Vehicle Description
This 1938 Bentley 4.25L DERBY features a 4.25L 6cyl Gasoline
engine. It is equipped with a 4 Speed Manual transmission. The
vehicle is Tan with a Beige Full Leather interior. It is offered
As-Is, not covered by a warranty. - 1938 Bentley 4.25L Derby Saloon
by Park-Ward ... (B75LE) Finished in a very handsome color
combination, the paint is in fantastic condition (an older
restoration) ... The interior is a light beige hide & in is fine
condition as well ... This car has been restored well, we have a
complete file of the history/restoration ... This is a strong
running and driving car which can be enjoyed immediately for
touring ... A few years back we sold this car to a large collection
where it simply sat on display ... We are now happy to have the car
back and offer it to its next potential caretaker ... Derby
Bentleys are not only one of the most beautiful of English Pre-War
cars but also the most sought after ... These are not only becoming
rarer, buy highly sought after amongst collectors ... This is a
very exciting car which follows into a very rare and exciting
opportunity ... Please contact Jason Courtney for further details
... *** Trades always welcomed & considered ***
*** Shipping is available ***
*** Financing is available for qualified applicants ***
*** International business/bidding welcomed (We have sold several
Rolls-Royce's/Bentley's to Europe, Canada, Mexico, & Asia) *** From
the dawn of the automobile to the start of World War I, Europe and
the United States were on the same path: affordable small cars and
monstrous road locomotives for the very wealthy. But after World
War I, things changed in Europe, and while America got bigger, more
powerful automobiles designed for absolute silence and comfort
around town, Europeans enjoyed smaller, more efficient cars
designed to travel long distances at high speeds. By the end of the
1930s, the definition of luxury had changed considerably depending
on which continent you were standing, but one thing remained true
no matter where you were: quality mattered. And few could define
quality better than Rolls-Royce, whose acquisition of Bentley in
1933 brought a leaner, more sporting model into the showrooms: the
4-1/4 Litre Derby Bentley.
By the time this lovely 1938 Bentley Four-and-a-Quarter Litre
saloon was built, the jokes about W.O. Bentley building the world's
fastest lorries were well and truly done. The 4-1/4 was thoroughly
modern and designed to cross Europe at high speeds in total comfort
and safety. It was innovative the way Bentley always was, with what
Rolls-Royce engineers called a side-mounted camshaft, dual
carburetors, redundant ignition and fuel systems, and robust
12-volt electricals. If you failed to arrive at your destination in
a Bentley, it certainly wasn't the car's fault.
The marriage to Rolls-Royce brought refinement as well as access to
the finest coachbuilders in the world. This particular 4-door
saloon was a catalog model with a body by Park Ward, long a
Rolls-Royce partner in the finest tradition. Sweeping fenders, a
hood that appears to be as long as a city block, and a handsome
bustle-back trunk with rear-mounted spare make the car look as if
it's in motion, pushing forwards against the wind. This car
received a comprehensive frame-off restoration that included a
bare-metal respray in the 1990s, and the complementary two-tone
beige and cream coachwork highlights the subtle elegance of the
design. Among its many wonderful features are a sliding sunroof,
massive Bentley headlights and a traditional chrome grille with
Flying B hood ornament, and retractable trafficators in the
B-pillars, pre-dating Buick's adoption of turn signals in the US in
1939. Streamlining is happily merged with old-world formality,
giving the Bentley a sleek look that's appealing from any angle and
thanks to quality work during the restoration, none of the old
world craftsmanship is lost. All four doors close with a
reassuringly solid THUNK, the hood swings on well-oiled hinges, and
the car feels robust as it goes down the road. All the chrome trim,
and there's a surprising amount of it, was refinished to show
standards and still looks fantastic today. Yes, the car has been
extensively driven and toured, but that's the point of owning a
Bentley and I'll wager that if you contact most owners of the
Bentley Driver's Club, they'll say that a little bit of road wear
is a badge of honor, not a demerit.
Parked next to, say, a Packard of the same vintage, the Bentley
will look small but that's completely intentional. Big cars are
more challenging to make into fast cars, and the Park Ward bodywork
cleverly provides plenty of comfort for four passengers on a long
journey, so don't be fooled by its size. Front seat occupants are
treated to a pair of supportive buckets that wrap around your
shoulders, almost as if they were anticipating energetic driving in
the car's future. Fragrant tan leather hides are used throughout
and they have acquired a pleasant patina that only leather can
provide, inviting without being tired. There's natural burled
walnut everywhere you look, from the window sills to the dashboard,
which is filled with dials, switches, and knobs for the driver. The
original instruments are all fully functional, including the
tachometer (or rev-counter in the familiar parlance), and show
bright markings and clear lenses after all these years. Other knobs
control the ignition, the fog lamps, the instrument lights, and a
switch for alternating between the two electric fuel pumps, both of
which are fully operational. Trafficators are controlled by the
large flipper switch in the center just below the windscreen, and
headlights are managed by the flipper switch adjacent to the
ignition. Controls for the spark retard, mixture, and throttle, as
well as the adjustable shock absorbers, are on the hub of the
steering wheel and it won't take long to become familiar with their
operation. Both the shifter for the 4-speed manual transmission and
the hand brake are to
