The car that been taken apart by its owner Stuart Wallace, and kept in boxes for more than 50 years |
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The dismantled 1928 4.5-litre Drop Head UP 2100 was found
in a three-storey house after its owner Stuart Wallace died last year
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Only eight of these rare Bentley vehicles were made,
and now this model has been restored it is worth of £800,000
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The former English teacher bought the car for £280 in 1962
but could not afford to run it because he was a student at the time
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With nowhere to store it, Mr Wallace took apart the components
and kept them at his townhouse where they remained for 58 years
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He kept a log of every part with photographs -
and some were stored in jars of oil in the hope that one day it would be rebuilt and restored
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The reassembly came after his death when his daughter
Bea Wallace-Hartstone called in a specialist Bentley dealership
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Effort: A team of 12 specialists from the Medcalf Collection spent
ten months putting the pieces together to make it fully driveable again
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Experts were left stunned after entering the house to find car parts
along the stairs, hidden under the bed and inside cupboards
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William Medcalf, head of the Medcalf Collection, said a 'very nice lady'
told him her late father had an old Bentley in his house
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The vehicle cost Mr Wallace 'less than half the price of a
Mini but he hadn't banked on the cost of running the car'
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Photo of paperwork: There were only eight models built in the specification
and this Bentley is said to be the only known survivor
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The Bentley experts said there were
'literally bits everywhere and throughout the three-storey house'
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Mr Medcalf said the team 'found headlights under a bed
and a dashboard and radiator hidden away in a spare room'
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During its reassembly, the team
added several new sections of wood to ensure the car was solid
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Dashboard: The team found enough parts to complete a rolling chassis
- but believed at first that the bodywork had been lost over time
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There was a large metal chest
underneath a tarpaulin which contained more missing pieces
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A lot TLC is required...
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The car is a two-seater model and has only 39,000 miles
on the clock, so is in 'great condition', according to the experts
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This Bentley is now on display in the showroom
of the dealership, which is selling it on the family's behalf
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Unknown value: The experts said that 'as with all classic and vintage cars,
its the price the prospective buyer puts on their passion'
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The car would have cost about £370
when new. Mr Wallace bought it for approximately £280 in 1962
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The experts said that 'incredibly, not a single nut and bolt anywhere on the car has been replaced'
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The Bentley still has its original lead seals in place and its original wire wheels and tires
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The experts at the Medcalf Collection said their plan was 'to keep it as preserved as possible'
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Mr Wallace's daughter said he was 'always messing around with cars and storing old parts and spares everywhere'
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Anyone interested in buying the classic car should visit the website of the Sussex-based Medcalf Collection
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Mr Medcalf has been restoring vintage Bentleys
for more than 18 years and racing 'since he could reach the controls'
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The Medcalf Collection say that they have a
'desire to preserve as much engineering history as possible' in their vehicles
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The vehicle was discovered in a house in the middle of London after 58 years of 'storage'
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The vintage Bentley has been mechanically overhauled by the Medcalf Collection, so it is drivable
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Original image: An archive photograph of the Bentley car with Stuart Wallace (who died last year aged 75) behind the wheel
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The car as pictured today (after reassembly)
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The car in its heyday |
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An unidentified woman is pictured in the vintage Bentley car in this undated black and white photograph |
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The owner did not want to sell the classic car but had nowhere to store it so he took it apart |
