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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.
In 1928, a 4.5-liter Bentley won at LeMans. Production of the 4.5-liter Bentley would continue for four years with a total of 665 examples being built on the 3-liter's 'Long Standard', 10-foot, 10-inch wheelbase chassis.
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
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.
In 1928, a 4.5-liter Bentley won at LeMans. Production of the 4.5-liter Bentley would continue for four years with a total of 665 examples being built on the 3-liter's 'Long Standard', 10-foot, 10-inch wheelbase chassis.
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
2021 RM Sothebys : Monterey
Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $1,100,000-USD $1,300,000
Sale Price :
USD $1,105,000
2018 Bonhams : Quail Lodge
Pre-Auction Estimates :
USD $1,250,000-USD $1,500,000
Sale Price :
USD $1,435,000
1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre Auction Sales
Recent Sales of the Bentley 4.5 Litre
(Data based on Model Year 1929 sales)
1929 BENTLEY 4 1/2 LITRE LE MANS SPORTS TOURER Chassis#: RL3428 Sold for USD$1,545,000 2024 Gooding : Amelia Island Concours | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Supercharged Le Mans Tourer in the style of Vanden Plas Chassis#: DS3573 Sold for USD$1,008,777 2023 RM Sothebys : London | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre 'Short-Chassis' Sports Tourer by Vanden Plas Chassis#: NX3463 Sold for USD$1,600,000 2023 RM Sothebys : Monterey | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer by Cadogan Chassis#: DS3570 Sold for USD$687,000 2023 RM Sothebys : Amelia Island | |
1929 Bentley 4½ Liter Tourer Chassis#: FB 3320 Sold for USD$604,500 2022 Bonhams : The Greenwich Auction | |
1929 Bentley 4½ LITER TO SUPERCHARGED SPECIFICATIONS REPLICA LE MANS STYLE COACHWORK Chassis#: AB 3669 Sold for USD$863,000 2021 Bonhams : Quail Lodge | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Open Four-Seater Sports by Vanden Plas Chassis#: RL3427 Sold for USD$1,105,000 2021 RM Sothebys : Monterey | |
1929 Bentley 4½ Liter Sports Tourer Chassis#: HB3410 Sold for USD$472,500 2019 Bonhams : Amelia Island | |
1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre 'Le Mans' Style Tourer Chassis#: NX3457 Sold for USD$1,113,274 2018 H & H Auction - Imperial War Museum, Duxford | |
1929 Bentley 4½ Liter Sports Tourer Coachwork by Vanden Plas Chassis#: RL3427 Sold for USD$1,435,000 2018 Bonhams : Quail Lodge | |
1929 BENTLEY 4½-LITRE TOURER Chassis#: DS3551 Sold for USD$451,385 2016 Bonhams - Goodwood Members' Meeting | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer Chassis#: MR 3399 Sold for USD$1,007,788 2015 Bonhams : Bond Street Motor Car Sale | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Sports Saloon Chassis#: PB3527 Sold for USD$1,073,078 2015 Bonhams : The Beaulieu Sale | |
1929 Bentley 4.5 litre Open Tourer by Vanden Plas Chassis#: FB3322 Sold for USD$510,000 2015 Historics at Brookland | |
1929 Bentley Supercharged 4 ½ Litre Original two-seater Sold for USD$1,045,428 2013 Coys Auction - A236 True Greats | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Open Tourer by Vanden Plas Chassis#: vC57S119374 Sold for USD$785,996 2013 RM Auction - London | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer Chassis#: FB3324 Sold for USD$505,510 2013 Bonhams - The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale | |
1929 Bentley 4 ½ litre Vanden Plas style Tourer Chassis#: RL3441 Sold for USD$465,271 2012 Bonhams - Collectors' Motor cars and Automobilia at Goodwood | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Four-Seat Tourer Chassis#: NX 3452 Sold for USD$740,096 2012 Bonhams - Collectors' Motor cars and Automobilia at Goodwood | |
1929-31 4½-Litre Supercharged 'Blower' Bentley Single-Seater Chassis#: HB 3402 Sold for USD$7,906,745 2012 Bonhams - Collectors' Motor cars and Automobilia at Goodwood |
Bentley 4.5 Litres That Failed To Sell At Auction
1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre's that have appeared at auction but did not sell.
Vehicle | Chassis | Event | High Bid | Est. Low | Est. High |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Supercharged Tourer by Vanden Plas | SM3903 | 2021 RM Sothebys : London | $3,800,000 | $4,200,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer | 2019 Bonhams : Goodwood Revival | $480,000 | $600,000 | ||
1929 Bentley 4 ½ Liter Sports Tourer | FB3317 | 2019 Bonhams : Quail Lodge Auction | $700,000 | $850,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer | RL3428 | 2019 Bonhams : Goodwood Members Meeting | $600,000 | $800,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Supercharged Tourer Recreation by Graham Moss | RC2209 | 2018 RM Sothebys : Monterey | $550,000 | $750,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4.5 Liter Le Mans Replica Fabric Tourer | PL 3496 | 2017 Bonhams : Philadelphia Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum | $600,000 | $700,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer by Cadogan | DS3570 | 2015 RM Sotheby's London Auction | |||
1929 BENTLEY 4½-LITRE SPORTS BLUEBELL | RL3439 | 2014 The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale | $480,000 | $560,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer by Vanden Plas | NX3467 | 2014 RM Auctions Automobiles of Arizona | $1,150,000 | ||
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Open Tourer by Vanden Plas | FB3317 | 2013 RM Auctions VILLA ERBA | $490,000 | ||
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Tourer | FB3324 | 2013 Bonhams Collectors' Motor Cars and Automobilia | $350,000 | $400,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Drophead Coupé with Dickey | HB3405 | 2011 Bonhams The December Sale | $400,000 | $450,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Two-Seat Sports | DS3568 | 2011 Gooding and Company Pebble Beach Auctions | $1,000,000 | $1,400,000 | |
1929 Bentley 4 1/2 Litre Open Tourer | DS3561 | 2008 Automobiles of London | $175,000 | $275,000 | $325,000 |
1929 BENTLEY 4 1/2 LITER DROPHEAD COUPE | 2003 Bonhams MOTOR CARS | $260,000 | $300,000 |
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2019 FORD GT Chassis#:2FAGP9CW0KH200220 Sold for $1,077,500 2022 Gooding & Company : Amelia Island Auction | |
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1929 Bentley 4.5 Litre
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• Other Bentley 4.5 Litre model years