At three years of age, in 1947, I became fascinated with cars. That year, my father traded in his 1939 Pontiac for a 1947 model. Going into town, Newport New, Virginia, was always exciting, and it was my first visit to a car dealership. Apparently, I was wandering all over the place and chattering like a chimpanzee. The salesman gave me a Pontiac brochure to keep me occupied while he made the sale. I still have that brochure and it was the first step into a lifetime of collecting brochures and creating a hobby that would later become a business with a massive collection of literature of over 400,000 brochures, books, dealer albums and memorabilia. My father ordered a car and that car later became my first car when I got my drivers license.
I lived in a farming area known as Warwick, Virginia, a land grant from King James to the Earl of Warwick after the nearby settlement of Jamestown was founded in 1607. I lived on the James River just to the south of where the colonist settled and Williamsburg was later established. Prior to World War II, the area was known for peanuts (Planters Peanuts), tobacco (shipped to Richmond or North Carolina) and hogs (Smithfield Hams across the river). During World War II it was an area of army and naval bases, the Army Air Corp, Norfolk Naval Shipyard and the Newport News Ship Building and Dry Dock Company. With all the military personnel around, there were soldiers returning from the war with little money and a lot of engineering skills. Some came back from overseas with sports cars. Others built hot rods, custom cars and restored antiques cars. Motorcycles were also popular. I was in heaven and I took advantage of every opportunity that came along to get involved.
The end of World War II began the beginning of new cars and all the prewar cars went to the junk yards or were stashed behind every barn. But I had no money to spend on cars and money earned working part-time jobs went into a savings account for college. Within bicycling distance there was the small town of Warwick Village. In addition to a church, school house, "Five and Dime" store, bank and barber shop, there was a drug store with a magazine rack. Other than Road & Track and Motor Trend, there were no other automotive magazines. Then came Christmas and shopping trips to Norfolk and Richmond, Virginia. Both had big stores with book departments. I would save up all year for the opportunity to lay my hands on car books. My antique car interest became obvious to those around me, my parents, relatives and friends, and I was given auto literature as it surfaced in locally. My mother found a collection from one of her friends of magazines, books and sales literature out of their attic that covered the span of the early 1900s through the present, that being the mid 1950s. Thus, a collection was started and the search was on. I found advertisements in magazine like Road & Track and Hemmings Motor News where collectors would sell or trade literature. By 1960, I was doing the same thing other literature collectors were doing and I started a hobby business called Automotive History. In 1985, it became a full time business called McLellan's Automotive History. Over that period of time, I developed a thorough appreciation and knowledge of all makes, years and subjects of the automotive hobby. My main interests have always been the prewar classics and antiques and the 1950s and 1960s sports cars.
One of my discoveries in the early 1950s, was the prolific author, Ken Purdy who wrote many articles on cars in several magazine plus some books. I took his words as gospel. He said if you can only have 3 cars you should have a Vintage Bentley, Duesenberg and Bugatti. He once was asked that if he could have twice as many cars what would he have? He said, "Two Vintage Bentleys, two Duesenbergs and two Bugattis". That did it for me. I was going to have one or more of the three. I pictured my garage with one great antique and great modern sports car (remember this was the 1950s). My research had established my future garage would have a British Racing Green Vintage Bentley sitting beside a bright red Ferrari. I realized I needed to make a lot of money to have the greatest cars ever built. Saving for college and getting a good job was now very important.
Why a Bentley and not a Duesenberg and Bugatti? Duesenberg built racing cars and street cars. Their racing cars were the best racing cars of their time. Their road cars were fantastic. Just looking at the racing or street cars make me kneel in homage. But, to worship Duesenberg, you need one of each. Looking at Bugatti, the same thing applied. Some of the street cars could be raced but not most of them. W.O. build his road cars to be race cars. That reverberated in my mind over and over again. To drive a car that was both a road car and was also a car that won Le Mans 5 times has to be the ultimate great collector car. It had to be the best of the best. But, I had never driven one much less seen one.
My challenge was to get to the point of purchasing a Bentley. I had to leap though a number of hoops to accomplish my goal. First, I had to get an education so I could get a good paying job. With six years of college and two degrees in geology, I was off to Texas in 1968. But graduation earned me a draft notice and two years in the Army during the Vietnam war. Getting out of the Army, I found myself with a good job in the petroleum exploration industry in Houston. Soon I had a wife, Beverly. Both were the best things that could happen to me but the Bentley and Ferrari had to wait their turn. Not surprisingly, when I arrived in Houston, I searched around to see if this big city just might have a Vintage Bentley. Sure enough, just a few miles from me, I found a 3 Litre Bentley. It was part of Bob Atwell's collection and I quickly got to know him and learned more about the car. The museum later moved to Kerrville, Texas and that Bentley still resides there.
