1936 Bentley 3.5 Liter Sports Saloon

This 1936 Derby Bentley 3½ Liter close coupled Sports Saloon by Park Ward was sold to agents Pass & Joyce for stock on November 30, 1935, and then to Henry Willis (recorded as the vehicle's first owner), of the Chase, in Hornchurch on the Thames estuary, in Essex. Later in the car's existence, it was owned for roughly two decades by Dale Powers of Florida, having purchased it in California and selling it to John Eriksen of Blair, Nebraska, in the early 2000s.

When the car entered Mr. Powers' care, it had undergone a cosmetic restoration and finished in Mason's black paintwork, and the interior was refurbished in red hides. The driver and front passenger have bucket seats, and there are armrests for the rear seats with period stowed ashtrays on each outside. There is a sliding sunroof, an opening windshield, black wall tires, and period-style wheel discs.

The 3,669cc inline 6-cylinder engine has twin SU carburetors and delivers approximately 115 horsepower at 3,800 RPM. There is a four-speed manual transmission, four-wheel Servo assisted drum brakes, and a leaf spring suspension.

By Daniel Vaughan | May 2023