1936 Riley 1½-Litre TT Sprite
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The ex-factory team car
1936 Riley 1½-Litre TT Sprite Competition Sports
Highlights
• Registration no. AVC 19 Chassis no. 22T1750
• Grand Prix team car
1936 Riley 1½-Litre TT Sprite Competition Sports
• Registration no. AVC 19
• Chassis no. 22T1750
History overview in a nutshell
*In-period competition history at Le Mans, French Grand Prix, RAC Tourist Trophy* Driven by Sebilleau, Von Der Becke, Lapchin, Forestier and Pierre Ferry
*Restored between 2006 and 2019
*Original Pierre Ferry body as spare
*FIA papers until 2029
*Eligible for Historic Le Mans and many other prestigious events
Footnotes
From the experience gained with the racing MPHs, Riley went on to produce, in 1935, the next generation of racing Rileys, the TT Sprites. The first four of these cars were in fact built as MPHs in the 44T chassis number series, the other cars of that first batch being numbered in the 22T series. These cars were the immortal AVC 15, AVC 16, AVC 17, AVC 18, AVC 19 and AVC 20." – David G Styles, As Old as the Industry – Riley – 1898-1969.History
It is believed that 'AVC 19' was constructed by Riley using the chassis from the six-cylinder MPH racer, 'KV 9478', chassis number '44T2128'. The evidence for this is the fact that the near-side front dumb iron shows evidence of the chassis' reuse: '22T1750' is stamped on the side, with evidence of '44T2128' stamped on the top. There is also evidence apparently showing where the MPH chassis had the brackets for the front axle radius arms removed. The Riley MPH racer registered 'KV 9478' was driven by Messrs Dixon and Paul in the 1934 Le Mans, and by Brackenbury in the 1934 Tourist Trophy. It is said to have been dismantled by the factory in the summer of 1935.Chassis number '22T1750', was registered by Riley in May 1936 as 'AVC 19', a Coventry mark. It then competed in the 1936 Tourist Trophy driven by Von der Becke as number '14', finishing 9th, and would go on to contest the French Grand Prix in 1936 driven by Sebilleau and Paul as number '2', finishing 3rd in the up-to-2-Litre class. Driven by Von der Becke at that year's Tourist Trophy as number '22', the Sprite finished 11th.
Riley surrendered the logbook on the 16th March 1937 and the car was sold as a rolling chassis to the Riley agent in France, Eudel et Cie. The Sprite was registered by Eudel as '2086RL' and re-bodied. Driven by Eudel's mechanic, M Lapchin (who it is believed may have purchased the car later), the Sprite was used as the third car in Eudel's team. The Riley was driven by Raoul Forestier in the 1937 Le Mans 24 Hours race, but was retired following an accident just beyond White House involving six cars. In the 1937 French Grand Prix the car was again driven by Forestier, finishing 2nd in the Coupe de la Commission Sportive 2-Litre class. In the spring of 1938 the car was sold to Pierre Ferry who drove it at Monthlery in 1939 and in the 'Virage de Fay' Coupe de Paris race on 7th May 1939, after which the car appears to have remained dormant throughout the war years.
Resuming its competition career in September 1945, the Riley was un-placed in the Paris Benoist Cup. In 1948 the car was sold by Ferry to a person unknown. Subsequently the Riley was bought by a Besançon worker for his son, and while in Besançon was registered as '430 AU25' and later '430 AU36' (when the son moved).
In 1957 the car was purchased by someone called Marcel (surname unknown) and again re-registered when it was in the Torreilles area of France as '764 BF66'. This was the car's registration when Henry Geary, the former Riley Competitions Department and 'AVC 19' mechanic, found it. After 15 years of negotiations, he eventually succeeded in purchasing the Riley in 1965. Henry removed the heavy steel Pierre Ferry French body and then spent many years working on the car but sadly never finished it. The Riley was passed to his daughter at which point a further three years of restoration work commenced, finishing in 2009.
In 2018 the vendor was able to acquire the original 1935 body together with many of the competition components for 'AVC 19' that had been kept by various individuals since they were removed by the Riley Competitions Department prior to the car's sale to the Riley agent in France as a rolling chassis. There then followed a nine-month period of reinstalling these original competition parts, including the fuel tank, front axle, rear axle, lights, etc. Combined with the original Pierre Ferry body as spare, 'AVC 19' is certainly one of the most significant Riley TT sprites in existence.
In 1957 the car was purchased by someone called Marcel (surname unknown) and again re-registered when it was in the Torreilles area of France as '764 BF66'. This was the car's registration when Henry Geary, the former Riley Competitions Department and 'AVC 19' mechanic, found it. After 15 years of negotiations, he eventually succeeded in purchasing the Riley in 1965. Henry removed the heavy steel Pierre Ferry French body and then spent many years working on the car but sadly never finished it. The Riley was passed to his daughter at which point a further three years of restoration work commenced, finishing in 2009.
In 2018 the vendor was able to acquire the original 1935 body together with many of the competition components for 'AVC 19' that had been kept by various individuals since they were removed by the Riley Competitions Department prior to the car's sale to the Riley agent in France as a rolling chassis. There then followed a nine-month period of reinstalling these original competition parts, including the fuel tank, front axle, rear axle, lights, etc. Combined with the original Pierre Ferry body as spare, 'AVC 19' is certainly one of the most significant Riley TT sprites in existence.
Retaining its original four-cylinder engine and having had a recent gearbox overhaul, this historic racing Riley is in wonderful order. 'AVC 19' is offered with an assortment of spares including its original Pierre Ferry body that it ran at Monthlery in 1939 and in the 'Virage de Fay' Coupe de Paris race on 7th May 1939 (see image and section 10 of the history file). Photographs on file also show the stamped wooden tail and the original stamped dash both showing '1750'. Also included is a substantial history file containing restoration bills, an old-style logbook, relevant historical articles and photographs, old MOT certificates, as well as a V5C Registration Certificate and FIA papers until 2029.
Pre-war factory competition cars are rare, and even rarer with in-period racing history at Le Mans, the French Grand Prix, and RAC Tourist Trophy like this Riley TT Sprite, all of which makes it a car of exceptional historic importance.
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