In 1973, my wife and I bought a house. Utopia is now in reach. The empty two car garage beckoned to be harboring the Bentley and Ferrari. The Fall of 1973 was the beginning of the oil crisis and as a geologist, I was making good money. Somehow, the money went into colonial furniture and vacations. Meanwhile, I bought and sold some interesting collector cars, making money each time and I saved for the grand finale. Prior to finding my Bentley, I owned several old sports cars, mostly English. Cars just to tide me over until I got the Bentley. Beginning in 1977, we vacationed every other year in England. My wife and I met many friends that we have visited many times and we usually stayed in small towns throughout the country. We even ventured off the coast to the Isles of Scilly. Of course, my friends were all old car enthusiasts so in route to some castle or historical place there seemed to be car meets and vintage races. Meanwhile, thanks to several car literature dealers like Ken Ball, I was collecting hundreds of books on old British cars but mostly on Bentleys (link to VintageBentleys.org books and literature http://www.vintagebentleys.org/ref-materials/). In addition to Vintage Bentleys, I drove or rode in several other prewar cars including an Aston Martin, MG, Rolls-Royce Ghost, Lagonda, Alvis and Vauxhall. They just did not compare to a Bentley. And here in America, I tried out a prewar Packard, Pierce Arrow, Lincoln, Chrysler, Auburn, Cadillac and Cord. Many beautiful and luxurious cars but just not sport cars like a Vintage Bentley. After a few annual trips to the Bentley Drivers Club Silverstone meet, I was hooked. I was fortunate to be able to catch several rides with friends in various models of Bentleys and old car dealers, figuring that I was a rich Texan, were more than happy to show off their cars to me. By 1979, I was ready to take the plunge to buy a Vintage Bentley.
Which model of Bentley did I want? Cost was certainly a consideration. I was not rich. How would I make the correct choice? First, after reading all my Bentley books including those written by W.O. Bentley and the books written by those associated with him at the time, Benjafield, Hillstead, Berkin, Nagle, Berthon and Davis, I was able to immerse myself into the context of the 1920s and the thought processing of W.O. and what he wanted to create and what his potential customers wanted to own. Envisioning Bentley Motors through W. O.'s eyes and the enthusiasm that he created lead me to what I wanted in my personal Bentley. W.O. was building a car, the Three Litre for himself as if he was the intended buyer. He believed customers wanted a high quality sporting car with good performance and handling that could seat four people in comfort. First and last, it had to be fun to drive. The 1921 through 1923 Three Litres cars were close to perfect but needed four wheel brakes which were added in 1924. The 1926 model and those through the end of the 3 Litre production in 1928 received some refinements and changes but in my mind the 1924 and 1925 models were perfect.
Once the 3 Litre was in production, W.O. intended to build a smaller car, perhaps a 1 1/2 or 2 litre car. But a strange thing happened. Customers wanted a larger, more powerful car that could handle heavier coachwork. W.O. lengthened the chassis to accommodate their needs. That lowered the performance so a larger engine was needed. He created a prototype with a larger chassis with a 6 cylinder engine of 4 1/2 litres. Discovering on a road test that Rolls-Royce had the same idea, he wanted to build a better competitor. The 6 1/2 Litre Bentley was created and went into production in 1926. In my search to find the right Bentley for me, I test drove a 6 1/2 and a Speed 6 version. They are grand touring cars but just not sports cars. I did drive a 4 1/2 Litre but it just did not impress me as much as the 3 Litre Speed Model and it cost more. It did have a little more torque and accelerated a little faster but top speed was about the same. To me, the 3 Litre Speed Model was better looking and more fun to drive. Today, the 8 Litre seems to reign supreme. Yes, they are impressive but not a car for vintage racing or for sliding through tight corners on back country roads. Great cars and very comfortable on tours. Of course the Blower Bentley would be the ultimate Bentley but few can afford them. Certainly not me. Besides, they never won at Le Mans.
2 - Dreams come true
In 1975, I purchased a 1939 Jaguar SS 2 1/2 Saloon from England as a interesting restoration project. Not a best choice and I sold it. Interestingly, the former owner, Nick Hayes, and I developed a conversation that led to my purchase of a much better car, a 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4, Mark 1. Our 1977 trip to England developed into a friendship with Nick Hayes, his wife Mary and their family and relatives. Nick had a 1929 Lagonda tourer but he loved Vintage Bentleys. As a policeman, he could not afford one but intended to make sure I found one. He did a good job of doing just that by taking me to the right events to meet Bentley owners. On that trip, I was able to study the various models to form opinions by examining the cars and talking to owners, and a couple of offers for rides. I was just testing and not yet shopping.
