1928 Riley 9hp Sports Two Seater

1928 Riley 9hp Sports Two Seater

"During the late 1920s and early 1930s, this small Coventry firm produced some of the best small sporting cars in the world, whether saloons, tourers or out-and-out sports cars." - Michael Sedgwick & Mark Gillies, A-Z of Cars of the 1930s, Haymarket Publishing Ltd, 1989.

The excellence of its sidevalve-engined models notwithstanding, it was Riley's introduction of the overhead-valve Nine in 1926 that heralded the era of its greatest sporting success. The heart of this all-new 9hp light car was its Percy Riley-designed four-cylinder engine. Looking to all intents and purposes like a twin-overhead-camshaft design, the Nine's cross-flow cylinder head featured hemispherical combustion chambers and valves inclined at an included angle of 90 degrees. The twin gear-driven camshafts were mounted high in the block, operating the valves via short pushrods. Early on in production, the gear shift was moved from the right side of the car to the center, these being designated the Mark II in retrospect.

It was their sporting reputation that ensured that many Rileys were preserved long beyond their serviceable years. More often than not, it was closed/sedan bodies later being discarded in preference by a young enthusiast wishing to follow in the footsteps of the sportsmen of the Vintage era and to build one of countless Riley 'Specials' using their renowned chassis and engine. This is one such machine.

Descriptions & pictures by bonhams