1934 Riley MPH

The Bonnick Cycle Company of Coventry, England was formed in 1890 as a bicycle manufactuer and was soon acquired by William Riley Jr. who, in 1896, incorporated a company to own it named The Riley Cycle Company Limited. Percy, Riley's middle son, left school that year and soon began experimenting with automoibles. His first automboile was built in 1898 and featured a mechanically operated inlet valve. The vehicle's construciton was done in secrecy because his father did not approve, but the world's fascination with the horseless carriage prevailed, and by 1899, Percy had moved from producing mtorocycles to his first prototype four-wheel quadricycle. While most other motorized veicles of the era used vacuum actuated inlet valves, it is believed that Percy continued to use mechnaically operated inlet valves. Benz later developed and patented a mechanically operated inlet valve process of their own and tried unsuccessfully to collect royalties on their system from British companies. British automakers persuaded the courts that their system was based on the design pioneered by Percy and pre-dated those of Benz.

The bicycle business was profitable and William Riley was reluctant to divert resources into motor cars. By 1903, after brothers Victor, Percy, and younger brother Allan Riley had pooled their resources and borrowed additional funds from their mother, formed the Riley Engine Company of Coventry. This enterprise was later joined by the other two Riley brothers, Stanley and Cecil after they left school to join their elder brothers.

The Riley Engine Company initially supplied engines for Riley motorcycles (their father's business) and another local motorcycle manufacturer, Singer. Soon, the Riley Engine Company entered the four-wheeled automobile market, building what is considered the first proper Riley car in 1905. By 1907, the company had ceased motorcycle production and focused solely on motorized vehicles. Bicycle production also ceased in 1911. The following year, the Riley Cycle Company became Riley Limited as William Riley focused on becoming a wire-spoked wheel supplier. William Riley's abandonment of his motor-bicycle and automobile business meant his sons' Riley Engine Company had just lost their principal customer.

In 1913, Percy and his brothers Victor, Stanley, and Allan re-focused their endeavors on building entire automobiles. Their first model, dubbed the 17/30, was introduced at the London Motor Show. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Riley company grew rapidly as they proudly proclaimed 'As Old As The Industry, As Modern As The Hour.' The company's existence would endure for over four decades before they were acquired by the Nuffield Organization. During that time, they built innovative vehicles that were invariably sporting and durable. The Riley 9 engine designed by Percy was a small-capacity, high-revving unit with Hemispherical combustion chambers and inclined overhead valves. Its twin camshafts were positioned high in the cylinder block with valves operated by short pushrods. The product names were equally imaginative and creative, with sedans dubbed Merlin and Falcon, or referencing exotic locations like Biarritz or Monaco. The Kestrel referenced a rakish and aerodynamic design with a swept-back tail, while the Alpine or Gamecock were used for open touring cars.

The MPH was introduced in 1935 and just 16 examples were built. They represented the culmination of the company's experience and the ultimate evolution of the competition Riley. At its heart was an overhead valve engine with roots that date back to the company's twin-cam 9hp models first offered in 1926. It was a compact four-cylinder unit with a displacement of 1,087cc and a huge success for Riley, remaining in production for the next decade with approximately 10,000 examples sold during that time. The 9hp was tunable, attracting legendary racers and engineers such as J.G. Parry-Thomas and Reid Railton. Their racing specials were named after their home turf, the Brooklands model.

The Riley Brooklands rested on a short chassis and wore aerodynamic bodies with a tapered rear. They had a shorter radiator and two bucket seats installed inside the frame and just half a foot from the ground. Modifications to the engine brought about 50 horsepower at 5,000 RPM thanks to high-compression pistons and special cams. The prototype Brooklands Riley was taken to the Brooklands Automobile Racing Club Race in 1927 where it easily outpaced the field with an average speed of over 91 mph.

In 1928, Riley began offering a six-cylinder model called the 14/6, which was essentially the 9hp four with two additional cylinders. Like its predecessors, it was not long before competition versions followed, such as the TT (Tourist Trophy) which had incredible racing careers. Catalog production sports models for the mid-1930s were the MPH, TT Sprite, and the 9hp Imp. It is believed that all sixteen of the MPH cars were acquired by privateer racers.

The Riley MPH wore lightweight aluminum coachwork over a traditional ash frame. The twin-cam 2-liter inline-6 engine drove through a Wilson 'Pre-Selector' four-speed semi-automatic gearbox. The suspension used semi-elliptic leaf springs and braking was handled by four-wheel drums.

by Dan Vaughan

Roadster
Chassis number: 44T 2246
Engine number: 14T 2246

A Sporting Blend of Tradition and Innovation

Riley was an English motorcar built in Coventry. The original company manufactured bicycles in the 1980s. Before the dawn of the 20th century, the owner's son, Percy Riley, had built a 'quadricycle' prototype. A production car followed in 1905. The company produced motorized tricycles or tricars until 1907. The first of which to appear was the 9 horsepower Imp, then the short-lived six-cylinder MPH, and finally, the Nine. Just 16 1728cc/15 HP 6-cylinder MPHs were built.