On a second trip to England in 1979, I confirmed a 3 Litre Speed Model was the best choice. I was still shy of enough money to get what I wanted. On the next trip in 1981, I was ready to purchase my dream car and I did. A 1924 or 1925 Three Litre Speed Model Vanden Plas tourer (or two seater with double dickey) was the goal. The two seater with double dickey was actually my first choice but they are very rare. Qualifications for the purchase was that it had to have the original engine and original body. Condition was a factor but I like working on cars and a good original car was more important that a recent restoration. I was surprised to find one on my arrival. Nick Hayes had already searched out and found the car he believed that I wanted. He was correct. It was chassis 869. On the evening of August 21st, 1981, we drove to the home of vintage car dealer, Roland Duce. The Bentley was in the driveway were we could not miss it. Inside, his wife was preparing the evening meal. After, a thorough examination of the car, we went inside to eat and discussed the details of the car and the purchase. Yes, the bait had been placed in front of me and it appeared to be exactly what I was looking for. I had concerns as to whether Beverly would go for the purchase when she heard the price. She said. "If it is what you want, it is what you should have". Decision time! I told Roland that I needed time and within a week after my return, I would let him know. Although mechanically excellent, I requested that Duce do a repaint, new hood, tonneau, dashboard repair, new nickel trim, new speedometer cable and overall "tidy it up". I paid $41,584 (£23,000) for the car and an additional $3,997.35 for the work and became the twelfth owner.
The following photographs were taken at the home of Roland Duce in September 1981
3 - The Three Litre Bentley and Chassis 869
My web site, www.VintageBentleys.org, displays the history of every Vintage Bentley built by W.O. Bentley. Bentley Motors was formed in 1919 and was purchased in 1931 by Rolls-Royce. The most recent and most complete source of information, in book form, is by Clare Hay, Bentleys - The Vintage Years, 2015. The 3 Litre model was the first Bentley built and it was a great success. W.O. built an expensive, highly quality sports car that would out perform all existing cars on the road and the track. He exceeded his expectations with rave press reviews and trophies at the race track. It is important to recognize that it was a road car that owners could drive as regular transportation and race on the weekend - and win! This feat was duplicated in the 1950s with a new generation of sports cars but in the 1920s it was a revelation to car enthusiasts. One of the most amazing attributes of Vintage Bentleys is that they became more popular every year. More than half of the cars are still owned and driven thanks to the Bentley Drivers Club which was formed in 1936. Only 1622 of the 3 Litre models were built. Following the 3 Litre were 546 of the 6 1/2 litre Litre Standard and Speed Models, 665 of the 4 1/2 Litres model, 55 of the 4 1/2 Litre Supercharged models, 100 of the 8 Litre model and 50 of the 4 Litre cars. Vintage Bentleys won the LeMans 24 Hours endurance race in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930.
My 1925 Three Litre was introduced in this original full line sales catalog http://www.vintagebentleys.org/bentley-galleries/literature/broc_006.php. The Speed Model has a 9 feet, 9 1/2 inch wheelbase, 4 speed gearbox and four wheel brakes. The body is framed in wood and skinned with either aluminum or fabric. Beyond the steel chassis and engine block, most everything is brass or aluminum. Chrome was not yet available so nickel plating (German silver) is used throughout the car. The Rudge-Whitworth center lock wire wheels were always painted, usually the color of the chassis. The four cylinder engine has a non-detachable head with five main bearings, a two piece sump, a single overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder. It displaces 2996 cc, produces 80 horse power and has a top speed of 90 mile per hour. Electrically, it has duel magnetos, two spark plugs per cylinder and a 12 volt system. The two carburetors are known as SU G5 "Twin Slopers". One disadvantage to such an old car is that the gas tank only holds 13 gallons of gasoline and there is no gas gauge. There is a 2 gallon reserve tank with a lever that can be turned when you run out of gasoline. Of course you have to get out and go to the back of the car in order to get down the road a bit farther. It is best to carry a stick with graduated measurements and check the level as you go. Although there is a hand crank up front, the starting motor has yet to fail me. Of course, the dynamo (generator) must always be switched on. Starting the car is like going through a check list for starting an airplane but one quickly gets use to it. As a touring car, there are no side screens (curtains) on this model so the hood (top) and tonneau cover provide protection from the weather.
Chassis 869 was delivered on November 11, 1924 to Vanden Plas Coachbuilders and page 79 of their company record book state, "Order No. 1113 (body number). For Queens & Brighton Motor [Ltd] of Cunliffe Garage, £160. Body Standard 4 Seater Sports. Scratched Aluminium, Black upholstery and Black wings. Two spare wheels (extra wheel key supplied) at £7-10-0), Triplex glass (note that it will delay delivery) at £6-10-0, Rev Counter being supplied for fitting at 7/6, Polished Aluminium Instrument Board at £3-3-0". I am happy to say that the car still has it's original body after all these years, when very few do. When the restoration began, some wood in the body frame was repaired and the aluminum body showed some wear and old repairs so going back to the original scratched aluminum with clear lacquer was not feasible. Not wanting to replace the body, covering it with the Rexine fabric, that was so popular on Vanden Plas bodies of that period, was chosen as the best solution to keep the car as original as possible.
