To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$500,000 - $700,000
- Original engine, gearbox, and Vanden Plas body
- Correct and beautifully presented example
- Documented history of well-known owners
- Includes copy of factory production records
- Extremely desirable sporting open coachwork
Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley Motors from Walter Owen Bentley in
1931, then struggled for two years to design and build an
appropriate car, one that would honor the "W.O. Bentley" sporting
and racing heritage yet not be confused with the statelier cars
wearing the Rolls-Royce emblem. Rolls-Royce and Bentley Motors
Works' manager at Derby, E.W. Hives, CH MBE, developer of the
Merlin aero engine, was later the chairman of Rolls-Royce, Ltd. He
headed the team tasked with designing the all-new Bentley: a sports
car that would appeal to a wide range of prospective buyers. His
personal notes read, "...answer to the moods of the driver...be
driven fast with safety...tour without fuss and noise...maximum
speed should not be obtained at the expense of
acceleration...controls, steering and brakes shall be light to
operate and the braking shall be adequate for a fast car...maximum
speed of the car on the road should be 90 mph, 75 mph in third
gear..."
The first Derby-built Bentley, the 3�-Litre model, appeared in 1933
with a modified chassis and engine used in the Rolls-Royce 20/25
HP. Fitted with a new cross-flow head, twin SU carburetors, and a
re-profiled camshaft, the result was a very sporting motor car, as
Hives intended.
Motor magazine reviewed the new 4�-Litre Bentley in April of 1936�
"...an altogether extremely satisfactory car, which provides a
unique combination of verve with docility, speed with comfort and
performance with silence."
In an era of noisy, almost agricultural cars, it was referenced as
the "silent sports car" and attracted a long list of notable
buyers.
Offered here, chassis no. B138GA is an exceptional sporting-style
example bodied by Vanden Plas, prominent British coachbuilders. The
newly designed 4�-Litre chassis, with its semi-elliptic front
springs and radiator in line with the front axle, attracted some of
the most elegant coachwork in the 1930s, an era famous for
distinctive motor cars. Records indicate Sir Malcolm Campbell, the
famous British racing motorist who gained world speed records on
land and on water, ordered one of his two Derby Bentleys with this
same body style.
It was delivered to its first owner, Dr. W.G. Jordan, in Liverpool,
on 19 May 1936. Its open body, design 3441, was only the second
touring body built by Vanden Plas on the 4�-Litre chassis. There
were only twelve built, and it is believed to be one of only two
fitted with the racy five-inch-high windscreen, like the one
delivered to Sir Malcolm Campbell, its sister car. The two cars
were built in the Vanden Plas Works alongside each other.
By 1939, the car went to Major P.R. Davies Cooke, who held the car
until 1946, when it was acquired by an apprentice at Rolls-Royce
Crewe in Cheshire�Mr. Peter, who worked as a production
road-tester. According to a letter on file, he entered the car in
many hill climbs, sprints, rallies, and numerous Bentley Drivers
Club events. In 1950 he entered the Welsh Rally and finished in 2nd
place. Ownership records indicate the car then had a series of
owners, including London broker Richard Hicks, before it was
acquired by Charles Howard.
In the late 1980s, Michael Bradfield, former chairman of the
Bentley Drivers Club, bought the car and restored it at an expense
of �140,000. In today's currency, that restoration would total over
half a million dollars!
In 1995 it was purchased by Mr. Bo Zarnegin, who sold it in 2003 to
George Rombouts-Howitts, who had Bentley specialists Fiennes
Engineering, Alpine Eagle, and Wildae Restorations complete
additional work. The car was again enjoyed in a series of rallies
and tours. In 2009, competing with the best cars in the world, it
was awarded 3rd in Class at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours
d'Elegance. It then joined the world-famous collection of Lord
Bamford before being acquired by its current owner.
In current�as when new�livery, B138GA is still wearing its original
British registration plate, BLV272. Restored correctly, it turns
heads with its glistening maroon paintwork and nicely coordinated,
buttery maroon leather interior. No detail, mechanical or cosmetic,
was overlooked. In recent years, as documented sale prices
validate, the Derby Bentley has come into great favor by all
collectors, not just British car enthusiasts. Few pre-war cars
carry more graceful coachwork, nor offer more fun behind the wheel,
than the Derby Bentley.
Reliably powered by its original 4�-Litre engine, exhibiting the
well-loved silky road manners of the "silent sports car," and
wearing its original open body, the Bentley performs as it should.
Its fortunate new owner will be enthusiastically welcomed in the
world's most prestigious concours, club, and car events for years
to come.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.
