NEW PRICE! Serial number B-75-LE,
engine number A5BH. Thoroughly documented Derby Bentley with
excellent ownership history and frame-off restoration in the 1990s.
Fantastic high-speed tour car ready to enjoy!
This particular Bentley 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. 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.
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. In back, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the
space available. Clever footwells offer the legroom of a much
larger car, so it's easy to get comfortable if you're under about
six feet tall. The trunk is large and nicely shaped, and this
particular car includes a pair of fitted suitcases for travelling,
which still leave room for additional baggage. It also carries its
original hub wrench, jack handle, and tool roll, although the tools
are now stored in a very tidy panel built into the passenger's
front kick panel. There's also a small canister full of replacement
light bulbs.
Rolls-Royce engineers wasted no time adding horsepower to the
Bentley, punching out the former 3.6 liter inline six to 4.25
liters, which also increased top speed from 90 to 96 MPH. There's a
massive intake silencer on top and the most wonderful array of tiny
bell cranks and levers to manage the controls on the steering
wheel. Twin ignition coils are of a modern type for reliability
(the originals are notoriously prone to overheating and failure)
and the voltage regulator is a cleverly hidden Delco unit
(likewise), but those appear to be the lone modifications to the
original spec. Both fuel pumps on the cowl operate correctly (it's
actually one fuel pump with two separate motors) and all of the
wiring and plumbing in the car was replaced during the restoration.
Richen the mixture as suggested on the steering wheel, add some
throttle, and hit the starter button and the big six barks to life
with ease and settles into a smooth 900 RPM idle. Once it's warm,
you can kick it down even more, where it will happily sit in the
heat without getting fussy at all.
On the road the machinery is just brilliant, with smooth clutch
take up and well-chosen gears in the 4-speed manual gearbox, so the
car can pull through them without interrupting the smooth flow of
torque. Acceleration feels effortless in almost any gear and it
cruises comfortably at modern highway speeds. Leather gaiters are
wrapped around the springs to keep them from squeaking and getting
dirty, and there are powerful finned drum brakes at all four
corners. The exhaust system uses no fewer than three separate
mufflers to get the perfect sound, and it's worth noting that the
entire setup was crafted from stainless steel by Borla, a project
that cost more than $2000 all by itself. Painted wire wheels are an
elegant choice and they are wrapped in recent 6.50-18 Firestone
blackwall tires that look appropriate.
Documentation includes extensive historical information including
original sales information, service records, and information cards,
all put together in a bound volume. Since completion, the car has
been a frequent participant in club events and long-distance tours
and appeared as the cover car for the Derby Bentley Society's
publication "On The Road."
This is a fantastic opportunity to own a sorted, ready to enjoy
Derby Bentley with dramatic bodywork at a very appealing price. If
you're already a Bentley enthusiast, there's little more that I can
tell you. If, however, you're new, you will find this to be a
wonderful example that needs little more than a new owner to be
enjoyed. It is not perfect, it is not a show car, but like all
great Bentleys, it drives superbly which is what it was designed to
do from the start. Call today!
For more details and nearly 100 photos, please visit
www.HarwoodMotors.com
