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1938 Bentley 4.25-Liter

Bentley Motors was acquired from W.O. Bentley by Rolls-Royce in 1931.

The Derby Bentley made its debut in August of 1933 at the Ascot Races. It had a 'double dropped' chassis with a semi-elliptic suspension in both the front and rear and four-wheel drum brakes. Power was from a more potent version of its Rolls-Royce 20/25 sibling's 3669cc overhead valve straight-six engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission. The modifications included a crossflow head, twin SU carburetors, a higher compression ratio, and a re-profiled camshaft. Due to the quietness of the engine, it was soon dubbed the 'Silent sportscar.' In 1936, the engine was enlarged to 4257cc and due to its popularity, the smaller capacity powerplant was dropped.

Further revisions and modifications followed in 1938, including improved steering, centralized chassis lubrication, automatic shock absorbers (with hand control override), improved 'big-end' crankshaft bearings, and an 'overdrive' gearbox with direct drive on 3rd gear and overdrive on 4th gear. These changes were first applied to chassis B2MR onwards.

2,411 (some sources state 2,442) examples of the Derby Bentley were built. Approximately 50 percent were bodied by Park Ward in a limited number of styles. 1,234 were 4.25-Litre cars.

by Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe by Vanden Plas

The Silent Sports Car

Bentley Motors Ltd. was established by the legendary W.O. Bentley in Cricklewood, near London, in 1920. With its outstanding performance and many race wins, including a string of victories at LeMans, the Bentley was a very popular car.

Unfortunately, the company's finances were never solid, and in 1931 the firm was in deep trouble. Napier made a bid for the company assets, but it was Rolls-Royce that ultimately prevailed and became the owner of Bentley. Rolls-Royce introduced their version of the Bentley in 1933, with a 3.7-liter pushrod engine. By 1936, however, the engine size had been increased to 4.25 liters, primarily to handle the increasingly heavier coachwork.

Only 1,234 4.25-Liter Bentleys were built between 1936 and 1939 when it was replaced by the Mark V. Many bodies (such as this one) were built of steel instead of the former aluminum over ash frame construction.

The car shown is a 1938 model. It has a drophead coupe body, built by well known coachbuilder, VandenPlas. The phrase 'drophead coupe' is a British term that simply means convertible coupe.

After its manufacture this Bentley was retained by Bentley Motors as a factory demonstrator until 1941, when it was sold to Barclays as a used car. This Bentley was road tested by the British magazines 'The Motor' and 'The Autocar;' a writer for the latter claimed a top speed of 107 mph.

Derby Drophead Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis number: B77LE

Shortly after the armistice in 1919, WO Bentley, together with a group including Frank Burgess (formerly of Humber) and Harry Varley (formerly of Vauxhall), set about designing a high quality sporting tourer, for production under the name Bentley.

The first Bentley Motors Ltd was founded in 1919, and between then and 1931, WO created the motors cars which became a legend. It wasn't until 1928 that Woolf Barnato became a fully-fledged part of the group of rich amateur drivers known as the Bentley Boys. Bentley racing proved highly successful in the late 1920's including victories at Brookland and in 1929 the Team's best ever result were at LeMans, with Bentleys placing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th. In 1931 Bentley was acquired by Rolls-Royce and thereafter the company focused mainly on passenger car production.

This concealed Drophead Coupe was built by H.J. Mulliner and is one of only five built in 1938. The reputation for speed and fine handling accorded the 3-liter was even more enhanced with the 4 Litre and, as before, leading coachbuilders provided a variety of saloon, drophead coupe and touring bodywork; around a third of all customers, however, opted for Park Ward's saloon, this style being the closest Rolls-Royce came to series production pre-war.

From the Rolls-Royce factory in Derby the second model to bear the Bentley label was the Bentley 4¼ Litre. Within a short period, sales of the 3½ Litre declined and in fact the Bentley 4¼-Litre had become its substitute. The MR and MX chassis series introduced in 1939 were the final development of this model. Features such as overdrive top gear as standard and improved white metal bearings made the car idea, then and now, for unstressed long distance Continental touring.

