Vehicle Description
As Europe resumed business in the wake of World War II, France was
understandably reluctant to trade with its former enemies. This
fact was none-more true than in the traditionally proud French
motor industry, who shut out any vehicles of German or Italian
origin from the prestigious Paris Salon in 1946. The ban was
particularly painful for Italian Carrozzeria desperate for business
during reconstruction. Battista "Pinin" Farina wasn't about to take
such a prohibition laying down and cheekily drove to the auto show,
parking his dramatically styled Alfa Romeo and Lancia right outside
the Grand Palais, just out of the jurisdiction of the event
organizers. While the stunt garnered public attention, it also
enraged motor show officials, all but guaranteeing the famous
coachbuilder was brandedpersona non gratathe following year. But
Jean Daninos, the boss of the French industrial firm
Facel-Metallon, was not bothered by such politics. As an avid
petrol head with a taste for exclusive motorcars, he saw a business
opportunity and a way to help Pinin Farina boost his business after
a devastating workshop fire. Daninos, Farina, and Walter Sleator
(head of Parisian Bentley distributor Franco-Britannic Automobiles)
converged to develop an exclusive new motorcar based on the Mk VI.
With its Pininfarina-designed and Facel-built coachwork, the new
Cresta the first true sporting Bentley of the post-war era.
According to Cresta historian Dr. Dominique Bel, who graciously
shared his research from his upcoming bookCresta, Les Belles
Oubliees,the first 2 or 3 Crestas were built in Italy by
Pininfarina, distinguished by their prominent, wide-mouth grille.
The remaining bodies came via Facel's coachworks, and at the behest
of Crewe, featured a more traditional and recognizable Bentley
grille shape, cleanly integrated into the body. Bentley kept a
close eye on the project, and it foreshadowed the works-backed
Mulliner fastback that followed a few years later. For their part,
Bentley offered bare chassis with a lower-rake steering column and
other minor accommodations for this semi-official project. Between
1948 and 1952, Facel and Farina produced just 12 or 13 Cresta
Series 1 models, though the car's influence outweighs its minuscule
production. Chassis B167JN is a remarkable find even in the
rarified world of Bentley Crestas. Not only is this the final 1st
series car, but it has had just two owners since 1951, and,
incredibly, has never been restored. It is exceptionally
well-documented with factory build records, numerous pieces of
correspondence, registrations, build sheets, and more. It is
offered to the public for only the first time in over twenty years
and only the second time inseventyyears. Per information provided
by Dr. Dominique Bel and via the history file, Francois Lugeon, a
Swiss businessman and Diplomat with the Brazilian Consul in
Lausanne, ordered this car through Franco-Britannic Autos after
seeing a Cresta at the Paris Salon. He had inquired about the
Bentley Mk VI as early as 1949, as a letter and accompanying
brochures from Rolls-Royce Ltd's export department reveal. The
chassis card lists Mons Lugeon as the first owner, with a chassis
delivery date of November 1950, specifying "Cresta" steering,
close-ratio gearbox, standard axle, and the coachbuilder as Facel
Metalon-Paris. Using his diplomatic status to good effect, Lugeon
received a 10% discount on the chassis, though a request for the
same deal on the coachwork was met with polite pushback from the
Facel agency. Other correspondence tells the tale of Mr. Lugeon
fine-tuning the coachwork to his needs, even showing up at the
Pininfarina workshops in Italy, only to be directed back to Paris!
He drove and maintained the Bentley until he died in 2001, when it
passed to its second, and only other owner. As offered today,
B167JN remains completely unrestored, and has aged gracefully, with
an appropriately rich patina that is like a badge of honor. The
paint and bodywork show their age yet remain attractive, and the
body fittings are undisturbed, including the faired-in driving
lamps, Marchal headlamps, proper Facel-Farina cloisonne badges, and
original CC registration tag, denoting Mr. Lugeon's diplomatic
status. Pulling the signature flush-mounted Pininfarina door
handles reveals the beautifully preserved original upholstery. The
driver's seat shows considerable cracking yet is not beyond the
realm of careful preservation, while the intricate door panels and
rear seats are in fine order. Carpets and fixtures remain intact,
and the wood fascia and simulated woodgrain door caps show
appropriate levels of wear. The original instruments and radio are
in place, and the boot houses the original 3-piece fitted luggage -
believed by Dr. Bel to be the only set extant. The original,
numbers-matching engine runs beautifully, sending power through a
four-speed manual gearbox with Bentley's delightfully mechanical
gated floor shifter. The car drives remarkably well, and while the
previous owner did use it on the occasional tour, it has been some
time since it was last driven extensively, and would benefit from a
thorough going-through to prepare it for road use. Since joining
the most recent owner's collection in 2001, the Cresta has made
occasional outings - including the exclusive, invitation-only Jewel
That Is Europe rally in 2008 and the Amelia Island Concours
d'Elegance in 2010. It is an obvious candidate for preservation
class honors at virtually any significant concours event, yet could
also serve as a marvelous basis to restore to its original
splendor. This is a one-off opportunity to acquire the most
original Cresta extant and become only the third keeper in this
remarkable machine's 70-year existence. Offers welcome and trades
considered For additional details please view this listing directly
on our website
https://hymanltd.com/vehicles/6966-1951-bentley-cresta/
