Vehicle Description
Located in the heart of the British motor industry in Coventry,
Riley Motor became one of the most respected of the English
sporting marques, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s. Like many
pioneering automobile companies, Riley started in the cycle
business. By 1898, Riley was building motorized cycles and a Riley
motor tricycle set the first track record in 1899. The first Rileys
were small-displacement cycle cars utilizing engines outsourced
from De Dion Bouton or Motor Manufacturing Co (MMC), both common
suppliers to the early motor trade. By 1903, Riley produced its own
engines, and its vehicles steadily grew in size and output. An
innovative company, Riley made the first detachable wheels and the
first constant-mesh gearbox. Riley perfected the art of wire spoke
wheel production and built wheels under contract for Rolls-Royce,
Panhard, Mercedes, and Hispano-Suiza and other prestigious car
companies. The operation was so successful that wheel building
threatened to drown Riley's car business. To keep things afloat,
Riley established a separate company to handle the wheels, thus
allowing automobile production to carry on without distractions. In
1926, Percy Riley introduced the 1087-cc 9-horsepower four-cylinder
engine. It was an ingenious design, with twin gear-driven camshafts
and hemispherical, cross-flow combustion chambers. The engine
looked for all intents like an overhead-cam unit; however, the cams
were mounted high in the block, operating pushrods and rockers for
the 90-degree incline valves. The engine became a hallmark of Riley
cars, with various evolutions of the design powering Riley models
through 1957 and tuned versions motivating Donald Healey's rapid
and highly successful sports cars of the 1940s. Even the great W.O.
Bentley counted among owners of the superb Riley 9. The Riley 9
chassis was offered in various styles and equipment levels,
including a handsome closed sports sedan, a fabric-bodied open
tourer, and the sleek Brooklands boat-tail runabout roadster.
Period literature described the Brooklands as "equally suited for
competition work or daily use, and is much appreciated by the
motorist who desires more than average speed, hill climbing
ability, acceleration, and roadworthiness." The Riley 9 proved
itself a formidable competitor, with a litany of race wins,
records, and top results in prestigious events in the UK, Europe,
Australia, and America. Offered here is chassis 8046, a well-known
early Riley 9 racing chassis with a rich and fascinating history
that helped cement the legend of this renowned model. Constructed
in 1929, Riley Works handed this chassis over to Thomson & Taylor,
the respected race car engineering firm based within the banks of
the legendary Brooklands circuit. Their many projects included the
construction and redesign of Malcolm Campbell's Blue Bird (1931 and
1933), the iconic Napier-Railton, and the 400-mph Railton Mobil
Special. Thomson & Taylor modified the chassis to Riley's
specifications and returned it to the factory where it was
completed, stamped '8046', and mated with a Works racing engine and
lightweight aluminum coachwork. It is believed to be the first such
Riley 9 built to Brooklands specification. On June 14, 1930, 8046
was registered as GJ 18 and delivered to Whitney Straight, a
dashing adventurer, war hero, and racer. Born in New York City in
1912, Whitney Straight was a member of the prominent Whitney
family, whose lineage consisted of many influential names,
including inventor Eli Whitney. Straight was fascinated with flying
from a young age and accumulated more than 60 solo hours before he
was old enough to legally hold a pilot's license. While living in
England as an undergraduate at Cambridge University, Straight was
told he could not keep a car, so he skirted the rules by bringing
an airplane. Straight purchased his first racing car - this Riley
Brooklands, GJ 18. He scored a string of podium finishes with his
Riley at Shelsley Walsh and various B.A.R.C. and Southport Motor
Club meetings. Photographs and results of this period are in the
file. Later moving into a Maserati, he won numerous races and hill
climbs before joining the RAF in 1939 and surviving the war as a
highly decorated airman. In 1938, Miss Diana Carpenter purchased GJ
18 for £85, noting the car was exactly as Straight had raced it,
complete with his stylized logo on the scuttle. She later sold it
to Brian Steadman, who passed it to the legendary motoring
journalist Denis Jenkinson. "Jenks" competed in GJ 18 and
chronicled his adventures driving and modifying the car in the
pages of Autocar in the early 1940s, copies of which are on file.
Subsequent owners are well-documented via the UK road book and V5C
documents in the extensive history file. Beginning in 2005, while
in the care of Greg Johnson, a comprehensive restoration was
performed to restore the car back to the way Whitney Straight had
raced it. Johnson commissioned J. Wilkinson & Son Coach Builders in
Derby to handle the work. Invoices and correspondence note that the
rear section of the body was kept original, though portions of the
forward section required rebuilding. Additionally, some of the
modifications made by Jenks were undone, and the period-correct
drivetrain (believed to be fitted by Jenks) was overhauled.
Powering GJ 18 is a period-correct 1087 c.c. inline-four, equipped
with Riley's twin cam-in-block design and 90-degree valve
arrangement. The engine was rebuilt to Works Racing spec in 2004
with new cranks, rods, pistons, reprofiled cams, and much more.
Following the restoration, GJ 18 returned to the circuit and was
driven enthusiastically at Le Mans Classic and the 2009 Monterey
Historics. It is FIVA-registered and has an MSA Historic Technical
Passport, ensuring eligibility for a wide variety of historic
motoring events, from Le Mans to the Mille Miglia. It is presented
in beautiful condition, with its low, spindly bodywork giving the
impression of speed even while standing still. The restoration
quality is evident throughout the car, from the gorgeous black
paintwork to the rich dark red leather trim and the authentically
detailed engine compartment. Thanks to previous owners' efforts, GJ
18 is accompanied by extensive documentation, restoration
photographs, period photos, factory literature, correspondence, and
records. Also available is an inventoried cache of original spares
retained by past owners and carefully preserved during the
restoration. Not only is GJ 18 a striking example of a
sophisticated pre-war British sports car, but it also boasts a
fascinating history at the hands of equally fascinating characters.
With snappy performance and fabulous looks, it will surely bring
its next custodian outsized joy wherever he or she chooses to enjoy
it. Offers welcome and trades considered For additional details
please view this listing directly on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/7520-1930-riley-9-brooklands/
