1937 Bentley 4¼ Liter Sports Tourer

In all, only 18 of these 4.25-litre Vanden Plas Tourers were built, and of the four iterations, many believe this handsome rendition with its swooping lines to be the most desirable. This car features a lightweight body with a fold-flat windshield and scooped-out doors, powered by the same engine as the 3.5-litre forerunner, only with more displacement. Sir Malcolm Campbell MBE, the successful racing motorist and journalist, who held the world speed record on land and water in the world-famous 'Blue Bird,' owned a similar car, and hence the model became known as the 'Malcolm Campbell Tourer.' This Bentley 4.25 Litre Vanden Plas Tourer was further honored as the Road & Track Salon car in 1958.

The Derby Bentley was introduced in the fall of 1933. The 4.25-liter Derby Bentley had a half-inch increase in bore, raising displacement to 4 1/4 litres, coupled with a higher compression ratio, resulting in a 10 hp increase over its predecessor.

This particular example was the first of the KU series and it was given Vanden Plas coachwork, wearing an open sports tourer body number 3597. The first owner was Captain Lawrie Graham Bain who took delivery from Winter Garden Garages Ltd. in August of 1937. Linread Ltd., a Birmingham manufacturer of automotive hardware, purchased the car in May 1941. The sale was facilitated by the London agency of Jack Barclay Ltd., with mileage being noted as 10,700. Around 1947, it was acquired by Will Archdale. By 1950, it was in the care of O.F. Maud & Sons, a company owned by Daniel Nahum, passing to him directly in 1955. By the late 1950s, the car was owned by RROC member Edward Paul of Hollywood, California. It then passed in the 1960s to John E. Milchick of Glendale, California. More recently it has emerged from storage following long-term family ownership. Currently the car wears its original coachwork and drivetrain, finished in gray paintwork and black leather upholstery.

By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2019