A total of 1,241 (other sources say 1,235) Derby 4¼ Litre Bentley's were built between 1936 and 1939.

Sedan

This car is one of 1241 4 1/4 Liter Bentley's built between 1936 and 1939. It sold for $7,200.

The body, like all Bentley bodies were custom built, this one by Park-Ward. This construction has the front doors hinged at the front and the rear doors hinged at the rear and no column where they meet.

The chassis is all steel and carries a six cylinder in-line overhead cam engine with 4,257 cc, 12 volt electrical system, electric fuel pump, twin S-U Carburetors and servo assisted four wheel mechanical brakes.

Unusual features include foot pedal operated centralized lube system, sliding sun roof and shock absorbers with adjustable pressure and a 4-speed transmission.

The current owner acquired the car in 1969.

Derby Drophead Coupe by Carlton Carriage Company

The Bentley 4 1/2 liter came into existence to fill a void left by the 3-liter and the 6.5-liter variants. The 3-liter suffered from underperformance while the 6.5-liter was unsafe for the roads. The 6.5-liter was powerful, and with poor road-conditions often caused tires to fail quickly. The solution was the Bentley 4.5-liter; a vehicle that had enough power to carry the vehicle down the road at a good pace. The chassis consists of channel-steel, front and rear suspension by semi-elliptic leaf springs, and 4-wheel drum brakes.

Production amounted to a total of 733 cars of all body styles. Fifty-four cars were equipped with the famous supercharged engine, 'Blower Bentleys,' built by the race driver Sir Henry 'Tim' Birkin as a private venture - against W.O. Bentley's wishes.

A rare, 'Derby Bentley,' this lovely Cabriolet is one of 200 and has a coach-built body by the well-respected, Carlton company. For thiry years prior to the Silverstone's purchase, the President of the Rolls-Royce Club of America owned the car.

by Bentley

Coupe by Vanvooren
Chassis number: B132LS
Engine number: F-4-BH

1937 coach built Vanvooren of Paris in 1937 for Lucie Vogt. First registered in Paris 470RLS in February 1938 Lucie Vogt was born in 1911 at Niederbruck, North Eastern France in a very rich family, her grandfather Joseph Vogt was the owner of the potassium minues 'Kali sainte Therese' later to become the 'Mines Domaniales Des Potasses D'Alsace'. In 1929 at the age of 18 she obtained her drivers license and her mother bought her a Citroen and later a Talbot and her younger brother Pierre was given a Tecla. There were dozens of cars in the family, most Bugattis. In 1933 she bought herself a Bugatti Type 55, 2.3 liter which she exchanged later for a Type 50, 4.9 liter supercharged. In 1936, at age of 25 she bought a Bugatti 57S but had many problems with this car and the after sales service was very poor, she decided to order a Bentley from Franco-Britannique in Paris, the importers for Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars in France. She had the car coach built by Vanvorren in Paris, a two door fixed head coupe with the particularity of having a custode windows so that her dogs, who don't always sit in the back would not be so scared of traffic. The car was delivered to her in February 1938 and she was very pleased in the way Franco-Britannique did their work. They were curteous and friendly, quite a change from what she had been used to with Bugatti. The car was hidden away during World War II and in 1945 she told it to Maurice Baumgartner of Lausanne who had it registered in Switzerland VD 22607 on the 7th of December 1947. Five years later he sold the Bentley to professor Alfred Tissieres also of Luanne, who had it registered VD 28467 on the 31st of December 1945. It was then purchased by Russel H Peck of Cambridge, Massachusetts on the 17th of October 1957 who sold it to Eric M. Gelotte of sandwich, Massachusetts on the 21st of October 1960. He kept it for over 44 years before parting with it to Richard Gorman of North Miami in 2004.

by Bentley

Coupe by Vanvooren
Chassis number: B132LS
Engine number: F-4-BH

This 1938 Bentley 4¼-Litre Vanvooren Coupe was offered for sale at the 2007 Blackhawk Collection Exhibit held at the Pebble Beach Concours. It carried a price tag of $350,000.

