Lot Ended
Description
A gorgeous and well-travelled Riley with lots of history;
well-maintained and in regular use; driven 25 miles to the sale; ready for new
adventures
One of the most
respected names in British motoring history, Riley produced an amazingly wide
variety of sporting road cars during the 1920s and 30s, sales being boosted by
an impressive competition record which established the Coventry-based marque as
a worthy rival to the likes of Bentley, Aston Martin and
HRG.
The bedrock of Riley’s success was the
immortal Nine which they launched in 1926. The chassis, suspension and bodywork
were the work of Stanley Riley, while the hugely talented Percy Riley designed
the brilliant little twin-cam 1,087cc engine which thrived on high revs which it
would happily and reliably maintain for long periods of time thanks to its
clever design.
Introduced at the 1934 Olympia
Motor Show, the Riley 12/4 used a modified version of the Nine’s engine which
was enlarged to 1.5 litres. Producing 51bhp it gave the 12/4 a top speed in
excess of 70mph, impressive performance for its class.
Built in 1936, this Riley 12/4 Merlin saloon comes with an
interesting history file which it will take the new owner quite some time to
digest. It was exported new to Australia where it was to remain for the next 50+
years. In 1971 it was acquired by a Mr Kel Thompson of Canberra who treated it
to a total nut-and-bolt restoration which took over two years to complete, as
detailed in correspondence and photos on file.
Over the
next dozen years or so, Kel and his son Ian used the Merlin extensively on many
long-distance rallies, scooping various trophies along the way. One event was
over 5,000 miles long and involved crossing the barren wilderness of the
Nullabor Plain (not to mention the ever-present danger of lethal 'roo strikes)
which rather puts our own feeble jaunts in
perspective...
In the
late-1980s the Thompsons sold the car to well-known Sydney artist, John
Firth-Smith, famed for his abstract paintings. By the 1990s the Merlin had found
its way to France where it was owned by a Marie-Pierre Boudray of Normandy who
sold it to a Mr A Mortimer of Cheltenham in February 1999. He got the car
registered as ASL 682 in May 1999 and also attended a rally in Angouleme at some
point during that year.
In July 2014 it was
acquired by a Mr A Bettess of Lancashire from whom our vendor bought it in May
2019.
Eleven old MOTs from 1999 – 2012 show that
it has always been in regular use, clocking up some 11,500 miles during this
period. The speedo was changed in 2011 and it has covered another 14,000 miles
since so it has clearly been a very usable car kept in tip-top running
order.
Our vendor states that he has covered around 500 miles per year
during his six-year ownership, including completing the Vintage Minor Register
scenic rally in 2024 and 2025, covering 100 miles in a day each time without any
problems. He also tells us that: “The car retains matching engine and chassis
numbers; retains working semaphores; retains all dashboard gauges, all working
(except clock); fitted with alternator in place of dynamo (the ignition light
therefore remains on at start up until the alternator is ‘excited’ under road
use)”.
Invoices show that around £8,600 has been
spent on the car during the current ownership. Highlights include: full brake
system and suspension overhaul by Blue Diamond Riley Services Ltd in July 2019;
radiator re-cored in Nov 2019; new set of tyres and inner tubes in April 2020;
front bumper re-chromed in July 2020; starter motor reconditioned in July 2022;
carburettor reconditioned in August 2022; fuel tank and sender reconditioned in
Nov 2023.
As you can see in the photos, this
Merlin looks very pretty indeed and has been starting promptly and running well
as we have moved it around on site, with good 50psi oil pressure.
Consigned by James Dennison – 07970 309907 –
james.dennison@brightwells.com