Lot Ended
Description
Wonderfully original Riley in need of recommissioning
following many years in storage; sporting Plus Ultra chassis and
floor-change gears; few owners, the current for 26 years; a proper time capsule
at a very modest guide price
One of two Riley
Monaco Special Series saloons in today’s auction (the other is Lot 84), this
fabulous ‘oily rag’ survivor is one of those precious finds that has somehow
escaped the ravages of time and decay that so often send old cars to
an early grave.
The buff logbook shows that it
was first registered in Middlesex in April 1932 and the original owner was a Mr
AJ Clarke of Twickenham. The plaque on the dash suggests that he had bought
it from Boon & Porter Ltd, London’s premier Riley dealership in the 1920s
and ‘30s, with a prestigious showroom on Castelnau Road in leafy
Richmond-upon-Thames.
An old V5 shows that by
1978 it was owned by a Mr F Dewey of Shaftesbury, ownership transferring to a
Mrs N Gladstone of Preston in 1992 from whom our vendor bought the car back in
the spring of 2000.
He tells us that the Monaco
had been last driven on the road in the mid-1990s and was still in
running order when he acquired it. In fact before the deal was struck, with the
aid of an external fuel supply he gave it a short short test drive which
proved that it ran well enough, with working brakes, clutch and gearchange.
We are told that the cylinders have been regularly oiled since and that the
engine (which is original to the car) still turns freely.
A Special Series model with twin carbs, four-speed manual
floor-change gearbox of the Riley 'Silent Third' design and the more
sporting Plus Ultra chassis, MV 6906 is in remarkably original condition,
retaining period Wickens leather gaiters on the road springs, original
Andre Hertford shock absorbers, and original lightweight Weymann half-panelled
saloon coachwork with a fabric roof, peaked at the front and incorporating
a Pytchley sliding sunroof.
The interior is
also wonderfully original apart from the driver’s seat squab which has been
re-covered at some point, although the original green leather has been kept and
is stored in the boot (see photos). The window winder on the driver’s door card
has come adrift but is included with the parts that come with the car. Even
the wooden floorboards are thought to be original, as are the carpets, and
the chassis number is still visible on the structure of the
car.
Currently fitted with a non-standard fixed
advance Lucas magneto, our vendor has managed to source a correct and completely
rebuilt BTH magneto which is yet to be fitted but is included among the spares,
along with a fully refurbished dashboard clock plus various other items (see
photos for details).
A previous owner had fitted
removable front and rear flashing indicators which are also included, the wiring
for these being still in place at the front and rear of the car. Although they
must be fairly old by now, the tyres look as if they have barely been used, with
plenty of tread left.
As you can see in the
photos, this rare and sporting Monaco is a proper time capsule with that
irreplaceable patina that only comes from decades of light use and careful
storage. It is on offer here at a modest guide price that should leave
ample scope for the recommissioning now required to get it back on the road
where it belongs.
Consigned by James Dennison
– 07970 309907 – james.dennison@brightwells.com