1929 Riley

This Riley Nine Special began its life as a Monaco sedan that was first registered on July 19, 1929, under UK registration number VE 1701 before being converted into a two-seat racing special by Hertford driver Joe Beavis in the mid-1950s. Chassis 606294 was subsequently campaigned by Beavis in VSCC events before it was sold in 1965 to its next owner, who carried on racing the car in VSCC competition and fitted it with a 1.5-liter 12/4 inline-four. The car was again re-bodied under subsequent ownership and remained active in competition through the late 1970s before later being purchased by a California owner who imported it to the US. It then underwent a refurbishment between 1988 and 1992 before participating in the Monterey Historics five times in the 1990s as well as appearing at the 1994 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. After being purchased by its current owner in 2001, the car received an award at the 2006 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance. Featuring an open two-seat body finished in white over a shortened and underslung Brooklands-style chassis, the car also features quadruple AMAL carburetors, a close-ratio Silent Third four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes with twin master cylinders, white-painted 16” center-lock wire wheels, a four-into-one exhaust with a Brooklands-style silencer, a fuel cell, and red leather upholstery over two-place seating. This Riley Beavis Special is now offered on dealer consignment with historical photos and articles, its previous UK registration booklet, Riley engine manuals, and a clean California title. Modifications to the Riley Nine chassis during the 1950s build are said to have included shortening its wheelbase by 6”, the addition of cross-bracing, and the inversion of the aft end of the frame to create an underslung rear configuration in the style of a period Brooklands racer. The original fabric saloon bodywork was removed in favor of open coachwork that was later replaced with the current aluminum body, which was refinished in white during the refurbishment completed in 1992. Exterior features include a boattail rear end, cycle fenders, a Brooklands-style windscreen, a rearview mirror fairing, a louvered hood secured by leather straps, side-pipe exhaust with a Brooklands-style silencer, an external fuel-fuller cap, and number 5 script along each side matching the blue-painted frame. The radiator is said to have been sourced from a Riley Gamecock and is fitted with a stone guard. A crack is present in the left headlight lens. The white-painted wire wheels are secured by two-eared knock-offs and are wrapped in 5.50-16 Dunlop tires. Stopping is handled by finned hydraulic drum brakes with ventilated backing plates outfitted with cooling scoops at the front wheels. A refresh of the braking system between 2022 and 2023 included rebuilds of the dual master cylinders and a fluid flush. The right-hand-drive cockpit houses bucket seats for two trimmed in red leather with color-matched trim along the side panels and rear bulkhead. A three-point latch-and-link seatbelt is in place for the driver, while the passenger seat is equipped with a two-point lap belt. The riveted-wood-rimmed steering wheel sits ahead of a Jaeger 6,200-rpm tachometer and gauges monitoring coolant temperature and oil pressure. The car is not equipped with an odometer, and true mileage is unknown. The 1.5-liter 12/4 inline-four features a monobloc cylinder and crankcase unit, a crossflow cylinder head with hemispherical combustion chambers, and two camshafts positioned high in the block actuating overhead valves via pushrods. Induction is through four AMAL carburetors that are said to have been rebuilt during service totaling approximately $8k between 2022 and 2023 that also included a coolant flush, a tune-up, electrical repairs, and replacement of the fuel bladder. An electric cooling fan is fitted behind the radiator. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a non-synchronized four-speed manual transmission with close ratios and a constant-mesh third gear. The solid rear axle is said to feature a 5.25:1-ratio differential. Correspondence dated 1993 from the former owner who purchased the car from Joe Beavis describes the car’s history prior to its departure from the UK. An article written by the same owner in a 1966 issue of the Riley Registry Bulletin can be seen in the photo gallery below. Also shown in the gallery is the car’s UK registry booklet listing an initial registration date in July 1929 as well as registration number VE 1701. A plate carrying the number remains affixed to the rear of the car. A list of owners between 1954 and the present is also included in the gallery. During the car’s racing career in England, it participated in VSCC and A.C./Lagonda Owner’s Club Races at Castle Comb, Silverstone, Oulton Park and Brands Hatch, and won the VSCC Coventry Trophy for the 1965 season. The car is shown above at one of its five Monterey Historics appearances in 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1998. Photos of the car at the 1994 Pebble Beach Concours are included in the gallery below, as are images from the 2006 Palos Verdes Concours d’Elegance, where it placed third in its class.