First registered in Paris 1937 for Lucie Vogt, who was born into a wealthy French Mining family. She owned many different cars, including a Bugatti T57. After recieving the car from the Parisian Bentley dealer - Franco-Britannique. The car was hidden away during the war and in 1945 she sold it to Maurice Baumgarten. Five years later he sold it to Alfred Tissieres also of Switzerland. The car next came to the States with the new owner being Russel Peck of Massachusetts. He kept it for over 44 years before selling it to Richard Gorman of North Florida in 2004. The car comes with a set of period 16' Borrani wheels.

by Blackhawk Collection

Pourtout Coupe by Pourtout

The most famous of all Derby Bentleys, this experimental, one-off automobile is nicknamed for the man who funded its creation in the mid-1930s: Andre Embiricos, a Greek shipping magnate and race driver living in Paris. It seems Mr. Embiricos was a Bentley admirer who wanted even higher performance and more modern beauty for his new Grand Tourer Bentley.

The trend of streamlined aerodynamic coachwork was especially strong in France, with noted designer George Paulin and coachbuilder Pourtout Carrossier of Duralumin at the forefront. It was their collaboration with Embiricos which culminated with this sleek, lightweight aluminum alloy fast-back coachwork fitted to a 4.25-Litre Derby Bentley. Finished in 1938, it was everything the financier had asked for: state-of-the-art, beautiful, light and fast.

At the time, Paulin was one of France's leading aerodynamic designers; he was very conscious of the wind-cheating efficiencies that could be created through form, and often comfort was sacrificed to obtain a body shape as near as possible to the aerodynamic ideal.

The coachwork, designed by Georges Paulin, was built by Marcel Pourtout. Comfort was sacrificed in order to obtain a shape as near as possible to the aerodynamic ideal. This 4.25 Litre Bentley was fitted with a high ratio back axle and a four-speed gearbox with overdrive, which suited Europe's increasingly fast road network.

Embiricos lent the car to Walter Sleator of Franco-Britannic Automobiles, the Rolls-Royce and Bentley agent in France, for testing on the new German Autobahn network, and the car set records for speed and road-holding there that no Bentley road car had previously come close to achieving.

It was clocked at 114.64 mph (184.5 km/h) for over an hour at Brooklands before World War II prevented further racing. After having driven 100,000 miles, this car then competed in the 24 Hours of LeMans in 1949, 1950 and 1951. Its best result at LeMans was a sixth place finish in 1949 when driven by Soltan Hay and Tommy Wisdom.

More recently, the car has appeared and received awards in numerous concours', including Pebble Beach and Meadowbrook. The Kellers drove it in the 1994 Monte Carlo Rally des Voitures Anciennes; in 2012 it ran the Louis Vuitton Classic Serenissima Run in Venice; and was featured in the Le Mans Classic and displayed in the Bentley Pyms Lane Factory 'Lineage Showroom.'

Drophead Coupe by Cockshoot

This drophead coupe is the only one built by Cockshoot for the 4.25-litre Bentley chassis and the second to last Cockshoot body built on a Bentley chassis at the Derby factory.

The Bentley 4.25-liter chassis reflected further refinements including the engine, a gearbox with overdrive and independent front suspension and, beginning in 1938, Marles steering. The 4.25-liter motor had been introduced in 1936 as coachwork became heavier - but also to maintain the marque's sporting reputation.

A Bentley drophead coupe was featured in the James Bond film 'Never Say Never Again.'

Fixed Head Coupe
Chassis number: B-1-LE
Engine number: T6BT

Chassis B-1-LE was sent to de Villars in Levallois, Paris on February 22nd of 1938. The car had been ordered by Julio Villarejo of Paris for Alfredo Mihura, whose Paris address was listed as the Hotel George V. The car was ordered with a speedometer measured in kilometers, the petrol gauge in litres, a 22-gallon fuel tank and wheel covers.