Regarding the "Scratched Aluminium" finish on the body, I received the following letter dated April 25, 1983 from Gibbs Pancheri, owner of Vintage Bentleys going back to the 1930s and a BDC historian. "On your 3-litre, 'Scratched Aluminium' was a finish obtained by rubbing the metal over with steel wool and then varnishing over with clear lacquer. At that time, it was fashionable to have the bonnet (hood) done that way, with the coachwork either in fabric or painted. A kind of dark red or maroon was most popular. In your case, the whole car was in scratched aluminium with the wings (fenders) and chassis in black." Apparently, the use of scratch aluminum did not hold up well and was discontinued in the 1930s. Gibbs also points out, "There were not all that many green Bentleys in those days. I remember as a small boy seeing yellow, white, maroon, aluminium, blue, but no green ones!". Green is now the most popular color because it was Bentley's racing color.
The engine is the original engine, number 877. Bentley Motors made no attempt to match part numbers but they kept records of what was fitted. All of the major components are original and worn out parts were replaced with original or perfect reproductions. The idea was to bring to life the original car since originality is most important. I must note that some writers have printed errors in the past regarding many of the Vintage Bentleys and these errors are being corrected on our web site www.VintageBentleys.org. Regarding chassis 869, Michael (Clare) Hay stated that engine SE 7 was fitted in April 1928. That number refers to a service engine that was in the car briefly while repairs were performed. Hay also states engine 988 replaced 877 in 1988. That is incorrect information since I owned the car at that time and it was in my possession at the time and the original engine before, during and after 1988 was 877. For more photos and description about chassis 869, visit http://www.vintagebentleys.org/carpages/fy7290.php.
The first owner was J. T. Johnson of Hill Crest, Wilmslow, Cheshire, England who purchased the car in December 3, 1924. Johnson's very brief ownership indicated he was probably a dealer. The real history of chassis 869 really begins with the ownership of the Bruces.
4 - Major R. F. Bruce and Mrs. Mary E. Bruce of Colliston Castle
My thanks to Susan Culleton, the Great-niece of former owner, Mrs. Mary E. Bruce. Sue has provided extensive research regarding the Bruce family.
The second owner was Major R. F. Bruce, Colliston Castle, Arbroarth, Forfarshire, Scotland. He purchased the car as new or very slightly used in 1925. These photos are from the Susan Culleton collection.
Susan Culleton: "Dick Bruce on the left, great aunt Mary in the middle
and my granddad J.C Neville (employed by Bentley Motors) on the right"
Dick Bruce of Colliston Castle, second owner of the Bentley
In 1920, John Hoome Adams Peebles - Chaplin (owner of the castle) sold the property to Richard (Dicky) Bruce (Major R.F.D. Bruce), son of the Hon. F. J. Bruce of Seaton, who was a son of the Earl of Elgin. His ownership of the Bentley only lasted until he passed the car on to his wife, Mary Bruce in 1927. Major Bruce had installed a gun cupboard in part of the original kitchen fireplace in the west tower. This room became the gun room. In 1929 Dicky Bruce was found dead in the hall with his gun beside him.
Susan writes, "My granddad (J.C. Neville) did work for Bentley Motors. He joined in July 1926 starting as a fitters mate in the Service department in Kingsbury. He was called into the Progress department when 'Freddie', who went on to become the Duke of Richmond, left to start Kevill-Davies and March."
The third owner became Mrs. Mary E. Bruce, Colliston Castle, Arbroarth, Forfarshire, Scotland in 1927. Mrs. Bruce took ownership of the Bentley from her husband on Mar. 1, 1927 or sometime a little later.
Mary Bruce with Bentley to the far left
"The photo on left says 1927 and was taken at Colliston castle. My granddad, J.C Neville, wrote the information. He was Mary's favourite brother. The photo on right shows Mary, her home Colliston castle and the car is in the background again around 1927, I think it is wonderful and captures a special moment in time."
Mrs. Bruce had a most unfortunate accident on Jan. 31, 1928, causing the front axle to be bent and some body and engine damage. Repairs were made but the car was laid up for several months. Recorded mileage on Nov. 19, 1928 was only 1,825 miles.
In 1929, Mary Bruce remarried and sold the Bentley to Major S. J. Grose and sold the castle to Captain Alfred Knox.
5 - Drifting ownership
Fourth Owner: 1929. Major S. J. Grose, The Pond House, Chobham, Woking, England.
The car was sold to him by Mrs. Mary E. Bruce. It is unknown what Major Grose did with the car during his ownership. No photo of the car during his ownership have been found but surely exist. Major Grose had the car serviced at the Bentley Works in 1930 and 1931.
