1925 Bentley 3/4.5 Litre Tourer

Lot details
Registration No: SV 9979
Chassis No: 1150
Mot Expiry: Exempt

Chassis 1150 began life as a 3 Litre Light Tourer with Open Four-Seater coachwork by Freestone & Webb. Only listed for 1925-1926, just 39 Light Tourers were made (all featuring the short 9ft 9.5in wheelbase). The accompanying copy Factory Service Record lists Jack Withers & Co of NW1, Frank Scott of Percy St, Newcastle-on-Tyne, H. Ostlere of Narbeth, Pembrokeshire and H. Jarvis of The Headlands Garage, Kettering as early custodians. The same document also shows that before the factory lost touch with Chassis 1150 in 1936 parts for it were sent to Layhams Engineering Co of Caterham, Cleveland Service Garage of Jersey, Gould Bros of Exeter and Bennetts Paragon Motors of Jersey. Issued because the `first was torn-up by mistake', a continuation buff logbook on file indicates that the Bentley had been fitted with a 4.5 Litre engine and Two-Seater Tourer body prior to 14th June 1946 when it was re-registered for road use as `EVB 740'. The car's rating was given as 25HP and its engine number as FT3207. The latter began life aboard a Bentley 4.5 Litre (Chassis FT3205) which is rumoured to have been in Kenya from 1937-1969 so perhaps Chassis 1150 was converted to 3/4.5 Litre specification during the late 1930s and laid-up during World War Two? Certainly H.M. Bentley (W.O.'s brother), had begun creating 3/4.5 Litre cars by the late 1930s.

The first owner recorded in the continuation buff logbook is Thomas Tilling of Cheam, Surrey. Thereafter, the Bentley is known to have passed through the hands of Thomas Killick of Great Waldingfield, Suffolk, The Hon Mrs Heather King (daughter of Scouts founder Robert Baden-Powell and wife of John King) of Cranwell, Sleaford and John Addison Williamson of Litchborough. A well-known racer in Bentley circles, Jack Williamson notified Northamptonshire County Council of a further engine change to SS1327 on April 2nd 1955 (though, no alteration was made to the horsepower rating). Reportedly restored by William Sykes and Bill Rockell during the early 1970s, Chassis 1150 was returned to 3 Litre power using Engine Number 1071 (which began life aboard a 1925 Speed Model), rebodied as a Vanden Plas-style `Le Mans' Tourer and incorrectly re-registered as `KU 7678'; a number plate associated with Chassis Number AP313. Belonging to Bjorn-Eric Lindh and resident in Sweden by 1977 (copy photo on file); Chassis 1150 subsequently passed to his fellow countrymen Ingemar Ahlquist, and Hakan Johansson. Mr Johansson (a) had the four-seater fettled by marque specialist Richard C. Moss during the late 1980/1990s, (b) lent it to Benjafield Club member Philip Strickland for use on the 1997 Pingst Rally and (c) entrusted it to the Bentley Boys for stripping and repainting shortly before the Millennium.

Having purchased Chassis 1150 from Mr Johansson, specialist dealer Stanley Mann had it inspected by both Brian Fenn of the Bentley Drivers Club and marque expert Michael Hay so that it could be issued with an age related registration mark. A copy of Michael Hay's letter remains on file: `After inspecting the car in your workshop, it is clear beyond any reasonable doubt that the chassis frame of your car is indeed 1150 as built and numbered by Bentley Motors'. Entering the current ownership via Mr Mann in January 2003, the four-seater was returned to 3/4.5 Litre specification some two years later by specialist engineers John Ambler & Son (utilising a new block and appropriate internals etc). Further enhanced thanks to the additions of a four-star diff gear and Payne electric overdrive, Chassis 1150 has been enjoyed on numerous rallies in Norway, Sweden, France, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland and further afield. Impressively, the four-seater is said to have completed its last tours of New Zealand, America and Canada in 2013 with no mechanical issues. Dismayed to be told by the DVLA that there was another Bentley claiming the same chassis number, the vendor's late husband was relieved to receive a letter from Alex Tanner of the Bentley Drivers Club stating: `There is no doubt in Club Records that your 1150 is the Genuine Car'. While Brian Fenn was of the opinion that the other 1150 `is a Julian Ghosh chassis, although the owner says that it has the front engine cross member bearing the number 1150 I don't think this is genuine'. Philip Strickland has recently test driven the car and a copy of his written findings is available upon request. A rare Light Tourer with a long and interesting history as a 3/4.5 Litre car plus a wonderful patina.