Factory paper-work states the configuration as a four-door, four-place saloon by de Villars. Today, the car is a two-door, four place coupe body. The coachbuilder is not known, though the body work looks period correct, suggesting an error in the factory paperwork or a change of body style required by the owner after production of the car.

In the mid-1960s, the car was purchased by a doctor in Barcelona, Spain. The doctor kept the car for the next 45 years before passing it on to the current owner in 2008.

In 2010, this vehicle was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach Auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $250,000 - $325,000. It would leave the auction unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

FAMOUS BENTLEY 4¼-LITRE ‘EMBIRICOS' SPECIAL MAKES STAR APPEARANCE AT CREWE FACTORY

Pourtout Coupe by Pourtout

One of the rarest and most valuable Bentleys in the world, the 4¼-Litre 'Embiricos' special, is making an historic appearance at the marque's home in Crewe. Fresh from taking part in the Louis Vuitton 'Serenissima Run' in Venice and featuring at the Le Mans Classic as part of the Bentley lineup, this magnificent car takes pride of place in the Lineage Showroom at the firm's Pyms Lane factory until September.

Throughout the 1930s Bentley Motors, then owned by Rolls-Royce, was producing fast, refined and well-built Grand Tourers from its Derby factory. While many customers sent their chassis to traditional coachbuilders such as Vanden Plas, H.J. Mulliner or Park Ward for elegant bodywork, enthusiasts from across the Channel, where the roads were longer and faster, were eager to explore the new world of aerodynamics. With the support of the factory, one such owner decided to investigate the possibility of a streamlined high-performance Bentley. The result was the most famous Bentley of the Derby era.

André Embiricos was a wealthy Greek racing driver living in Paris. Walter Sleator, the company's Paris agent, put him in touch with Georges Paulin, a designer working for coachbuilders Pourtout Carrossier. Under Paulin's guidance Pourtout produced a strikingly sleek, aerodynamic body for a 4¼-Litre Derby Bentley that would be suitable for fast touring and track records alike. To keep weight down the fastback body with split rear window was crafted in Duralumin, an age-hardenable aluminium alloy.

The 'Embiricos' Bentley fulfilled all the criteria for a Bentley high performance grand tourer, achieving a timed 114.64 mph (184.5 km/h) over an hour at Brooklands, yet being civilised enough for Embiricos to use as a road car. Embiricos sold his unique Bentley late in 1939 to H.S.F. Hay who raced it in three post-war Le Mans 24-hour races, achieving a commendable 6th place in 1949.

Although a one-off, reaction to the Embiricos Bentley encouraged the company to explore more streamlined styles for future production models. In 1939 Bentley designer Ivan Evernden worked with Paulin on a sleek Mark V prototype called Corniche. Unfortunately it was in France when WWII broke out and destroyed during a bombing raid on Dieppe while awaiting shipment to Britain. Post-war, many of the lessons of the Embiricos Bentley reached fruition in the glorious lines of the 1952 R Type Continental, and as such continue to be reflected in the iconic shape of today's Continental GT coupe.

Richard Charlesworth, Director of Royal and VIP Relations and Head of the Bentley Heritage Collection, commented:

'It is an honour for Bentley to exhibit this unique Bentley for the first time, thanks to the generosity of its esteemed owner. Its sleek form was extremely advanced for the time, and its DNA can still be seen in modern Bentley coupes today. We are looking forward to showing the Embiricos to our factory visitors, and to the public at the upcoming Windsor Castle Concours of Elegance.'

by Bentley

by Bentley

Drophead Coupe by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: B153LE
Engine number: G8BH

The first Rolls-Royce-built Bentley was the 3.5-Liter model. By early 1936, Bentley was offering a larger displacement chassis, the 4.25-Litre, to help offset the weight gains and subsequent loss of performance.