Fifth owner: 1937. Capt. C. H. D. Berthon, Midges Farm, Long Crandon, Salisbury, Bucks, England.
Capt. Berthon joined the newly formed BDC in September 1936 and previously owned a 3 Litre Saloon (PH 1473) which he had purchased in 1933, nicknamed The Hearse. He sold that car in 1935 when he went to India. In 1937, upon his return to England, the service records show that he owned Chassis No. 869. Capt. Berthon had the car serviced at the Bentley Works in November 16, 1937 and July 27,1938. Therefore, this chassis 869 was one of the first cars in the BDC. Apparently he sold the car sometime after July 27, 1938. In September, 1939 he returned to India. During his life time he had many Bentleys. Berthon was a member of the BDC "The Committee" and is mentioned in "The BDC Gazette" from Jul. 1938 through Jul. 1939 and became the club secretary in 1948 and later Executive Vice-President of the BDC. Unfortunately, his son, also a BDC member, does not recall his father's ownership of this car because he was just a child at the time.
Sixth owner: 1939. S. J. Dunn, Oak Lodge, Forhill Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
Dunn owned and joined the BDC in 1939. Considering the war sent many cars into storage due to inability to purchase fuel, unless he was in the military, the car probably was in storage until the end of the war. This owner is another mystery because no records or photos have been found.
Seventh owner: September 1949. N. Sharp, Esq., 6 Maybury House, The Ridge, Woking, Surrey, England.
Sharp purchased the car in September 1949 and became a member of the BDC. Although it was a very short period of ownership, we do have one photo.
Photo dated 1949. Note that the engine is attributed to the 1928 service engine.
Eighth owner: 1950. J. E. Graveley. His address is unknown. Graveley purchased the car in November 1950 and became a BDC member. It is unknown when he sold the car to Taylor.
Ninth owner: Mr. Taylor
Taylor was a mechanic at Pelican Garage, Timberly, Cheshire. He sold the car to Noel Mitchell for £350 in 1955 so Taylor could emigrate to Australia. The money paid was for Taylor's fare.
Somewhere out there, photos and information exists regarding the owners during this period. I have searched the BDC Reviews and BDC Directories records and there are no clues.
6 - Noel Mitchell
The tenth owner was Lt. Cmdr. Noel Goodwell Mitchell, Fulmar House, Stamford Road, Bowdon, Cheshire, England. Noel bought the car from Mr. Taylor for £350 in March, 1955. Up to this time few owners had owned the car very long or had driven it much so the car remained with very low mileage. During his tenure of chassis 869, Noel drove it at least once or twice a year. He became a Bentley Drives Club member that year and began to refurbish the car with brushed on green paint, new carpets and green vinyl interior. We was on a budget and he did not wish to exceed the value of the car. I contacted Noel soon after I purchased the car in 1981 and we discussed over the phone his ownership. He believed that the low mileage was correct.
Noel's name and address appear in "BDC Review", No. 37, Jun. 1955. He is mentioned in "BDC Review", Jul. 1962 (page 203), and again in Oct. 1969 (page 329).
Manchester to Blackpool Veteran & Vintage Car Run
Michael Hasleden: "A photo I took in 1972, Manchester to Blackpool Rally. Location, Albert Square, Manchester."
"This would be at a rally in or around the North West UK, probably in the mid-1970s. My grandfather, Noel Mitchell is the driver." - Phil Quellyn-Roberts (Grandson of former owner)
Noel sent to me three photocopies of photos of that he had of him with the car (show photos). Because he did not have a scanner, he was reluctant to send original photos and additional records as he wanted to keep them. "We used to race the car at Oulton Park at BDC meetings and also in VSCC Richard Seaman meetings. Also in local rallies for many years and the "Daily Telegraph" Manchester to Blackpool in which I won the Vauxhall Trophy." (Sep. 1983 letter from Mitchell telling about history of car.)
Noel and Rosemarie Mitchell in the 1960s
FY 7290 at race track in the 1950s
FY 7290 on race track in the 1950s
This Bentley participated in the Manchester to Blackpool Veteran & Vintage Car Run for the consecutive years of 1971-1979."
On October 13 - 18, 1988, Noel and his wife, Rosemarie, on a vacation in America, visited me in Houston. At that time he gifted me with some memorabilia.
Noel and Rosemarie visiting my restoration in progress then.
Mitchell put the car up for sale in 1979 with the dealer Stanley Mann, and the car was sold to George Dodds. Mitchell stated that when he sold the Bentley, it had less than 3500 miles on the odometer.
7 - George Dodds
G. K. Dodds purchased the car in March 1979 and became the eleventh owner. George resided at 127 Birkbeck Road, Endfield, Middlesex, England. A well known BDC member and owner of several Vintage Bentleys, he responded to my interest in his ownership of chassis 869 with an informative letter in 1982.
