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Riley Ulster Imp - successful as a racing car and everyday vehicle

Name: Riley Nine Ulster Imp 1934
Brand: Riley

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Created in 2010

Text:

Archiv Jeroen Booij / Tamara Tanner

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Jeroen Booij

Bruno von Rotz

Rudolf Menzi

Quirin Schön

Archiv

Daniel Reinhard

Archiv Jeroen Booij

Bruno von Rotz

Rudolf Menzi

Quirin Schön

Archiv

Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - a works team racing car that can also cope with everyday use

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - pictured on the program of the RAC Tourist Trophy of 1934

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - long hood, short cockpit

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - without a hatchback, but all the more authentic

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - attractive two-seater

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - concentrated on the bare essentials

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - four-cylinder engine with two chain-controlled high-mounted camshafts

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - the performance-optimized four-cylinder

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - technology is still visible here

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - large drum brakes

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - Front suspension

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - the most famous of the works cars, originally owned by young Mike Hawthorn

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - fast on the road in historic racing

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - on the road in historic motorsport

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Riley MPH (1935) - Prize of Bremgarten in 1936

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Riley (1933) - seen at Le Mans in 1985, equipped with a 1091 cc engine

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Riley Ulster lmp (1934) - at the Rossfeldrennen 2014

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Riley Ulster Imp (1934) - at the Klausenrennen 2013 in the regularity classification

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Riley Nine Ulster Imp (1934) - at the Gempen Memorial 2014

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Riley Nine Ulster IMP (1934) - shortly after the start in Basel - RAID Suisse-Paris 2012

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Riley Lynx Special (1934) - Pre-war vehicles and Vintage Sports Car Trophy at the AVD OGP 2014

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Riley Lynx (1934) - at the Vintage Revival Zandvoort on September 27/28, 2014

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Riley Nine Brookland (1930) - in the R8 race - Pre 1940 - Pre-war vehicles - AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix 2013

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Riley Brooklands Speed Model (1930) - at the Concours d'Elégance of the Schloss Bensberg Classics 2014

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Riley Gamecock (1933) - in the regularity classification at the Klausenrennen 2013

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Riley Blackcock Special (1933) - at the Klausenrennen 2013 in the regularity classification

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Riley MPH (1934) - at the Grossglockner Grand Prix 2012

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Summary

Racing cars from the factory were rare at Riley. One of these rather rare examples is the 1934 Riley Ulster Imp, which was used for years as an ordinary everyday car, even though it was originally built specifically as a racing car. In this vehicle report, we tell the story of the second best-known Riley Ulster Imp and how it overcame all its ups and downs.

This article contains the following chapters

Success in motorsport thanks to the Riley 9 HP
More power and less weight
Resignation from racing
Back on track after restoration
Massive increase in value

Estimated reading time: 4min

Preview (beginning of the article)

In the past, many so-called "specials" were made from Riley saloons and convertibles. Such conversions are still very popular today. Then as now, countless Falcons, Lynx and Gamecocks of the Riley brand were and are converted into special racing sports cars. This was not particularly difficult, as Riley used roughly the same mechanics in their road cars as in their racing cars. However, there were also racing cars that were manufactured ex works, but these were much rarer. One of these rather rare examples is the Riley Ulster Imp as a factory team car from 1934. And although it was built as a racing car, the car portrayed in this article was used as an ordinary everyday vehicle for many years.

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