This Drop Head Coupe was completed in late 1938 and delivered to Major J. Workman of Belfast, Ireland. The coachwork was done by Vanden Plas and powered by a 4257cc overhead valve 6-cylinder engine with Twin SU carburetors and 125 horsepower. The car was finished in gray with chrome moldings with a gray leather interior and hood material.

Years later, the car was in the care of D. Aston Kyle of Middlesex, England. By 1971 it was in the hands of Carl W. Mumm, Jr. of Newport Beach, California. By 1978, it was in the care of Richard E. Straman, also of Newport Beach. In 1979, the Bentley won Second in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, and the following year won First in Class. It won a First in Class at the RROC Silverado Meet, a Second in Class at Hillsborough and a Second in Class at the RROC Annual meet. It also has a CCCA national First Prize badge affixed to the car's cowl.

In 1998, the car was sold to the current owner. The car has completed two Pebble Beach Motoring Classics. It returned to the show field at Pebble Beach following the 2002 Motoring Classic.

The car currently wears an older restoration. The 4.25-Liter has been upgraded with an overdrive. There is a four-speed manual gearbox and four-wheel drum brakes.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Pebble Beach auction presented by Gooding & Company. The car was estimated to sell for $150,000 - $250,000. Unfortunately, a buyer willing to satisfy the car's reserve was not found and it would leave the auction unsold.

by Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis number: B92LS
Engine number: G8BG

This 1938 Bentley 4.25 was bodied by H.J. Mulliner and features a unique one-off disappearing top. The car was initially sold by the famous Rolls-Royce/Bentley dealer Jack Barclay of London, England. Their emblem remains attached to the front bumper.

This car is believed to have participated in the 1939 Royal Automobile Club (RAC) Brighton Rally and is featured in Johnnie Green's book 'BENTLEY Fifty Years of the Marque.'

Only 2,141 4.25 W.O Bentleys were designed and manufactured. They were constructed between March of 1936 and May of 1939.

Drophead Coupe by Vanden Plas

The current owner has had possession of this car for over 42 years. This vehicle has a Vanden Plas six place convertible body, specially built to the original owners specifications. It is fitted with a rumble seat and is a 'one-off' design, commissioned by Capt. Douglas Krauss in 1937.

The date of its first registration is May, 1938 in the UK (License No. ELB 3), and featured in Autocar Magazine at that time. Following the Second World War, the car was shipped to Australia by its 2nd owner, the sister of the other Directors of Penguin Books of London. The third owner, Kenneth Hoskins, had the car fitted with power steering under the guidance of the Rolls-Royce factory in the UK.

All-Weather Tourer by Thrupp and Maberly
Chassis number: B137LE
Engine number: C8BL

The 'Derby Bentley' was the 3 1/2 liter, which was based upon the Rolls-Royce 20/25 chassis but with a high-performance engine with crossflow head, higher compression ratio, twin SU carburetors, and a re-profiled camshaft. The engine was increased in 1936 to 4.25 liters by using the new 25/30 Rolls-Royce engine. In this guise, the 'silent sports car' finally found its niche.

This All-Weather Tourer is chassis B37LE and is an 'LE' specification chassis, and one of only 100 produced. The top speed is not as high as the later 'LX' series cars, which were equipped with overdrive, but many drivers agree that the gears on the 'LE' are spaced more tightly together, making the car considerably more comfortable to drive at speeds below 50 mph.

This car was originally owned by J.T. Johnson who had the chassis delivered to Thrupp & Maberly for the bodywork. It is a four-door, four-passenger convertible tourer with a fabric top that lies neatly when folded for a clean appearance. Johnson accepted delivery in June 1939.

The car currently retains its original bodywork, chassis, and engine. It has a side-mounted Continental touring spare and finished in period-correct deep blue over black, with blue leather upholstery and walnut trim. In the front are imposing headlamps, driving lamp, and accessory horn, as well as a nearly complete tool kit.