"Many thanks for your letter. I am very pleased that the car has found a good home. I knew that the Bentley was being sold to an enthusiast from the U.S.A. I bought the car from a dealer who managed to acquire the car from the previous owner (N. G. Mitchell) who had the car for 24 years and did not realize that the chap who bought it was a dealer and known for his sometimes dubious doings to Bentleys. So I bought it from the dealer and it was immediately apparent that the engine and clutch, etc., needed a complete rebuild. The engine was rebuilt by me at no expense spared (i.e. re-bored, new pistons, valves, guides, tappets, cross shaft gears, water pump, new thermostat, main bearings, big ends, small ends, water jacket plates, stainless steel water rail filters, stainless exhaust studs, clutch relined, new bearings on front end of turret and crank shaft thrust bearing). Just before I sold the car I noticed a slight "chuff-chuff" from the engine and I thought the exhaust manifold gasket had gone, or at most a sticky valve".
George apparently put little mileage on the car and it sat up most of the time. The engine performed poorly when I purchased the car. The crankcase was full of metal bits, very low oil pressure and "ratty" electrical wiring connecting only the most basic necessities to get the car down the road. This all indicated that I would need a complete restoration and engine rebuild.
George was proud that the car was once owned by Mrs. Victor Bruce, a well know Bentley owner and race car driver. The evidence was in one of the BDC Reviews. After the 24 hours attempt in a 4½ Litre Bentley, she sent a telegram to Bentley Motors and signed it Mrs. M. E. Bruce, not Mrs. Victor Bruce. We know now this was the wrong Bruce but that information preceded George's ownership.
George sent photos "taken at the French Commemorative Tour to LeMans last year and also a photo of your car in a French newspaper on the track Le Mans with me and my wife in the car, etc."
Chassis 869 participating on the track
The following photographs were taken before and during the Jun. 1980 LeMans Race.
Chassis 869 at the Jun. 1980 Le Mans Race.
Dodds sold the car back to Stanley Mann. When I was searching for a Bentley, Roland Duce, a dealer, said he had the car but he actually got it from Stanley Mann to see if I would buy it. When I said yes, he worked a deal with Stanley Mann.
8 - On the road in Texas
I (Robert McLellan) am now the twelfth owner and I have owned the car longer than anyone else. The car's journey in America began on March 1982 when I picked it up at the Port of Galveston, about 70 miles south of my home in Houston. The next day I took it out for a short drive.
My big Chevrolet station wagon bringing the Bentley safely home
My first drive
After spreading the word among my friends it was decided to take it back to Galveston where the President of Rolls-Royce Owners Club, Everett Pauls lived. Everett, a long time Bentley owner and restorer, was a life time friend. One of my friends decided that we should take a case of beer along for the occasion and placed the beer on the back seat under the tonneau cover. In a parade of cars, we took off down the freeway. What we did not know was that the back seat only was held in place by a piece of plywood that was loosely fitted. The case of beer pushed it's way down between the seat and the board moved forward. My friends behind us began honking their horns as they dodged beer cans bouncing down the road. By the time that we pulled over, all 24 cans were history. My first project was to create a set of springs for the back seat.
The first real trip was two months later when I want to the annual RROC Texas Regional Meet in Salado, Texas which is near Austin Texas. Included was a tour and concours. It was a nice country drive in and I received 1st place in the Vintage Bentley Class. There were two other Vintage Bentleys there, both nicer than mine but they had won before and the owners were very kind and said their cars would not be judged this time. That is what friends are for and the new guy got all of the attention and the awards. I was very appreciative.
1982 RROC Texas Regional Meet in Salado, Texas
At home in Houston, Texas, in 1982 and taking the dog for a drive.
At home in Houston, Texas, in 1982
At home in Houston, Texas, in 1982
Bentley Drivers Club Meet in Clear Lake, Texas, in 1982
Bentley Drivers Club Meet in Clear Lake, Texas, in 1982
Photograph taken in Houston, Texas, in June of 1983
Photograph taken in Houston, Texas, in June of 1983
Photograph taken in Houston, Texas, in June of 1983
With less that a thousand miles on the car since I owned it, I began going through the car thoroughly and wondering how it managed to keep running and was I doing damage to the engine. I never believed the odometer reading of about 4500 miles when I purchased the car. After all, the odometer only does to 9999 miles and begins again. But the records of ownership indicated that the mileage is probably correct. On the return from England, after the restoration, the Bentley had 5761 miles on the odometer, 400 in testing the cars before delivery to me. How could a car with that little mileage have an engine in such poor condition? Sitting up for long periods of time, poor storage and maintenance must have taken their toll. I began in taking things apart in 1984 when I realized what it needed was a full restoration. What did I know about restoring a Vintage Bentley? The only place for a proper restoration was England so I needed to know everything I could about restoring a Bentley from the experts since I intended to restore it myself.
