Vehicle Description
From the 1920s onward, it was not uncommon to see Bentley cars
commissioned for work on wealthy owner's estates, their rugged,
reliable and yet sporting poise being perfect mounts for their
owners and friends to be escorted to the farer realms of the land.
Frequently vehicles were converted to this more commercial purpose
in their later life, when, rather than parting with a trusted old
car, the 'family friend' was shipped off to a coachbuilder for
repurposing.
More unusual was for cars to be commissioned this way from new, and
in this respect the Bentley we present here is something of some
rarity. It was ordered by its first owner in the form that we still
see it in today. The coachbuilder was Rippon Brothers, a house that
could chart its history back to the carriage building days of the
late 1890s and then the incubation of the motorcar. Based in the
North of England, and originating in Huddersfield, at its peak it
could count showrooms in various locations including Bradford,
Leeds, Sheffield and West Riding although after the war, they were
predominantly concerned with selling cars rather than building
them. In the wealthy textiles industry of Yorkshire and the
Midlands, they found a burgeoning clientele and were well
patronized by their local market.
The factory records on file confirm B91FU to have been built as a
'Shooting Brake', and the original owner of the Bentley fitted that
mold perfectly. Colonel George Hammond Aykroyd was part of the
family dynasty that ran the huge carpet business of T. F. Firth and
Company in Bailiff Bridge in the West Yorkshire county of the
United Kingdom, as they would have said 'a stone's throw' from
Rippon. Most likely reflecting the extreme costs of such an
exercise in the conservative postwar Britain, he was one of only
two people to have one of these cars built, and curiously enough
today, both have found themselves to the USA.
As a Master of Foxhounds, Col. Aykroyd's Shooting Brake would have
been most likely been used for the type of work its name suggests,
hunting. Sensibly, the spare tire was moved to free up space in the
rear of the car and placed on the front right fender, while its
rear seat could be folded forward, or removed entirely, for further
storage if necessary.
It is believed that the trusty 'Brake remained in the family for
some years, no doubt having seen routine service at hunting parties
on the Moors. In 1961 the Bentley moved south to the Bristol area
and became the property of R. Acheson Crow. This is the last
recorded British owner, before the car migrated to the US in 1980
and arrived in the distinctly different climate of California, with
its next custodian Michael R. Clark, who maintained the car for
nearly a decade. The next keeper was noted collector Warren French,
in whose care the car was a frequent sight on Rolls-Royce Owners
Club events. Records on file depict and note how appropriate the
car looked at a Winery tour!
After some years of Mr. French's ownership, the Shooting Brake
began a new chapter of its life on the East Coast with the
much-respected collector, Henry Petronis of Easton, Maryland. Mr.
Petronis' status as a true connoisseur of the automobile was well
founded for his garages at his Normandie home at one time housed
such serious machinery as Alfa Romeo 8C 2300, multiple Bugattis,
and the famed Captain Hewitt 8 Liter Bentley.
In this period the car was repainted in a Royal Blue scheme and its
original upholstery was refurbished from a light blue to the more
handsome contrasting dark tan it wears today. This work has now
aged in places where it sees the most use, being around the hood
latching areas and at the door surrounds. The woodwork appears to
have been beautifully preserved and sympathetically refinished and
is of particular appeal.
The last custodian of this charming 'wagon' acquired the car
publicly from noted collector Craig McCaw in 2016. On arrival it
was sent to Automotive Restorations to work through the technical
aspect and to put it into a more satisfactorily reliable condition,
including interior controls nicely labeled. Since when it has been
used periodically on trips to the golf club and other such
excursions. An exceptional rarity, the 'Brake' would make a
refreshing alternative to your Wrangler or Hummer at any beach, or
indeed at a race circuit paddock. Please call with additional
questions or to schedule a chance to review it in person.
