Lots of history with all the right names involved; veteran of many VSCC events; driven 20 miles to the sale; lovely example with lightweight fabric body setting it out from the crowd'First of the superlative type of 9hp car, firmly established, regularly improved and as yet scarcely challenged in its class, the Riley Nine has a very definite appeal to those who can appreciate performance, safety, comfort and an appearance out of the ruck.' - Autocar, 16th October 1931.Introduced in 1926, Percy Riley's 9hp, 1,087cc twin-camshaft 'four' was an outstanding engine design by any standards, various versions powering Rileys until 1957.

Clothed in stylish bodywork by Stanley Riley, the Coventry manufacturer's pre-war offerings were among the world's finest small-capacity sporting cars.

Right from the start it was obvious that the 9hp Riley engine possessed enormous potential as a competition unit, and at Brooklands J G Parry-Thomas and Reid Railton were the first to demonstrate just how good...