9 - My Restoration and the Distractions
My initial belief was that I could get this car back to its original condition just like it was when it was delivered to the first owner. I envisioned it with the original lacquered scratched aluminum body, black wings and interior, etc. as the Vanden Plas body records described. It would not be just another British Racing Green Bentley dressed up as a Le Mans racer. I needed the supervision of a leading expert for advise and parts. There is no one in the USA that seemed capable of providing the service I required. Jim Pearce of James E. Pearce (Sussex) Limited , Master Coach-builder was recommended and in the Summer of 1984, I was off to meet him. He was enthusiastic to help me and he and his staff had the experience and knowledge I was looking for. On that trip, I met with many BDC members and attended the BDC Kensington Gardens where I met three very prominent Vintage Bentley experts, Tim Holding, historian and writer, Billy Rockell, master mechanic at the original Bentley Works in the 1920s and Gibbs Pancheri, friend of W.O. Bentley, historian and owner of many Vintage Bentleys.
In 1985, my career in the oil industry ended with the crash of the price of oil. Houston, Texas was the center of the petroleum industry in the USA and geologists were searching out jobs everywhere, many leaving for other parts of the state or country where work was more readily available. Most of the Vintage Bentleys also disappeared. The economy sent some of them back to England while others went out of state. No more BDC Texas events and the Texas Region had no Regional Chairman. I was offered the position and I accepted it. I had done well in the petroleum industry and had royalty checks coming in from wells that I had drilled so I decided to stay in Houston and do all those things that I had not had time to do. First, I had to replace my basic two car garage with a first class 1800 square feet climate controlled garage/shop. In the Spring of 1986 it was completed and the Bentley body was separated from the chassis. It was not a pretty sight and all of the flaws were visible, many I had not anticipated. Photos and discussion with Jim Pearce confirmed that I was in over my head with working on the body myself. In November, I crated up the body and air freighted the body to Jim. Jim initially suggested a new body be built because much of the wood needed to be replaced and the aluminum body was not in the best of condition. I insisted that I wanted to keep the original body and I requested that we go with the original lacquered scratched aluminum. I think Jim wanted to say, "I am a restorer and not a magician". After some discussion, I recognized that to keep the original body it was best to take care of the wood problems and add a fabric cover over the aluminum. The next question was what color fabric and what color interior. I thought about this long and hard. Okay, green. I had now stepped away from my "as close to original format" and I could see why others do the same thing. The car also received a more original windscreen, new tonneau and hood.
The body striped by Jim Pearce.
Going back together, the body takes shape.
Preparing the body for its return
The body arrived from England in December, 1987. I was very pleased with Jim's work. Word seemed to spread about this Texan Bentley owner and his restoration. In July 1987, I had been appointed Texas Regional Chairman of the BDC (a position I still hold) and several visitors arrived from England. I had the pleasure of showing off the car to Tom and Ursula Ryland. Tom was a long time Vintage Bentley owner and an important BDC office in England. Stanley Sedgwick, past President of the club also paid me a visit. The former owners, Noel and Rosemarie Mitchell, also came to see how "our" car was progressing.
While waiting for the body to arrive, I had striped down the chassis and repainted it. The worthless wiring went into the trash along with other non original parts and Jim furnished replacement parts. As I worked with the car with sources such as the Technical Facts of the Vintage Bentley, I was becoming frustrated that I could be doing things incorrectly. Time proved that to be correct. For instance, the wiring, as provided by a company who thought it had it right, did not have it right. It dawned on me that either I had to send the car to Jim or he had to come here. I proposed to Jim and his wife, Chris, that they come here for a all expense paid vacation. They accepted. Come Spring of 1988, they spent a couple of weeks here and enjoyed visiting the local sights and we working on the Bentley. Jim was will prepared and we accomplished a lot in a short time.
Jim and Chris Pearce
Jim, hard at work in my shop
I was now full of enthusiasm and working on this and that. My progress seemed slow because I realized the petroleum industry was not coming back any time soon and I needed to get back to making a living. The job search was on and going no where. The stock market had drastically fallen in 1987 followed by the Saving & Loan crisis in 1988. There were no buyers in the real-estate market. Just sellers. My house value had gone from $250,000 to $90,000 in 6 years. But the east and west coast of the US were in good shape. That was where the car hobbyist buyers were so my literature business was booming. "Buy and sell literature", my wife said and we did. It worked and I begin running around buying literature cheaply because most collectors had no idea where to sell it or that it was worth anything.
