Riley Sprite

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As with the now legendary Imp, the Sprite slipped almost unnoticed into the Riley range in the autumn of 1935 with negligible help from the marketing department.

“Indeed, this seems to have been another of those occasions where Riley went out of their way to make sure the public were not informed about a new sports car,” wrote marque historian Graham Robson in his definitive 1986 book Riley Sports Cars. “There were no pictures in the motoring press, no technical analyses, and no road tests until 1937 when The Autocar at last got its hands on a car, perhaps because its managing editor’s son had recently bought one of his own!”

Although closely linked to both the Imp and the MPH in general layout, the Sprite had an entirely different engine and was a direct spin-off from the 1935 TT Sprite racing car. Only marginally less powerful than the six-cylinder unit in the MPH, the Sprite’s new 1.5-litre 12/4 engine was hugely impressive for its day and could propel the little car to a top speed of almost 85mph. “The Sprite is not a racing car, but in part of its behaviour it shows that it is a close relative,” wrote Autocar. “It is stable to the extent of being almost impossible to overturn, although cornered much faster than is general practice, and has the acceleration to take it through gaps in traffic.”

Sharing virtually the same chassis as the MPH but now even stiffer thanks to boxed-in side members, the Sprite also benefited from improved Girling rod-actuated brakes in place of the cable brakes on the Imp and the MPH. Luggage space was slightly increased by lengthening the tail and the cabin was made marginally roomier by moving the dashboard forward, but it was still very restricted by any standards. Both manual and pre-selector gearboxes were offered but, as usual, the latter was a far more popular option.

Rear end styling was almost identical to the MPH with a fully enclosed spare wheel on top of the 15-gallon fuel tank, but the front end was much more modern with a ‘bird cage’ type grille which so appalled some traditionalists that a more conventional slatted type was offered as an option! Priced at £425 it was, like the MPH, very expensive compared to its obvious UK rivals and sales were never going to be brisk, even given proper marketing support. It is not known exactly how many Sprites were made before production petered out in 1938, but best estimates suggest that it was between 50 and 55.

This beautiful 1936 Sprite has been in the current ownership for 44 years. Not much is known about the early history of the car but the CXY number would indicate that it was first registered in London, while an old buff log book shows that by 1950 it was owned by one Arthur Down of Bristol, ownership then transferring to Leslie Surgenor of Ballymena in 1954 and next to Thomas Marshall of Belfast in 1968 from whom the vendor acquired it in 1971.

Over the next three decades the car was in regular light use, mainly in Ireland, including taking part in the August 1978 Ards TT 50th Anniversary Commemoration event, doing three laps of the old 14-mile Ard Circuit in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd, followed by a celebration dinner for the drivers. CXY 386 was prepared for the event by Sprite specialist Gerry Ardill, who was also at the wheel for the three laps, his passenger being the vendor's father, Sir Ian Fraser, a Belfast surgeon who had been Chief Medical Officer at the Ards Circuit from 1928 until 1936.

When the vendor got posted abroad in the early 1980s the Sprite was loaned to a friend for a few years, being put into his name from 1981-83 when the vendor reclaimed it. By 2000 the Sprite was beginning to look a little tired so it was entrusted to Glen Kingham of Kingham Restorations, Swanley, Kent, for a full restoration which was to take some three years to complete.

The extent of the work carried out is too detailed to list in full here but is amply documented by many bills and photographs in the large history file which accompanies the vehicle. This included a full engine rebuild with a new set of Omega +40 pistons, the whole being carefully balanced before assembly. A new hood and tonneau cover were also made and a set of new Blockley tyres have more recently been fitted.

According to information held in the Riley Club archives, this car also has the high performance cross-flow head fitted which was made available after it had proved its worth in the 1936 Ulster TT race, allowing the engine to run at a higher compression ratio without overheating (and permitting the use of unleaded fuel today). This modification may perhaps hint at some competition use early in the life of the car.

Since the restoration was completed in 2003, the car has continued to be in light regular use, clocking up some 3,000 miles including trips to the Goodwood Revival and longer distance jaunts to Le Mans and Laon in France, during which journeys it has always proved a joy to drive with no mechanical dramas to report. It certainly fired up promptly and ran beautifully as we manoeuvred it for these photos on the occasion of our visit.

Kept in a heated, dehumidified garage along with a number of other classics that the vendor is fortunate enough to own, this rare and beautiful motorcar remains in lovely order throughout and is only reluctantly being sold due to an impending house move and consequent loss of storage. The epitome of Thirties sporting style, it would make a fine addition to any serious collection.

PS: A full set of weather gear is also included, all brand new. Also a small quantity of spares.