1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre

Sold for $1,435,000 at 2018 Bonhams : Quail Lodge.
Sold for $1,105,000 at 2021 RM Sothebys : Monterey.
W.O. Bentley introduced his Bentley 3-liter on Stand 126 at the Olympia Motor Exhibition in 1919. In 1922, Bentley finished in second, fourth and fifth place at the Isle of Mans Tourist Trophy, earning them the Team Prize. This led to the introduction of the TT Replica (later known as the Speed Model).

As the years continued, the competitiveness of the 3-Liter began to wane. It was also unsuitable for heavier coachwork, which was typically fitted to the more expensive and complex Bentley 6.5-liter 'Silent Six.' This brought about the 4.5-liter, which effectively used the transmission, brakes and chassis of the 3-liter. The 4.5-liter four-cylinder engine had a 100x140mm bore/stroke and Bentley's four-valves-per-cylinder fixed-head layout.

It is believed that the first prototype 4.5-liter engine was installed in the 3-liter chassis of the 1927 Le Mans practice car. The engine was later fitted to the first production 4.5-liter chassis for that year's Grand Prix d'Endurance at the Circuit de la Sarthe. The car was given the nickname 'Old Mother Gun' and driven by Frank Clement and Leslie Callingham. It set the fastest race lap of 73.41 mph before being eliminated in the 'White House Crash' multiple pile-up.

Vanden Plas was Bentley's preferred coachbuilder, having bodied 84 Bentleys between 1922 and 1924. From 1922 to 1931, they bodied 669 Bentley bodies.

This particular 1929 Bentley 4½ Liter Sports Tourer wears Coachwork by Vanden Plas. It is fitted with a 4,398cc single overhead camshaft four-cylinder engine with four overhead valves per cylinder. The 100 horsepower engine is mated to a four-speed 'C' gearbox and has four-wheel drum brakes with Servo Assist.

The car's original owner was Major E.G. Thomson, a wealthy shipbuilder in Scotland. It was the second of three that he would own. It wore livery like his ship, in a grey hue. The car was delivered to his Edinburgh address on January 14th of 1929. After about a year, it entered the care of its next owner A.J.H. Mowbray of Stirling, Scotland. The history from this point on is unknown. It may have remained in that country as it was still there after the war. By 1951 it is known to have been the property of John Sword. Mr. Sword would amass an amazing collection of 200 plus cars. After his death, there were two dispersal auctions. Ralph Dunwoodie, operating on behalf of the Harrah Collection, acquired numerous cars and had them brought stateside. This Bentley, however, was not presented for sale. Instead, it was retained and placed on public display in the Glasgow Transport museum where it would remain until 1992 when Bonhams Co-Chairman Malcolm Barber in previous employ handled its sale. It was acquired by Rt. Hon. Alan Clark.

The car would pass from Clark through two collectors, selling with the Brooks/Bonhams team in 2005, before coming into the care of its present owner in 2016. It left the British Isles for the first time in 2016 and into the current U.S.-based ownership.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2018