During 1912, Riley introduced a detachable wheel rim patented by Percy - the design would eventually be used on 180 makes worldwide. The final Riley car was produced in 1969.

During the 1920s, the Riley automobile was a well-known and popular car throughout the British Empire, produced in 4-, 6- and even 8-cylinder variants. Sport models such as the Riley Brooklands, a model that was competitive in both hill climbs and at LeMans, were prized by enthusiasts of the era.

The Riley 'MPH' was a larger 6-cylinder sports car, based on the successful 4-cylinder 'Imp.' Only 20 were produced, and the car displayed is the most authentic one remaining in the world. It was originally imported to Switzerland by the Riley distributor, who used it for racing.

The Riley MPH was a combination of old and new tech: the bodywork was aluminum but over a traditional ash frame. The MPH engine is a twin-cam 2-liter inline-six, driving through a Wilson 'Pre-Selector' 4-speed semi-automatic gearbox.

Roadster
Chassis number: 44T 2246
Engine number: 14T 2246

The resurfacing of this Riley MPH coincided with the sales of the Bob Lutz 'Swiss MPH' by auction house Bonhams in 2016. Shortly after the sale, the wife of the deceased owner of this Riley MPH reached out to Mr. van Huystee to see if he was interested in acquiring it. The car, believed to be 'No. 5' was purchased by Mr. van Huytee and treated to a restoration which culminated with a class award at the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

This Riley is designated the 5th MPH but has the earliest chassis number in the sequence, leading to the belief that it may have been the example shown at the London Motor Show at Olympia in 1934. That car was sold off the show stand to an overseas buyer but that sale may have later been canceled. Like other manufacturers, Riley often toured its vehicles from dealership to dealership to inspire sales, and perhaps that is why this vehicle was first U.K. road registered on February 28th of 1935, and then registered for the road on the Coventry plate 'ARW 485.' It was roughly a year before it found its first proper owner, a Graham Donald of Kilbarchan, in Renfrewshire, Scotland. By this point, the engine prefix was recorded as 14, suggesting that Riley may have exchanged a 15/6 engine for a 15/6 engine prior to its final sale.

Mr. Donald served during the Second World War and its existence vanishes for about a dozen years. When it resurfaced, it had migrated to the south of England and was advertised by Character Cars of Wimbledon. At the time, it was described as being in excellent mechanical condition. Eighteen months later, it was sold again through another South London car dealer becoming the property of a Robert 'Bob' Huehner, an American chemical engineer who was in Europe at the time. When Mr. Huehner returned to the United States, he brought the car back with him and set about restoring it. After the work was completed, it was well-used over the next four decades of his ownership. In the early 2000s, another restoration was commissioned but he would not live to see its completion. Ownership passed to his son and the restoration would remain unfinished in his car, eventually leading to the chance call to Mr. van Huystee in 2017. Mr. van Huystee acquired the vehicle after it had been with the Huehner family for 63 years.

The car is finished in Barnato Green with a Saddle color leather interior. The entire cost of the restoration approached $1 million (USD) and included a complete rebuild of the engine with a new billet crankshaft, new pistons and rods, and the Scintilla Magneto overhauled.

by Dan Vaughan

The origins of the Riley Company can be traced to 1896 and for a little more than four decades, before they were acquired by the Nuffield Organization, they produced automobiles that were always sporting and innovative. During the early 1930s, the sedans were known as the Merlin or Falcon, or exciting locations such as Monaco or Biarritz, and for customers who wanted to combine sportsmanship with aerodynamics, there was the swept-back tail version called the Kestrel. The open touring body styles had names like Gamecock or Alpine.

The Riley MPH was introduced in 1934 and was based on the Riley IMP. The prototype MPH car was given a six-cylinder engine and mounted on an earlier T.T. chassis. It was clothed in aluminum bodywork similar to the contemporary Alfa Romeos. It was entered in the 1934 Scottish Rally and proved to be a capable contender.

The production versions of the MPH soon followed. They were available with a choice of engines, initially the 12/6 and the 14/6 and later the 12/6 and the 15/6. They were a dynamic vehicle that had stunning looks, impressive performance, innovative design, and even finished 2nd and 3rd at LeMans in 1934.

Approximately sixteen to twenty examples were produced.

by Dan Vaughan