Classic Car Catalogue

Riley 1936

Nine  
6/15  
1½-Litre  
8-90  
Sprite  

Great Britain


Riley Adelphi is a new five-seater body style, available on 1 ½-Litre, six-cylinder 15HP and Eight-Ninety chassis.

Riley Lynx four-door four-seater touring bodywork is available on 1½-Litre and six-cylinder 15 HP chassis, costing £345 and £375 respectively. There are also two 1½-Litre Special Series models, one selling for £372 and a Concours Model for £398: these has special engines with twin carburettors, two-port inlet manifolds, etc.
The cheapest Riley is the Merlin Saloon on 9HP chassis, at £269.
By mid year Riley offered four different engines and twenty-two model variations.
 

Nine

wb: 8ft 10½in 4 cyl. 2 ohv
1087 cc
9.01 HP		  
Saloon Kestrel - discontinued
Saloon Merlin  
Saloon Monaco - new model

   


Nine Merlin Saloon

The Monaco returned for 1937, with a new, attractive body. The engine is the Special Series two carburetter version of the Merlin series 9 h.p. unit.
 

1½-Litre
12/4 hp

  wb: 4 cyl. 2 ohv
1496 cc
11.9 HP		  
Saloon 9ft 4½in Kestrel  
Saloon 9ft 4½in Adelphi  
Saloon 9ft 1in Falcon - discontinued
Tourer 9ft 1in Lynx  
Saloon 8ft 10in Merlin  
Saloon 9ft 1in Falcon - new model
Saloon 9ft 4½in Touring - new model

   

Since its introduction in 1934 the 12 h.p. 1½-litre enjoys great success. comparable to the famous Nine a decade ago. The range grew considerably, now consisting of three chassis of various wheel bases, five basic body styles and three engines of various performance.
The two largest models, the Adelphi and Kestrel Saloons costs £350 each, price of the Falcon Saloon is £335 and the Lynx Tourer is £345 in the Standard Series. Special Series models are available at £27 extra and the Kestrel and Lynx are available with the Sprite series engine, both being £450 when introduced, but rather quickly reduced to £398. The Lynx Special Series Concours Model is priced at £398. It has fitted suitcases in the boot, tools in special trays under the luggage compartment, a set of gaskets on a panel inside the bootlid (that panel doubling as a picnic tray) a pair of chromium plated horns on the front bumper and a centrally located fog light. Other features which completed the Concours specification includes lamp stoneguards, a fire extinguisher, an automatic reversing light and a Ski-Lady mascot on the radiator filler cap. The Merlin is simply a Nine with 1.5-litre engine.
Expansion of the range continue for 1937 with introduction of a new, all-steel body for the Falcon and and additional body style, the Touring Saloon. The Sprite engine become available on all models.

 12/4 Falcon

Touring Saloon for 1937.

Army Tourer based on the Lynx never went into production.
 

6/15

  wb: 6 cyl. 2 ohv
1726 cc
14.3 HP		 6 cyl. 2 ohv
1458 cc
12.01 HP		  
Saloon 9ft 4½in Falcon opt. - discontinued
Tourer 9ft 4½in Lynx -  
Saloon 9ft 4½in Adelphi - - new model
Saloon 9ft 4½in Kestrel - - new model
Saloon 9ft 8½in Adelphi - - new model
Saloon 9ft 8½in Kestrel - - new model

   

The Falcon continued into i936 as a 6/15, still with the option offered of a 12 h.p. engine at no variation in price. Now, it was to be joined by a larger, six light, saloon to be known as the Adelphi (this was the real replacement for the Stelvio) and a very elegant sportsman’s saloon, the six-light Kestrel. The Kestrel and Adelphi saloons were i 4 in. wider overall than the Falcon and had 4 ft. 3 in. track axles. The Falcon was also available as a Special Series Model that year at an extra cost of £48. Two open six-cylinder cars were listed as available in i 936--the Lynx Tourer, offered in Standard Series form at £375 and in Special Series at £423,
 

8-90
19 h.p.

wb: 9ft 4 ½ in V8 cyl. 3 ohv
2178 cc
18.05 HP		  
Saloon Adelphi  
Saloon Kestrel - discontinued

   

 

Sprite

wb: 8ft 1½in 4 cyl. 2 ohv
1496 cc
11.9 HP		  
2-seater    

   

The Sprite Two seater is available in two versions, one being the production model with 1½-Litre engine and the other a competition version with a six cylinder engine for the price of £550.
 

           
2-Litre   6 cyl. 1986 cc    

   


2-Litre IFS Racing Six with independent front suspension.

 
Races:
  Event: Entered: Raced: Finished: Best results:
International Trophy, Brooklands         Six Dobbs 3rd
            Six 2-Litre Brackenbury 6th
            Six Becke 8th
05.09.1936 RAC Tourist Trophy       26    Dixon/Dodson 1st
              P. Maelure 6th
              Jean Trevoux 10th
              Von der Becke 11th
              C. Paul 12th
19.09.1936 B.R.D.C. 500 Brooklands             Team Prize

C. J. B. Dobson, driving F. Dixon's Riley T.T. Sprite, receives the chequered flag at Tourist Trophy.
This year Freddie Dixon and Charlie Dodson brought a 1½-litre Riley home victorious, Riley's third T.T. victory, the second in succession, while both the other Rileys finished. Certainly the Riley thoroughly deserved its success. Whether the secret device that Dixon is rumoured to employ on these occasions and which is reputed too simple to patent, comes within the permissible modifications, or whether it escaped the eagle eyes of the scrutineers, or whether the Riley went as well as it did merely on account of its efficient design and first-rate preparation, is more than I can say. But it won the race and further enhanced Riley prestige. One feels that a production edition of the T.T. car would be extremely popular amongst sportsmen, but no doubt they are far too busy at the Coventry factory producing Rileys in the existing range to do anything about it. Certainly, no matter what the technicians say about the value of tubulence having now been disproved, the efficiency of the racing Rileys is largely due to their excellent combustion-chamber formation and the clever method of operating inclined overhead valves set at a really, wide angle with none of the complication attendant upon using an overhead camshaft, features beneath every Riley bonnet. The majority of Riley owners are enthusiasts and the marque's racing successes cannot fail to be beneficial. The Rileys had four-cylinder push-rod o.h.v. engines of 69 x 100 m.m. (1,496 c.c.). Ignition was by magneto, there were two S.U. carburetters, the four-speed gear-boxes had normal engagement, the brakes were Girling, and the suspension by half elliptic springs. The Sprite chassis, a catalogue model, formed the basis of the T.T. cars, and very light bodywork was fitted.
Motor Sport, October-November 1936, The R.A.C. Tourist Trophy race reviewed.
Rallies:
  Event: Entered: Raced: Finished: Best results:
25.01-02.02.1936 Rallye Monte Carlo 4 3 2 48 1496 cc Sprite Innes / Lewin 68th (->1.5 16th)
          15 1633 cc Abbott 69th