Riley 9 Monaco - fabric saloon

The Riley company motto, “As old as the industry – as modern as the hour” summed up the product range very nicely. Their masterstroke came in 1926 when the Nine was announced. The chassis, suspension and bodywork were the work of Stanley Riley, whilst the hugely talented Percy Riley designed the brilliant little 9hp engine. This 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 and these 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. Another interesting design feature for the period was the Riley continuous cable brake system which allowed adjustment from the driving seat.

FL 7878 was first registered on 14th May 1929. Offered for sale from a deceased estate, unfortunately little is known of its history, the buff log book showing that it was in the Peterborough area in 1952, moving to Birmingham in the 1970s. A large number of MOTs are on file, the car having a current certificate valid until March 2012.

The Riley has been used recently and appears to be in lovely condition throughout. The paintwork is very good and the fabric coachwork in excellent condition. The doors open and close very nicely, with the brown vinyl interior looking to be in excellent condition. The engine bay is very clean and the whole car has clearly had a great deal of attention in recent years.

Altogether a most attractive example of a vintage Riley 9, a most usable car, eligible for VSCC and Light Car events which would grace the garage of any true Vintagent.