Riley 9 Monaco

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The Riley company motto, “As old as the industry – as modern as the hour” summed up their product range very nicely.

This was perfectly illustrated in 1926 when the brilliant Riley Nine was announced. Its chassis, suspension and bodywork were the work of Stanley Riley, while his brother, the hugely talented 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 through some giant-killing performances put up by the low-slung Brooklands and Imp sports models that were also supplied from the factory.

The mainstream models were named after exotic French holiday destinations such as Biarritz, San Remo and Monaco. The popular Monaco saloon model was sold from 1926 until 1932 with a fabric covered body, changing to a more conventional aluminium skin from 1933. Light, stylish and comfortable, these small saloons remain ever-popular as they combine a sprightly performance on the road with good handling and a vast supply of affordable spare parts.

Although the V5 states that it is a 1932 model, the chassis number of this Monaco indicates that it is actually late 1933 or early 1934. Only recently purchased by the vendor as a restoration project, he has reluctantly concluded that he hasn’t the time to take on its completion, although a great deal of work has already been done and he informs us that as far as he knows it is complete (although potential bidders should satisfy themselves on this matter upon inspection). 

The car retains its original leather upholstery which will need further restoration, the vendor advising us that the engine turns freely. Many parts have been rechromed and it comes with a current V5C. An enticing project, it looks like the perfect way to occupy those long winter evenings in the garage.