1934 Riley 9 Lynx

Going To Auction – 1934 Riley 9 Lynx

On the 19th October 2022, at 1 pm, an H and H Classics auction will take place at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. It is here that our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx Tourer will be available for sale.

This beautiful classic car has been with us for a little while but, the time has now come for it to move on to a new owner. If you want to know more about how you can become the new owner, take a look at it on the H and H website here.

H and H describe our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx as:

Introduced in 1933, the Lynx Tourer had much in common with its similarly rakish and elegant Kestrel Saloon sibling. Notably low-slung, both were four-seaters that placed their occupants between the front and rear axles. Powered by a ‘sports’ version of the Coventry marque’s advanced ‘twin-cam’ four-cylinder 1087cc engine mated to four-speed manual transmission, the pair enjoyed a level of performance that belied their 9hp tax rating. Based around a ladder-frame chassis equipped with all round semi-elliptic leaf-sprung suspension and bias-adjustable drum brakes, they were known for their crisp handling too.

Recently repatriated to the UK, ‘AXR 525’ is offered finished in a vivid Blue with a Black full leather interior. A 1934 Riley 9 Lynx Tourer, from the second year of production, the car hides its 88 years incredibly well. The car has lived part of its life in South Africa where the climate appears to have preserved both its paint, wood, bodywork and interior remarkably well, and evidently a testament to the level of care and attention given to the car by its previous owner. The Lynx Tourer comes with a UK V5C.

During the car’s residence with the vendor, we are told that it has been given an inspection by his restoration team. A ‘full’ service, carburettors rebuilt, rear lights and wiring were replaced, as well as a small repair carried out to its folding soft top roof. Additionally, the brakes have had some mechanical fettling, with adjustment all around and road tested on several occasions by the vendor. The gearbox is described as working smoothly, and the engine runs evenly and is said to be balanced through the revs. This is an attractive example of the 9 Lynx Tourer built by Riley which still wears its original brass chassis plate on the top of the firewall. A pre-war classic that would be a beautiful addition to an existing collection or as a single pride and joy for an enthusiast owner.

Nostalgia – Found in the History File of our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx

More often than not, in the history files of our cars here at Bridge Classic Cars we’ll find some little gems that help to build and understand the story of a particular car.

This time, we found a few loose photos and a drawing from inside the history file of our 1934 Riley 9 Lynx. The car was exported from the UK to South Africa before many years later making its way back home to us. Well, thanks to the photos we now know that was the 10th of March 1973 in Southampton. The car was literally driven to the docks and loaded up, bound for its new life.

A life that we could see in another photo with our friend John behind the wheel. John was the previous owner of the car before us and loved his pre-war Riley. So much so, that we also found a cartoon of the car dated from 2004 which shows John and some friends huddled around the car with what appears to be an Ostrich in the back seat…

It’s always amazing when we find these little nuggets of nostalgia locked away within the paperwork of the car. These hidden treasures tell as much of the story as the invoices, receipts, notes etc. We love it when we find these types of bits and pieces.

Also, this very car is still up for sale! Head over to MyClassics now and take a look!

Starting Over – Inspecting and Rebuilding the Carburettors on the 1934 Riley 9 Lynx

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house restoration teams have been working on getting the beautiful 1934 Riley 12/4 Lynx running properly.

Our technician Jon, has been heading up the project. After the Riley had been fully serviced, Jonn noted the engine wasn’t running the best it could. With that, he removed the SU Carburettors and began to inspect and assess each and every component. There was quite a build-up of sediment inside the bowls of the carbs so Jon began to clean out both of the carburettors. Still, the car wouldn’t run right.

Our parts department managed to get hold of a set of rebuild kits for the SU’s and Jon began to take them apart in order to fully rebuild the carbs. After rebuilding the units and then getting them adjusted just right, the Riley Lynx ran perfectly!

Following Along – Wiring and Light Issue with the 1934 Riley 9 Lynx

This 1934 Riley Lynx we have in at Bridge Classic Cars has got a few issues. Mainly electrical and involving the lights. So, our restoration technician Jonn has started to dig a bit deeper into it.

Upon inspection, Jonn found that the rear lights in the car had been wired in using what appeared to be an old household cable. Not the correct way of doing things. Jonn inspected all of the wiring for the Riley and found that a lot of it would need to be replaced in order for the car to be safe and to find out why the rear lights had not been working.

Jonn began by replacing the wires individually and testing their continuity as he want. Wire by wire he remade the harness for the rear lights in the proper way and ensured they were all safe and secure, once he began testing the lights he found that the rear lights that were fitted still did not work. Replacement ones were ordered and once they have arrived, Jonn fitted them to the car.

Once he tested the new lights, he found they had a dead short inside and kept blowing fuses in the car. So, Jonn took the new units apart and fixed the problem easily. Then, once they were working we noted they only intermittently worked. Jonn traced the issue back to some wiring issues at the front of the car and a faulty switch.

After the wiring at the front and the switch had been replaced and resolved, everything worked! now, it was time for Jonn to have a look into the leak carburettors.

Got it Covered – Repairing the Tourneau Cover of the 1934 Riley Lynx

The Bridge Classic Cars in-house trim shop have been working the magic on the 1934 Riley 12/4 Lynx. With the rest of the car in the workshop with our restoration technicians, some of the interior pieces have been handed over to our very own Kath to do what she does best.

First across the trim table is the Tourneau cover. This piece needed a few repairs doing to it which Kath has managed to get done by combining traditional techniques with modern materials and approaches. The edges of the pieces had become heavily frayed so Kath created all new edging to surround the deep back cover. Also, several small leather pieces inside the cover had deteriorated, which Kath managed to create a template for and replace with new material.

Kath also replaced several of the tin snaps which fix the cover to the body when the soft top is folded down and stowed. So, with that completed and pressed. It was time to get it back into the car and on to the next job for this beautiful 4 door tourer.

Full Service – Servicing the 1934 Riley Lynx

The 1934 Riley Lynx is in the Bridge Classic Cars workshop today to begin work on the list of jobs that need doing on this amazing classic tourer.

First off for the Riley, is a full service and set up to make sure it’s running in perfect condition. For this, our in-house restoration technician Jonn has begun to inspect and replace the serviceable items on the car. Many will purely need cleaning up as they are in amazing condition but it will still be thoroughly gone over and serviced by Jonn.

There will be more updates very soon on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.

This Just In – 1934 Riley 9 Lynx

Bridge Classic Cars have today welcomed its latest guest to the Pettistree workshop. This 1934 Riley 12/4 Lynx has come to us all the way from South Africa where it has spent parts of its long life.

The car will be going in to be assessed by our in-house restoration teams to determine what jobs will need to be done to this classic tourer to get it into a useable and safe condition. The Riley is finished in an incredible French blue with a black interior. The 4 door tourer is a wonderful example of pre-war open-top travel in both style and comfort by a long-gone marque.

The car was cherished and used in South Africa being part of the local enthusiast groups and taking part in several classic car rallies. For now, the Bridge Classic Cars technicians will begin to reassemble the car to be able to check and confirm all parts and pieces for the 1930s tourer are there and in good order.

Expect to see more on this amazing 1934 Riley 12/4 Lynx on the Bridge Classic Cars news page.