1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre Drophead Coupé by Park Ward
No Reserve

Registration No: TXS 554
Chassis No: B111JY
MOT: Exempt

• Retains its original, very handsome Drophead Coupé bodywork by Park Ward
• Fascinating first owner with significant literary connections
• Resident in the United States of America for some time before repatriation to Britain in 2020
• Subject to significant restoration work previously, including a recent complete re-wire with a period-correct braided loom
• Fitted with a nearly-new mohair hood

By the mid-1930s, there was something of a horsepower war going on among the top British car manufacturers. With the advent of high-speed Continental roads such as Italy's autostrade and Germany's Autobahnen, the race was on to build a sports saloon that could crack the magic 100mph barrier. Thus, Alvis released first the 3½ Litre and then the 4.3 Litre, Lagonda evolved the M45 into the more powerful LG45 and Bentley gave its customers the option of a larger 4¼ Litre engine during the 1936 season. A derivative of that fitted to the Rolls-Royce 25/30, the 4,257cc OHV straight-six unit was suitably reworked, gaining twin SU carburettors and a hotter camshaft in the process. Priced at £50, a comparatively small sum compared to the cost of a basic chassis, it proved so popular that the standard 3½ Litre powerplant was soon dropped. Nicely balanced to begin with, the Derby Bentley chassis was more than capable of handling the extra power and torque. Equipped with all-round leaf-sprung suspension, assisted drum brakes, a precise four-speed manual gearbox and worm-and-nut steering, its poise and responsiveness proved more than a match for many of its peers.

We are delighted to offer this 1937 Bentley 4¼ Litre, chassis B111JY, with its original Drophead Coupé bodywork by Park Ward, which has only recently arrived back in Britain after more than 50 years in single enthusiast ownership in California. Constructed during the winter of 1937, B111JY’s final specification included a Smiths speedometer and rev counter, a Weston ammeter, Dunlop wire wheels with India tyres, a Bentley radiator cap mascot, and a steering column one inch longer than standard. The chassis was tested on 5th February and delivered to Park Ward on 13th. Its first owner was a well-connected individual and a loyal Bentley enthusiast, Mr. H. W. L. Puxley of Langley End, near Hitchin, Hertfordshire. He had previously owned a vintage Three Litre model and, it seems, liked to be at the vanguard of automobile ownership – this early 4¼ Litre would have served as an upgrade to his 1934 3½ Litre (also from the early months of production), which was similarly equipped with Park Ward Drophead Coupé coachwork. Originally registered ‘DXM 223’, the completed B111JY was delivered to him on 1st April, 1937.

Henry Waller Lavallin Puxley (1898-1973) was the latest in a succession of Henry Puxleys, whose ancestral home was Dunboy Castle in Ireland. Also known as Hill End, Langley End originated as several farms which were sold as a package in 1910 and received new buildings by Edwin Lutyens. Completed by 1912, the main Langley End house was a handsome Georgian Revival edifice, and one of the last blossomings of the English country house tradition. The Puxleys had moved in by the 1930s, and, in 1940, Henry and his wife Naumai ‘Paddy’ (née Guinness) welcomed as a paying guest Daphne du Maurier, whose husband Tommy was in military service and stationed nearby. It was there that she wrote Frenchman’s Creek in 1941, and her interest in the Puxleys inspired 1943’s Hungry Hill, but she departed in 1942 after Paddy discovered that she and ‘Christopher’ – Daphne's pet name for Henry – had become excessively fond of one another.

Nothing else is known of the Bentley’s early life in Britain, but by 1969 it had entered the hands of Californians Deane Leo Crow and Dr. Laurence J. Crow and carried the registration number ‘XCT 863’. The Crows kept the Bentley at a large, handsome Modernist property in La Mesa, in the hills beyond San Diego, before moving to Salinas circa 1991. After more than 50 years in the Crow family, the Bentley was repatriated to Britain in 2020, but it was only submitted for registration in 2023. Consequently, this is a car which very few British enthusiasts have ever set eyes upon, and it’s sure to attract a crowd wherever it is taken, whether that’s a local village green car show or a Bentley Drivers’ Club concours. B111JY will certainly be eligible for some prestigious events, and fully deserves to be shown.

It was evidently well cared-for while in the Crows’ ownership, and exhibits signs of an older cosmetic refurbishment, including a repaint and retrim, all of which remains very well-preserved. The mohair hood has been described as “virtually new,” while the most significant attention the Bentley has received in recent years is the complete rewiring with period-correct, colour-coded, braided wires, which cost a total of £6,000. The Bentley has survived with some historic records in addition to post-import documentation. Together, they include the current V5C, copies of the original chassis build records, California Automobile Registration Cards from 1969, 1977, 1979 and 1991, a 1988 invoice from Winston Tires, an import pass, a dating letter from the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts’ Club and registration correspondence from the DVLA. It is also sold with a spare key. With hood raised or lowered, B111JY is an extremely attractive sight and altogether stands out as a very fine example of one of the greatest grand-touring cars of the prewar period. Offered at no reserve, it represents an opportunity not to be missed.

For more information, please contact:
Lucas Gomersall
lucas.gomersall@handh.co.uk
07484 082430