1935 Riley Dobbs

The racing scene in pre-war Britain would be one of the creative privateers driving converted homemade monopostos and sportscars around such famous tracks as Brooklands and Donington. Of these early privateers, there was perhaps none more well-known than Hector Dobbs. Taking and adapting Rileys, Dobbs would be a force to be reckoned with in hill climbing and track events.

The Riley name would be first found amongst the textile industry in the late 19th century. Then, came the bicycle craze, and the Riley Cycle Company Limited would be founded in 1896. William Riley Jr. would be the company's founder and it would be first located in the town of Coventry in England.

Percy Riley, William's middle son, would soon show an interest in the new technology known as automobiles. Just prior to World War I, Percy would be joined by his brothers and they would form a company focused on manufacturing entire automobiles. However, the company's initial move into automotive manufacturing would be disrupted by the outbreak of the First World War.

It wouldn't take too long before enterprising individuals began to realize that cars, like the Riley sportscars, could be modified and adapted to monoposto configurations. One of those that would be very good as such adaptations would be Hector Dobbs.

Born in May of 1905, Hector George Edmund Dobbs would become a Royal Naval Officer during the Second World War. However, prior to the war, Dobbs would be well-known as a Riley dealer and would be quite an adept motor racing driver.

But Dobbs wouldn't just be a racer. Being a Riley dealer, Dobbs would soon take part in the process of adapting the small British sportscars into monoposto racers. By the mid-1930s, Dobbs would become something of a national hero and would be earning a number of race victories at both Donington and Brooklands. One of his more famous, and successful, creations would be a 1935 Riley Dobbs 2.0 liter Offset Monoposto.

The basis for the car would come from a Riley TT Sprite. The design of the body easily displays the offset body styling. The car also displays, very clearly, Dobbs' early obsession with aerodynamics as the body styling boasts of a rounded upper line and a beautiful sweeping arc where the offset body blends back into the Sprite chassis. The car would then be completed using components, such as the brakes and axles, from a Riley MPH. This was intentional given the fact that the MPH-bodied Riley would actually make an appearance at Le Mans during the middle-1930s.

The 1935 Riley Dobbs would certainly boast of some clear aerodynamic features. However, by the time Dobbs created his 2.0-liter Monoposto his focus had switched from aerodynamics to just creating lighter chassis. Such a change in focus was made necessary by the presence of the supercharged ERA chassis. Dobbs knew he wouldn't be all that competitive with his monoposto if he didn't reduce the weight of the car. Reducing the weight of the car would certainly help as Dobbs would go on to score a number of victories and top results, especially at Donington.

After being used for a couple of years, Dobbs' 2.0-liter and 1.5-liter versions of the monoposto would be sold. The 1.5-liter version would eventually make its way to South Africa where it would end up being destroyed in a serious crash sometime during the early 1950s. The 2.0-liter version, however, would go on to be owned by the motorcycling champion Eric Fernihough. The car would remain unused by Fernihough as he would die in an accident before he could even use the car once in a race.

Clive Clairmonte would come to possess the car and would use it in Formula 2 events at Silverstone and Goodwood. The car would be changed and its engine used in a car with a body designed by Lotus' Colin Chapman himself.

In the late-1950s, the car would come to be owned by its current owner and would be modified to reflect its original form. From then on, the car would be competed in historic events and would continue to score a number of notable finishes. Rebuilt between 2007 and 2008, the 2.0-liter monoposto would see the addition of twin rear wheels. In this fashion, the car reflects a period in its history when it was competed by Wilkie Wilkinson at such places as Crystal Palace, Brooklands and Shelsley.

The only surviving example of Hector Dobbs' creations, the 2.0-liter Offset Monoposto occupies a special place in British and single-seater motor racing. Certainly not to be overlooked at any historic event, the Riley Dobbs special represents one of the most imaginative periods in British motor racing and is, in many ways, a very special link in the history of English motor racing. And while the car may be as 'old as the industry', it is still very much 'as modern as the hour.'

Sources
'Riley-Specials', (http://rileyrob.co.uk/specials/index.htm). Riley-Specials. http://rileyrob.co.uk/specials/index.htm. Retrieved 10 December 2012.

'1934 Riley MPH News, Pictures and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z14242/Riley-MPH.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z14242/Riley-MPH.aspx. Retrieved 10 December 2012.

'568: 1935 Dobbs Riley 2.0-liter Offset Monoposto', (http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16248/lot/568/). Bonhams. http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/16248/lot/568/. Retrieved 10 December 2012.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Riley Motor', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 29 November 2012, 18:07 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Riley_Motor&oldid=525568020 accessed 10 December 2012

By Jeremy McMullen