1934 Riley TT Racing Six 12/4 Special: The Globetrotter!
We all really enjoyed meeting Shawn and John from the Get Out N Drive Podcast, and their trailblazin’ ’68 Chevy christened Saddletramp, who travels all across the Home of the Brave in search of unique restoration projects and niche car stories.
For this month’s classic car episode, in partnership with Car Facts Disc, we’ve got Douglas and his globetrottin’ 1934 Riley TT Racing Six 12/4 Special.
Her journey began in the hustle and bustle of London, before jumping ship to the Canal-ific landscape of Holland, finally traversing the Atlantic and into the Lone Star Texan State in the US of A.
This Wiley Riley has grabbed the attention of the wider American public, including a headline feature in the Halloween Edition of the Vintage Sports-Car Club’s (VSCC) newsletter.
Without further ado, here’s the journey of Douglas’ ’34 Riley, from a chunky 4-door Saloon navigating the inner channels of Central London to a sleek, open-topped racing car strutting itself on American soil. Enjoy!
’34 Riley: Introduction
Many Rileys were converted to race cars, as they had a strong engine for their size (in the 1500cc race class) and significant weight could be removed from the body to increase speed. When converted to a race car, the weight of this car was reduced by over 30%.The chassis, engine, gearbox and many other components are all factory original to this car.
’34 Riley: London Calling
Original body style of this automobile: Riley Falcon 4-door Saloon. The price of a new Riley Falcon in 1934 was £335.ENGINE: 1,496cc OHV 12/4 engine (12 HP [RAC] and 4 cylinders) with dual SU H-type carburetors. GEARBOX: 4-speed Wilson Armstrong-Siddeley Preselector. BRAKES: hydraulic with Alfin drums. SUSPENSION: front dual Andre Hartford 506M friction dampers, rear custom adjustable Gaz shocks
’34 Riley: Goodbye London, Hello Holland
Originally registered in London (Middlesex), little is known of this Riley prior to 1974. Above is a photo of this car (in obviously dilapidated condition) when moved from the UK to Holland by Arie van der Hoeve, where he did the first conversion to a Riley “MPH-styled” roadster.
Arie van der Hoeve working on the Riley – referred to as “Arie’s Meccano box” (Meccano was a company that made toys similar to an “erector set”)
Arie in his Riley MPH Special
The Riley being driven by Bas de Voogd in Nieuwenhoorn, Holland. Bas was a friend of Arie’s and next owner of the Riley. He drove the car in races and rallies in and around Holland during this time, including on the hard sand beaches. Bas Is shown above after a 2-hour rally in the driving rain!
In 1996 the car was purchased by Frans Diepeveen, also in Holland. Frans commissioned a new body for the car fashioned after the Riley TT Racing Six.Fabrication of the body by Bert Nijhof
Body completed – Frans owned the Riley from 1996-2003
’34 Riley: We’re going to America!
Malcolm Schneer purchased the Riley in 2003 and had it shipped to Newport Beach, California. After some preparation, in 2009 the Riley was presented at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance (shown above in the Pebble Beach driving tour).On the field at Pebble Beach (2009)
Bob White (above right) of Scottsdale Arizona acquired the Riley in 2011. Bob is also the owner of the “Tom Mix Cord” as well as a number of other beautiful cars. Bob enjoyed the Riley until selling it in April 2019 to Doug Smith of Dallas, Texas (above left).
’34 Riley: from Pebble Beach to Texas
The Riley arriving in Dallas, Texas (April 2019)
2019 Park Cities Historic and Preservation Society Car Show: Best in Class and the Chairman’s Award
’34 Riley: In all her glory
Onwards
Douglas and his 1934 Riley are like two peas in a pod. The old gal’s been through a lot, but seems to have made her home in the Lone Star State. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for her. In the meantime, we hope you enjoyed this piece!
Such stories are being made more accessible thanks to Car Facts Disc. If your car (or plane or bike!) has a story to tell, consider getting one! The automotive world will thank you for it (hint: a great Christmas gift for the car enthusiast!).
Until the next time, check out our fun corner for more entertaining pieces!
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