Riley 10.8 'Redwing' 4-Seater Sports

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"A lithe low-hung sports that responds to every whim, now drifting with the breeze, then racing with the gale. Speed greater than many men dare to use, comfort to the ultimate degree."

Introduced in 1922, Riley's 'Redwing' series was aimed squarely at the sporting motorist as their purple prose above makes clear. However it was no hollow boast and the performance of the car more than lived up to the marketing hype. With its distinctive polished aluminium coachwork (in either two- or four-seater form) with cardinal red wings, chassis, wheels and upholstery (hence the name), the Redwing (or Red Winger) was one of the most desirable light cars of its period.

The 1,498cc 10.8hp side valve engine had an aluminium crankcase with a detachable cast iron block and detachable head with a three-bearing crank. This was mated to a four-speed non-synchro gearbox in a cast aluminium housing which transferred power to the spiral bevel drive rear axle via an open nickel chrome tubular steel propshaft. Suspension was by semi-elliptic springs all round with Hertford friction dampers, attached to a shortened 9ft version of the excellent Riley touring chassis. Steering was of the worm and full wheel pattern with front brakes only, although from 1925 four-wheel brakes were offered along with Marles-type steering. Wire wheels were standard, shod with 710 x 90 cord tyres.

Guaranteed to be capable of 70mph at 3,500rpm on level ground, the Redwing could safely rev to 4,200rpm so up to 90mph was attainable, especially downhill or with a following wind. A born competition car, the Redwing became a favourite at MCC trials events and also did well at Brooklands, Victor Gillow winning the Light Car Handicap in 1924 at 77.5mph and achieving 81.63mph at the August Bank Holiday Meeting in the same year.

First registered in November 1924, HP 9679 was used as a works demonstrator for its first year and apart from featuring in Riley publicity material it was also loaned to magazines such as 'The Motor' and 'Light Car and Cyclecar' where it gained very favourable reviews as evidenced by several press clippings in the history file. Indeed HP 9679 so impressed Hubert Keogh, editor of 'The Motor', that he bought it for himself in 1925 and was to keep it for the rest of his life, his son Pat inheriting the car in 1960, from whom the present owner acquired it in 1981.

Initially used as everyday transport, HP 9679 was extensively developed by Hubert in the late-1920s and was very successful in MCC trials for over a decade, winning 14 gold medals and several silvers, eight Riley Service Challenge Cups, completing the London to Edinburgh Trial in 1929 and also winning a Gold Medal in a High Speed Trial at Brooklands in 1931, various photos and cuttings on file documenting these achievements. Keogh's modifications included a reprofiled Laystall camshaft and roller tappets; larger diameter crankshaft; larger 35mm Solex carburettor; enlarged and polished inlet tract and ports; larger inlet valves; Ricardo type head; 'works' 4-branch manifold and a lightened flywheel. These upgrades brought the original 35bhp up to about 50bhp and are all fully documented by copious notes in the history file.

Naturally the car was also used for more mundane activities and as early as 1932 Keogh reported that it had "covered 108,000 miles and has never once failed me on the road". Stored during the war, the car was treated to a five-year chassis-up restoration by Pat shortly after he inherited it, producing a machine which 'Light Car' testers found to be the quickest in its category. Pat recorded his own feelings by saying the car could be "best described as a baby Bentley as it resembles the 3-Litre, though is more delicate in appearance".

By the time the vendor (a retired GP and lifelong Riley fanatic) acquired it in 1981, HP 9679 had covered around 200,000 miles and he has continued to use it in VSCC sprints, driving tests and trials throughout his 34-year ownership, covering some 500 miles per year. Still a formidably quick machine, the vendor recalls taking it to a Curborough sprint where he completed his run a full 10 seconds under the time pre-estimated by the handicapper. He further confirms that it still retains its original body, wings, engine, gearbox, axles and instruments.

Impeccably maintained throughout its life, the car comes with many bills documenting expenditure over the years, including a full engine rebuild about 10 years ago, the vendor stating that the car has always proved totally reliable and (as with Keogh senior) has "never once let me down on the road, the only hiccup being when the magneto failed during a driving test" (the offending component having since been rebuilt, of course).

Some of Keogh's performance parts (such as the Laystall camshaft and roller tappets) have been replaced by standard parts for improved day-to-day driveability, and the 4:7 crownwheel and pinion has been replaced by a 5:1 unit for the same reason, but all are retained among the very large quantity of spares that come with the car, including two spare engines and a front brake conversion kit plus numerous other rare and valuable components that have been amassed by the vendor over a lifetime's involvement with the Riley marque. Such is the quantity of these spares that they will have to be collected from the vendor's home in Wiltshire.

It is uncertain how many Redwing models were made in total but at £495 they were always very expensive machines and it is doubtful that sales reached even triple figures. It is thought that perhaps only four of the four-seaters still survive worldwide, making this an exceedingly rare machine. With impeccable provenance and on the market for the first time in 34 years (and only the second time in 91 years), this is perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to acquire what is possibly the best documented Redwing in existence. So bid vigorously now or kick yourself for your hesitancy hereafter...

PS: This car was driven over 70 miles to the sale with no problems whatsoever.