Riley 9 Monaco saloon.
This is the latest old-car photograph sent over by Leo in the Netherlands. It shows a friend of his, who was spending time training at the Albion lorry factory at the time (1958). The car looks like a Riley 9 to me. It's six-light saloon coachwork, and the style of the radiator, suggest that it's probably a late-1930s Riley 9 Monaco. At first I wondered if it was a 9hp Merlin saloon, but that model had four-light coachwork rather than the Monaco's six. Can anyone confirm this identification?
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The Riley 9 Monaco of the mid-1930s came with a four cylinder engine of just 1087cc under the bonnet. Twin Zenith carburettors were standard
fitment, enabling the car to put 42bhp, via a four speed gearbox, to the back wheels. The Monaco first went on sale to the public in 1927, featuring a fabric covered enclosed body fitted to the 9hp chassis. A switch to steel coachwork would take place in 1934, by which time there had been many different versions of the Riley 9 available. This example, registration KS 7758, was first registered in the Roxburgh area of Scotland. I wonder where it ended up? it had already survived 30 years when this photo was taken. Is it still around, either as a Monaco saloon or perhaps re-bodied as a special of some kind, a common fate of pre-war enclosed Rileys.
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2. Bill's Riley 9hp.
Bill contacted me in 2010 and emailed over this scan he's uncovered. It shows an earlier style of Riley 9 Monaco saloon, that he owned in 1946. The registration - HG 290 - suggests an early life in the Burnley area, registered after March 1930. Thanks Bill :-)
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3. A Riley 9 Monaco of 1930/1931.
The slightly dull finish to this car's bodywork confirms that this is a fabric-bodied example of the 9hp Monaco. The car was first registered as VC 7559 in the Coventry area in 1930 or 1931, making it similar in age to the car in Bill's photo (above), and a fair bit earlier than the first Riley motor-car to feature on this page. Coventry was one of many cities that received a hammering during WW2 - did this car (and its occupants) survive into the post-war era I wonder?
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4. A Riley Nine receives roadside TLC.
An early 1930's Riley Nine, probably a Monaco, is shown here parked in a wooded lane, its bonnet raised, with its owner attending to matters within. The registration is JN 3360. This Southend-issued series ran from 1930 to 1937, so doesn't help with pinpointing the build year of this car. John H though got in touch saying the reg. dates to June/July 1933, thanks John. Going by the style of the Riley's radiator, I was thinking 1933/1934 so I was close. While the gent busies himself with the Riley's engine, his good lady is seen somewhat closer to the camera, inspecting the flora. Or maybe she's trying to hide from someone, possibly wrought with embarrassment at her car's inability to proceed?
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Return to Old Car Photos Page No. 9.
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