with a Plus Ultra chassis. The original Monaco coachwork was destroyed after the shed which housed the Riley collapsed on top of the motor car in the late 1960s; in the following decade, the ‘9’ was taken as payment for threshing work and a replacement body was built in 1980.

Bill Warne purchased GT 8842 in 1987. He recovered the body in British Racing Green fabric and fitted cycle tyre mudguards. In 1994, the crankshaft broke; the engine was sorted with the help of Ian Gladstone and this original unit is now dismantled and spare and included in the sale.

The Vintage Sport Car Club accepted the Riley for competition and designated the motor car as ‘Modified’.

Richard Scott became the next custodian in 1997 and participated with the Riley in various trials and events. We understand that the current engine fitted was supplied by Barry Gillies and has a Merlin crankshaft and rods.

The vendor purchased GT 8842 in 2005. He instructed Ian Gladstone to carry out improvements to the engine and since 2010, further mechanical refinements have been carried out which are detailed in the history file, including work by Tim Whellock.

It is worth pointing out that the fuel gauge is inaccurate; details of this as well as starting instructions are included in the history file.

The Riley was featured on the front cover of a 2015 VSCC newsletter, competing in the Exmoor Fringe Trial. It has been known to the VSCC for many years and has participated in trials and road rallies; for the Riley Motor Club’s 70^th anniversary, the ‘9’ took part in the London to Edinburgh run.

The history file includes the VSCC Eligibility Document, the V5C registration certificate, old road tax discs, several MOT test certificates, specialists’ invoices, images and the aforesaid vendor’s account of the motor car’s history.

Auction Date: 7 June 2018