1922 Bentley 3 Liter Sports Tourer

This Bentley 3 Liter Sports Tourer is an early example that was delivered new to Major Robinson. It had an open Vanden Plas Body in black with a scratched aluminum bonnet over a grey interior. At the time, it only had rear brakes. Currently it has four-wheel drum brakes with Perrot Shaft actuation. Various refinements and modifications were added to this Bentley over the years by the factory. The original transmission was replaced with number 156 in 1923, possibly due to the more robust shift forks found in the new version of the 4-speed transmission. The brake conversion occurred in 1924 and the following year the engine received BHB high compression pistons.

Around the 1930s or 1940s the original body, numbered 3194, was removed and replaced with the one it wears today, Vanden Plas number 1261.

After ownership of several British caretakers, this Bentley made its way to the United States in the mid-1960s, and into the ownership of H.R. Crown in Van Nuys, California. It remained in California until it was purchased by the current owner.

It would rest for two decades before it received professional care that included the rebuilding of all major systems. The work was completed in 2018. It is currently finished in black with accents of red and scratched aluminum with a triplex windscreen.

The 2996cc single overhead cam inline four-cylinder engine has four-valves per cylinder, twin SU G5 'Sloper' carburetors, an ML CG4 Magneto, and Stage 2 Perrot shafts and brackets on the front end.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019