The 4257cc overhead valve six-cylinder engine is fitted with twin SU carburetors and develops 126 horsepower. There is a four-speed manual gearbox, a wheelbase that measures 126 inches, and four-wheel mechanical drum brakes.

by Dan Vaughan

Drophead Coupe by Mulliner
Chassis number: B92LS
Engine number: G8BG

The 4¼-Litre was the second Bentley-badged model, produced after Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley Motors in 1931. The first was the 3½-Litre, which shared many components with the Rolls-Royce 20/25. As roadways improved, it became clear that a more powerful version of the 3.5-liter would be needed for reliable, day-long, high-speed touring. The company considered supercharging the 3.5-liter model, but bench-testing proved disappointing. Bearings wore out quickly, and torque delivery was inconsistent. Instead, the company focused their efforts on increasing engine capacity. Bore size increased from 3¼ inches to 3½ inches resulting in a 4,257-cubice centimeter engine. Bearings were upgraded from 'white metal' to a new aluminum/tin alloy for the main and big ends. Larger valves, a larger oil sump, bigger carburetors, and longer air silencers were also fitted to the new 4¼-liter engine.

The engine was offered as an option on the last series 3½-Litre Bentleys. By 1936, the GA-series 4¼-Litre car was launched. The speed-related hydraulic damping system, introduced with the 4¼, provided a more stable ride and crisper handling.

Chassis B92LS

The original owner of this car specified Dunlop tires and that the car was to be built for 'UK Town and Touring' use. The body style is a disappearing top, drophead coupe that was designed and built by H.J. Mulliner and given the term 'concealed head.' This car is one of one hundred and two 4¼-Litre Bentley chassis bodied by the firm. Most were saloons with about 15 being drophead coupes. It is not clear how many of those 15 were built with the concealed head design.

The first owner of this car was Ernest Taylor who took delivery in Guildford, Surrey, in 1937. It was later sold to Paul Jameson, who kept it in England until 1970, when it was exported to the U.S. and sold to William Sherman, in Jamestown, New York. The car remained with Mr. Sherman until 1975 when U.S. Coast Guard Captain John Faigle, of Governor's Island, New York, bought it.

The car has since been treated to a restoration resulting in a class award at the 2013 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance.

by Dan Vaughan

Sedanca Coupe by Gurney Nutting

This is the first of two 4.25 Litre Bentleys built by Gurney Nutting and known as the Rothschild Bentley Sedancas. This car was commissioned for Madame Yvonne Cahen d'Anvers Rothschild, and it bears a strong resemblance to Hispano-Suizas supplied to other members of the famous banking family. But Madame Rothschild canceled the order before the car was finished, so it was sold to William Rhodes-Moorhouse. A keen sportsman, 'Willie' represented Great Britain as a ski-jumper in the 1936 Winter Olympics and later served as a fighter pilot with the Royal Air Force, flying Blenheims and Hurricanes with the famous 601 squadron. In fact, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in July 1940 before being shot down that September. So the car saw little use until after the conflict. The car had several British owners then was acquired by Bentley authority and pebble Beach Concours Selection Committee Member Peter Hageman, who owned it from 1995 to 2001. Its present owner added the Bentley to his collection in 2012.

Drophead Coupe by Vanden Plas
Chassis number: B106MR

Derby Bentleys progressed from the first 3.5-Litre cars of 1933 through various subtle changes to the engine and chassis, to the 4.25 Litre cars introduced in 1936. The final chassis numbers for the Bentley 4.25 Litre ended with the letters MR and MX. One feature introduced on these late series models was an overdrive ratio for fourth gear that made them particularly comfortable touring cars, especially on the new European Autostradas and Autobahns.

This 4.25-Litre Derby Vanden Plas Drophead was first exhibited at the Scottish Motor Show in Glasgow in 1938. In April 1939 it took part in the RAC Brighton Rally, and it was featured in The Motor the following month. Cared for and maintained throughout its life, the car was judged to be the best Derby Bentley at the Kensington Gardens Bentley Drivers Club Concours in the 1980s. The current owner has enjoyed driving the car since 1995, and it has just been restored by marque experts P & A Wood.

