1936 Bentley 4¼ Liter Drophead Coupe

Rolls-Royce Motors acquired Bentley in 1931 with the understanding that the company would continue to produce a Bentley. The first Derby-built Bentley appeared in 1933. The chassis and engine used in the Rolls-Royce 20/25 was given a new cross-flow head, twin SU carburetors, and a re-profiled camshaft. Late in 1935, the 4¼-litre engine, based on the modified Rolls-Royce 25/30 horsepower unit, was offered as a £50 option on the 3½-litre. This option proved very popular so for 1936 it was adopted as the standard engine.

This particular Derby Bentley was ordered new by the Vandervell Brothers. The completed car was delivered in September of 1938. The build sheet lists it as a saloon, but this is believed to be a mistake, and perhaps the order was later changed. It wears a Park Ward drophead coupe body which is believed to be the original coachwork. No other coachwork is known to have ever been fitted to this chassis and there are no additional mounting holes in the chassis.

The car was delivered with a custom high-speed rear end, a feature which cost £360. This was a substantial cost as the chassis itself only cost £1,150.

Ownership of the car later passed to The Earle of Tweeddale in Scotland, and remaining in that ownership for a number of years, before making its way to Sweden. The Swedish owner used the car extensively, even installing a modern heater and a Laycock overdrive. The current caretaker acquired the car from Sweden in 2015. Since then a large amount of work has been carried out to the vehicle. Work has included the engine being fitted with a new cylinder head and high capacity oil pump, a new top, top boot, and the upholstery has been redone in black leather, along with new carpets. The wings were stripped and repainted, and the under chassis extensively details. The radiator was also re-cored and its shell was re-plated.

By Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2018