1940 Bentley 4.25 Litre Drophead Coupe

Lot details
Registration No: Un-Reg
Chassis No: B191MX
Mot Expiry: None

"Often in describing the more luxurious types of car the journalist has recourse to saying they behaved in a thoroughly gentlemanly manner. This is a phrase which is well understood, but does not wholly convey the Bentley's qualities. We would rather employ the adjective patrician, for the car has a certain taut nobility, and like so many nice cars and people, one does not appreciate its true worth until one has known it some considerable time" (The Motor road test of a Bentley 4.25 Litre `Overdrive' Drophead Coupe, May 2nd 1939).

At the dawn of the 1930s with the reverberations of 'Black Friday' (29/10/1929) being felt worldwide, competition between carmakers grew increasingly desperate. Thus, while WO Bentley sought to refine his 8 litre into the ultimate luxury carriage, Rolls-Royce responded by dabbling with a sports car concept. Their concerns as to the branding of 'Peregrine' (as the project was labelled internally) were alleviated by Bentley's collapse in 1931. Outflanking rivals D. Napier & Son, they acquired Bentley wholesale (including WO's services) for £125,257. With a department brief that "the new car must be as unlike the Rolls-Royce models as possible" Derby engineers set about preparing 'Peregrine' for flight. Built on a 'double-dropped' chassis carrying all round semi-elliptic leaf sprung suspension and assisted drum brakes, the new car used a tuned version of the Rolls-Royce 20/25's 3669cc OHV straight-six. Boasting twin SU carburettors, a wilder camshaft, strengthened con-rods and a higher compression ratio, this revamped unit developed around 120bhp (a fifty percent improvement) without compromising on refinement. Equipped with the 20/25's four-speed manual gearbox, high-geared worm and nut steering and hydraulic dampers, the resultant 'Silent Sportscar' - as the Bentley 3.5 litre soon became known - was unveiled to great acclaim at the August 1933 Ascot Races.

Responding to increased competition from the likes of Alvis and Lagonda, Bentley gave its customers the option of a larger 4.25 litre engine during the 1936 season. Priced at £50, a comparatively small sum compared to the cost of a basic chassis, the new unit proved so popular that the standard 3.5 litre powerplant was soon dropped. Nicely balanced to begin with, the Derby Bentley chassis proved more than capable of handling the extra power and torque. Further revised in late 1938, the `Silent Sportscar' gained centralised chassis lubrication, automatic shock absorbers (with hand control override), better steering, improved 'big-end' crankshaft bearings and - most importantly of all - an 'overdrive' gearbox with direct drive on 3rd gear and overdrive on 4th gear. Available from chassis B2MR onwards, these modifications allowed it to tackle Europe's first generation of high-speed roads such as Italy's autostradas or Germany's autobahns with confidence. Long sought after due to their relaxed cruising capabilities and theoretical 100mph plus performance (they were geared to 107mph in 'overdrive' top), production of the final MR and MX series amounted to a mere 200 cars.

Listed in the Vanden Plas' records for July 1939, chassis B191MX proved to be the last of just eight MX series cars that the North London firm clothed with this particular style of two-door drophead coupe coachwork. Crafted under the watchful eye of chief designer John Bradley and priced at £338 15s, the handsome body (number 3674) was panelled in aluminium over an ash frame. Notably well proportioned, it further benefited from a hood which was not only easy to fold but also, once down, did not protrude above the beltline. According to Mervyn Frankel and Ian Strang's respected tome `Bentley: The 1938/1939 Overdrive Cars', chassis B191MX was supplied new to America. Taking delivery on 25th January 1940, Mrs B.S. Sinclair is understood to have retained the car for some twenty years. Thereafter, the drophead coupe apparently changed hands twice before being acquired by its fourth and last long-term keeper, Mr Everett C Pauls, during 1964. A past president of the Rolls-Royce Club of America, he informed Messrs Frankel and Strang that the four-seater had "covered 75,000 miles in its lifetime virtually without any attention except regular maintenance".

Inherited by Mr Pauls' son in 1999, the drophead coupe remained Stateside and has only recently been repatriated to the UK (with all relevant import duties paid). As can be seen from the main photograph, it now requires restoration. Understood to be substantially complete, we anticipate that chassis B191MX will have been loosely re-assembled for display purposes by the time of the sale. Boasting its original engine and Vanden Plas coachwork not to mention a lovely history, this highly desirable MX series Derby Bentley has the makings of a very rewarding project.