Sports Saloon by Park Ward & Co.
Chassis number: B-107-LE

This 1938 Bentley 4 1/4 Litre was built in Derby at the Rolls-Royce facility and given a Sports Saloon body by Park Ward. It was delivered to Mr. E.K. Marsland and sold to Sir Oliver Welby. It was imported to the United States around 1970 by Conrad Karrs and remained in his care until 1988. It has been in the care of several owners since then.

All-Weather Cabriolet by Hooper
Chassis number: B190LS
Engine number: D8BJ

This 1938 Bentley 4 1/4 Litre wears All-Weather Cabriolet coachwork by Hooper and is powered by a 4,257cc OHV inline 6-cylinder engine. It has a four-speed manual gearbox, four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes, and a suspension comprised of live axles, semi-elliptical springs, and friction shock absorbers. The car was delivered new to Sir John Jarvin, a British politician who represented Guildford in Parliament.

This Bentley is finished in Royal Blue with black wings and rides on wheel discs.

This Bentley was originally registered on April 18th of 1938 and remained in Sir John's care until it was sold to Henri Diesterweg Crispin Webb of Somerset. It was later sold in February of 1958 to Christopher George Carder of North Lymington. Leonard Potter of Newbury acquired it in November of 1966, who in turn sold it to William E.D. Bell of Mill Hill. On December 9, 1966. Mr. J.B. Nethercutt acquired the Derby through English broker Leonard Potter. It remained in Mr. Nethercutt's ownership until it was sold in 2010 at Gooding & Company's Pebble Beach Auction.

During the 1950s or early 1960s, the car may have received a restoration and was refinished in its original color scheme. The interior appears to have been re-upholstered in pale blue-grey hides with new carpeting, and the chrome may have been re-plated. Daniel Richmond of Downtown Engineering mechanically restored the Bentley and had continental exhaust and carburetors installed, the compression increased, and Bensport manifolds added.

by Dan Vaughan

Two-Seater Sports by Abbey Coachworks
Chassis number: B180LS
Engine number: M9BB

The 4¼-Litre Bentley had a larger bore than the prior 3½-Litre, along with larger valves, an oil sump, and upgraded main and big-end bearings of an aluminum/tin alloy. This new engine was shared with the Rolls-Royce 25/30 hp, but was in higher specification form when installed in a Bentley. With raised compression, a pair of SU carburetors, and a more 'sporting' camshaft, the new 4¼-Litre model delivered more power than before while retaining the well-proven chassis with its servo-assisted brakes. Hallmarks of this model included refinement, reliability, and effortless long-distance cruising.

It is believed that this Bentley originally wore a saloon body by Park Ward and was delivered in March 1938 to T. Shaw. It was later acquired by Henry Wilkins, who commissioned new coachwork, produced to his own design by Abbey Panels. Styling features include a disappearing top and flared open fenders.

In 1966, this Bentley with the Abbey Panels body won its class in the annual show at Kensington Gardens.

More recently, this Bentley has been on display in a private collection.

by Dan Vaughan

Bentley Motors was purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931. One of the first of the Bentley vehicles produced after this merge was the 1933 3-1/2 Liter, a vehicle similar to the Rolls Royce 20/25. Bentley automobiles personified racing and the 3 1/2 Liter vehicle followed this tradition. It had a more powerful engine than its 20/25 counterpart. This had been achieved by adding a second carburetor and modification of the compression ratio.

Rolls Royce introduced the 25/30 in 1936 and Bentley introduced its counterpart, the 4 1/4 Liter. The Bentley featured 2 SU carburetors and a naturally aspirated straight-six engine producing 125 horsepower. It could achieve sixty mph in around fourteen seconds with the top speed just below 100 mph. The front-engine designed was matted to a four-speed manual gearbox and drove the rear wheels. Production lasted from 1936 through 1939 during which over 1240 examples were produced. This was the most vehicles of a single series Bentley had ever produced up to this time.

by Dan Vaughan