One of the greatest looking English sports cars of the 30ies

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The Riley Imp is one of the greatest looking English sports cars of the 30ies. It was available only in 1934 -´35, and approximately 100 were built. We always have been very enthusiastic about Riley cars. When one came for sale in our marketplace, we were very curious and asked the seller for the story behind the car. Especially today we would like to tell you a little bit more about the wonderful (race) history of this impressive Riley. As the car raced at the Circuit at Zandvoort (the Netherlands) where this weekend the Pentecost races will be held.

This Imp featured is the last but about 5 Imps. Not only is it immaculate and starts on the button, it also has fascinating race and rally history spanning nearly 20 years in the hands of Dutch amateur race and rally driver, Willie Oosten. See Willie Oosten his cheeky start in a historic video with this 1934 Riley Imp.

The competition history includes 4 x Alpine Rallies (Coupes des Alpes), 5 x Tulip rallies and more, as well as racing at Zandvoort – all in the best period of the early to mid 50´ies when Englishman Appleyard won in the same Alp events with their XK 120. These rallies were the real thing – so against this stiff opposition to keep the car competitive, Mr. Oosten fitted the Riley Sprite engine from his Kestrel saloon car in place of the Nine engine! With further tuning this meant more power – but also more torque - and paid off with twice 2nd in class at said Alp rallies! Of the ca 100 Imps built, only about a dozen have good competition history – this is one of them!  

Quite uniquely this Imp has never been on the open market since the war as the 4 owners have always passed it on to the next by word of mouth. The current owner has had the Imp for 34 years and taken great pride in restoration and historical research. All known period photos and copies of film taken at Coupe des Alpes rallies and racing at Zandvoort in the 50´ies and 60´ies have been collected. This amounts to over 50 photos and ca. 30 minutes of films showing Oosten´s hard-driving style which occasionally must have displeased competitors, but entertained the spectators! All photos are reproduced in 2 booklets totalling over 65 pages.

Restoration

During the restoration particular attention was concentrated on preserving originality. The original bodywork/woodwork and all fittings (windscreens etc) were in excellent order despite years of competition use - and so was the entire chassis, axles, steering etc. In essence, the major variation from the original is the Sprite engine. It was chosen to retain the Sprite engine, with it being an important part of the car´s competition history. This engine fits straight into the car, with no mods and of course ensures a more relaxed and flexible engine. From the factory, Riley Imps could be ordered with either ENV75 preselector gearbox or manual silent 3rd. a la Brooklands – which this Imp now has.

We have said it before, but driving a 2-seater Riley puts a smile on your face every time. With its beautifully proportioned body and quick reliable engine, the current owner has carried on the Imp´s active life and.driven it all over Europe on tours, in rallies - and taken in the occasional show too.

Due to the long-term and enthusiastic ownership many rare and desirable spare parts have been collected. This includes a spare Sprite engine and a “9” engine with 4 AMALs and rare original Brooklands sump, plus ENV 75 gearboxes and much more. Also included are archive material and books – so this represents a rather complete “package” for the enthusiast who values originality and history. The car has current UK V5 registration form, Dutch reg. documents, and FIVA pass.

See this 1935 Riley Imp for sale in our marketplace.

Words by the editor. Photographs by Wellendorf and Meyland Lemche.

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