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It is becoming increasingly rare to
find a vintage Bentley of any chassis type that was
originally supplied to its first retail purchaser as
a closed car. So many cars have been converted to open
bodies in the style of the various Vanden Plas, LeMans-type
open tourers. Locating an original unmodified closed
car, photographing and riding in it is a rare treat.
Our featured car is exactly that, especially given its
history and the circumstances that might have led to
its original body being scrapped and replaced with another.
In September of 1962, George Clayton Greene, then of
Concord, Massachusetts, purchased his short wheel-base
(12 foot) 8 liter saloon. The chassis no. is YX5113,
engine no. YX5115, with a saloon body. The purchase
price was US$2,500.00. The original registration number
was VO 6960.
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| YX5113
when new Brian
Smith photo |
The original body fitted to YX5113
was a Vanden Plas 4-light, 4 door, close-coupled sports
saloon utilizing “Silent Bloc” construction.
It is still on the chassis. The beautifully proportioned
design includes individual front seats and an integral
boot (trunk). A single spare is fitted to the rear.
The original color was most likely dark blue with black
hides, solid walnut wood trim and stag horn interior
fittings.
Brian Smith’s "Vanden Plas Coachbuilders",
page 119 shows a photograph of the very handsome body
style mounted on YX5113. It states that three of this
body style were made for 8 liter Bentleys. The Vanden
Plas body numbers are 1719, 1743 and 1745. YX5113 carries
body number 1745 “paneled as Weymann-Vanvooren
Saloon.” Two of the cars came with “Ace”
discs and one without. Both cars pictured show a fabric,
or more likely leather, roof on these cars. The roof
is now covered with a man-made covering, “Vynide”
as installed by Mr. Bruce Fagan in 1956.
"Ace" wheel discs and a “DWS” jacking
system were fitted. The discs are gone but the jacking
system is intact and fully operational.
As Mr. Greene had sold his 1911 Rolls-Royce Silver
Ghost, he was searching for a large, British motorcar
to tour with. He approached the Larz Anderson Collection
in Boston who then owned YX5113. It took some convincing
to get the museum to sell him the car. Eventually they
agreed as they were changing the focus of their collection
to earlier cars.
Mr. Greene, hale and hearty and now in his 9th decade,
still owns and tours YX5113 to this day. He has participated
in nearly all of the North American Vintage Bentley
Meets over the last 15 years that this writer has attended.
He is now driven by Malcolm Lee, as the 8 liter is a
“handful” for him to manage.
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Driving
on 2005 NAVBM
Car on left - Malcolm Lee :: Car on right - George
Greene |
YX5113 has been owned by George for some 46 years now.
He was able to give a first-hand account of much of
his cars history recalled from his prodigious memory
as well as from his records.
The first owner was John Player, Wratton Manor, Nottingham
England. YX5113 was first registered in November 1931.
Mr. Player paid the equivalent of US$13,000.00, a prodigious
sum in 1931, at the height of the depression. He was
a member of the Player family of Player Cigarette fame.
He owned the car from December 1931 to December 1935.
He accumulated only 23,667miles during his 4 years of
ownership before disposing of it. He thought that the
car was cumbersome to drive hence his brief period of
ownership and relatively low miles.
In 1936, the car was purchased by Mr. C.W. Mason, 138
York Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland who disposed
of it in September of the same year.
Later in 1936, Club records show that YX5113 was then
sold to Mr. H. Dagnall of Weybridge, Surrey. He owned
the car from September, 1936.
As of December 1, 1937, YX5113 had accumulated 83,931
miles, the last mileage entry in the factory records.
No further owners are listed between Mr. Dagnall and
Mr. Taaffe whose purchase date is unknown.
Denys Taaffe of 90 Rectory Rd., Redditch, Worchestershire
owned the car until advertising the car for sale in
“Motorsport” in October of 1955. The asking
price was £425 approx. US$1,350.00). An interesting
footnote here is that Mr. Taaffe owned several 8 liters.
In addition to YX5113, they were YF5001 (not currently
listed in Club records) and YM5027 (now C.K.W Schellenberg).
Mr. Bruce Fagan of Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
purchased YX5113 for US$1,000.00 in late 1955 after
seeing Mr. Taaffe’s advertisement for the car in
the British magazine, “Motorsport” in October,
1955.
In early 1956, when the car was being off-loaded from
a ship at the port of Los Angeles, the front sling broke
and the car dropped some 10 feet to the jetty, landing
first on the right-front wheel. Substantial body damage
was suffered.
The right-front brake backing plate was broken and could
not be repaired. The left front brake backing plate
was cracked and was subsequently welded. The frame was
also bent.
In addition to the chassis/frame damage, the body damage
included tears and dents in the front and rear wings
and front splash apron, damage to the roof, broken/cracked
window glass and dented front lamps. The bent frame
caused door misalignment with the body being generally
loosened. This was most likely the result of the twisting
upon impact with the dock. The insurance company and
the stevedore company paid for most of the repair of
the damage but not the straightening of the bent frame.
It remained as it was following the drop.
In January 1958 Mr. Fagan decided to sell YX5113 and
asked $3,250 after having invested over $5,000. Having
no success with selling it, he eventually traded YX5113
to a dealer. The Vintage Car Store in Nyack, New York
exchanged YX5113 for a Bentley 4¼ Gurney-Nutting
Coupe de Ville. Subsequently, YX5113 was purchased by
the Larz Anderson Collection in Boston.
YX5113 was owned briefly by Bill Ruger, Jr., owner of
YM5044 which is the subject of a previous article in
this series, prior to Mr. Greene’s ownership.
The mechanical history indicates that YX5113 has been
the victim of some rather serious abuse and neglect
including the aforementioned off-loading damage. The
corrections of its various faults has required major
commitments of time, effort and finances to keep it
on the road and to bring it to its current roadworthy
condition.
Club factory records show that no serious work was performed
on YX5113 during Mr. Player’s ownership. There
was a differential ratio change from 14/53 to 15/53
in 1935.
Having done some 83,000 miles by 1938, there surely
must have been material service and repair work performed
on the car. When YX 5113 was advertised by Denys Taaffe
for sale in 1955, the advert stated that it was “completely
overhauled with new tyres.” Correspondence offers
details of that work. The entire engine, camshaft rollers,
top and bottom ends were re-done. This indicates that
the mechanicals were very tired prior to this work being
performed during Mr. Taaffe’s ownership. This would
be consistent with the mileage on the car.
Mr. Fagan, following the repair of the dockside damage
to the car, had YX5113 completely re-sprayed in cream/yellow
and grey. The roof material, headliner and carpets were
replaced at the same time and the interior wood trim
was re-finished.
The sum of the foregoing was the appearance and condition
of YX5113 when Mr. Greene purchased it in 1962. Having
sat unused and not driven during its seven years at
the Larz Anderson Collection, Mr. Greene recorded serious
mechanical issues that needed work. YX5113 suffered
from a badly gummed up fuel supply system; a sclerotic
radiator; seriously worn Perrot shafts; very worn rocker
boxes and fouled oil strainers and sump being the most
critical issues requiring immediate attention. At this
time the previously welded brake backing plate was replaced
with a used one sourced in the UK.
These issues were attended to so as to make the car
road ready. After driving YX5113 regularly until 1964,
Mr. Greene decided that serious work on the mechanicals
and chassis/body was in order. This effort lasted from
1964 to 1967. The car was given over to a nearby repair/restoration
firm specializing in Rolls-Royce and Bentley motorcars
for the work required.
The body was removed from the chassis, the so that the
chassis could be straightened. The damage from the drop
at the docks had resulted in poor driving characteristics.
There was irregular body and door fit and the rattles
and creaks in the body’s substructure was a constant
source of irritation to Mr. Greene.
The engine was re-bored and the radiator was sent to
the UK to be re-cored in an attempt to cure a nagging
over-heating problem. In 1967, YX5113 was back on the
road being driven regularly.
In 1970 Mr. Greene had YX5113 repainted dark blue with
black wings which was more in keeping with the style
and character of the car. The only other subsequent
“cosmetic” restorations/modifications were
the replacement of the seat hides, in black, and the
installation of seat belts, 27 years later, in 1997.
In 1982 Mr. Greene had the body taken off again for
another go at correcting the chassis damage. This time,
all chassis components were removed so that the bare
chassis frame could be repaired once and forever.
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| Chassis
frame after straightening From:
G. Greene file |
Additional engine work including valves; pistons; rings;
camshaft drive gear; bearings and camshaft; crankshaft;
vibration damper; con rods and water pump was completed.
The suspension components were attended to as they were
off the chassis. New half-shafts with bearings were
installed. The prop shaft and the diff. were rebuilt.
The body was re-mounted and the work was completed in
1986.
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| YX5113
in 1995
Ken Karger photo |
Overheating had been an issue for a long time so a
set of Kenlowe electric fans were fitted in 1988. The
overheating continued to be an issue such that the radiator
was removed and again sent to the UK for service in
November 1996. In September 1997 the shutter system
and pipes were rebuilt when the radiator was re-installed
along with the addition of electric fan cowls.
In December of 1997, white metal bits were found in
the oil during an oil change resulting in the return
to the engineer that performed the 1982-1986 mechanical
work. This time the engine rebuild took until 1999 to
complete.
In 2000, an electronic ignition was fitted. In 2001,
a big end failed and the engineer yet again disassembled
the engine and repaired the problem. In 2003, the no.
2 piston crown was holed out. Unfortunately, again the
previous unsatisfactory work was re-done.
Yet, Mr. Greene persevered with YX5113. He continued
with his devotion of time, effort and money in an attempt
to finally correct all mechanical issues so as to have
the reliable motorcar he wanted.
By this time, George was totally frustrated by the ongoing
engine problems and the inability of the engineer to
get it right. He finally switched to another engineer
who was able to sort out the engine by April of 2004.
Since then, YX5113 has performed without issue.
In the midst of the aggravation from the reoccurring
mechanical issues, a rare stroke of good luck occurred
in 2002. A letter was received by Mr. Greene, via Simon
Towle at Club office, from an individual in the UK.
He advised that he found and purchased the original
handbook, no. 47 for chassis YX5113 and did the Club
know if YX5113 was still extant. If so, did the Club
know the identity of the owner?
Mr. Towle immediately forwarded the letter to George
with the seller’s inquiry if he would be interested
in acquiring it for £500? It goes without saying
that the handbook was purchased.
Interestingly, there are handwritten notes penciled
in on the inside back cover that shows the last oil
change and lubrication at 23,139 miles. This was just
before the original owner, John Player sold the car.
It now is with the tools that came with the car. As
a footnote, some of the tools still have their original
canvas pouches.
The original bronze wheel hammer that came with the
car in 1931 is still with the car. It has the engine
number stamped onto it and is the only originally supplied
hammer like that I have ever seen. It is a very rare
item, indeed.
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for larger view |
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Road tools |
Wheel hammer |
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I have toured with George and had a number of rides
in YX5113. It is a fine performing and riding car that
has survived a large number of miles and not a little
abuse. It is thanks to, in no small measure, the care,
patience and tenacity of Mr. Greene that YX5113 survives
in such original and roadworthy condition in spite the
hardships heaped on it. YX5113 is again a handsome,
reliable, comfortable and road-worthy driver.
2008 photos:
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