The unexpected then happened in 1990. I contracted Legionnaire's Disease, a bacterial infection that was new at the time but occurred in several parts of the county and was believed to be caused by air-conditioning systems. It causes an infection like the flu, followed by pneumonia and most people die from it. Unknown to me, I have a bicuspid heart value so before I contracted pneumonia, I had a cerebral aneurysm which caused a stroke. The stroke saved me from dying from Legionnaire's Disease but now I had the consequences of the stroke. Initially rendered deaf and blind, I had also had total memory loss. For the next 6 months I was in the hospital and I slowly regained my speech, hearing and memory. At this point, I was not up to running my literature business but making progress toward getting my life back in order. Then to make matters worse, Beverly was under going depression, had a stroke and later died. In 1991, I was happy to have an unexpected visitor, Alan Smith from England who was spending a couple of months in the US working for a company in Houston. A Vintage Bentley frantic, together we managed to make some progress on the Bentley. But sadly after that, the Bentley restoration was on hold.
A period of distractions set in. I met Sharon in 1992, a woman who loved business, computers and who found my literature business fascinating . She believed the business could be developed into a robust living with her computerized business skills and my ability to find literature so cheaply and collectors so enthusiastic to buy it. She was right and we developed a partnership that led to marriage. For us it was a full time profession and the Bentley was set aside. Sharon was very out going and we traveled extensively. We both enjoyed sport cars so we purchased a new Porsche Boxster and took racing lessons at Texas World Speedway with the Porsche Club of America and went on many exciting high speed tours in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Combine that with annual and regional Rolls-Royce Owners Club, Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg (I owned a 1937 Supercharged Cord), Classic Car Club of America meets, annual press days at the Detroit (we were also journalists), trips to England and Europe, we kept very busy.
Our Bentley keeps good company with our 1937 Cord while waiting to be restored.
Along with the literature web site, McLellan's Automotive History, a new web site was created, Vintage Bentleys.org in 2006. It was something that I wanted to do but it was Sharon and Mona Nath that really made it happen. The goal was to document the history of every Vintage Bentley and establish a restoration forum to where owners could discuss their restoration work with each other. The latter never caught on and was eliminated but documenting the cars was a big success.
In the mid 2000s, my health began to cause recurring problems. In 2007, the literature business slowed down due to the recession and eBay competition. To my surprise, Sharon wanted to go her own way. After trying to sell the business with no success, I ran sales in an effort to liquidate the business. I had sold the Cord and now wanted to concentrate on the Bentley restoration. I was making slow but steady progress. Then the unexpected happened again. On my 70th birthday, a neighbor friend asked me if I knew Bea, a woman living close by. I had never met her and her husband had died a few years earlier. We were soon married. After selling her house and enjoying marriage for a couple of years, watching me struggling along with the restoration which seemed to take time away from enjoying each others company, Bea pointed out that it was now or never if we wanted to drive and enjoy the Bentley. She was right and I needed to really get after it.
10 - A Proper Restoration
For years, I had been corresponding with Jim Pearce by letters, phone calls and then emails. He was most tolerant and kind to help me in every way he could. Over the years, I had accumulated so much information that I had a shelf five feet long of notebooks, orderly cataloged, of everything that I need to know in order to restore the car. If anyone, outside of a professional and experienced Vintage Bentley restorer could restore my car, I believed I could. All I needed was someone to look over my shoulder and see if I was doing everything correctly and ship parts as necessary. I got started and was sending Jim Pearce pages of information and photographs. Seeing this, Jim tried to sort it all out and I am sure it gave him an ulcer. I could see, and so could he that I had created an enormous job for each of us. Doing a long distant restoration was not going to work well and I was severally imposing on him. Add to this, Jim was 85 years old, retired and, like me, had health problems. At this point, I realized that the only way for me to restore the Bentley back to original was to work with an original car or to have an original car to compare it to. I had neither. If I had been in England and not in Texas where there were such cars, I would at least have the opportunity to view them. My car, like most Vintage Bentley, had been kept alive through the years with economical make-shift repairs, due to it's low value decades ago and the desire to keep it running with little concern for originality. Finding correct parts were difficult and reproduction parts were rarely available. I needed to know what was original and what was not.
Time now was becoming a factor. Bea, watching all this and knowing that I would be spending the next couple of years out in the garage, she offered a suggestion (or was it an order?). Bea said, "Ship it to England and get it restored" Sure, that had been in the back of my mind but doing it myself was my goal. Then there was the money. Rationalizing that the car would be worth a lot more than we were going to spend helped and driving in soon was a big plus. So, off went the Bentley to Jim Pearce in September of 2015.
Jim has retired and his very capable and knowledgeably son, David, is in charge. David has been going to the shop to learn the Vintage Bentley trade since he was a very young lad so he is loaded with knowledge and experience. Jim lives next door to the shop and is available for consulting but David has learned just about every thing Jim knows and then some more. Between the two of them and their excellent staff, I cannot believe there is anyone in the world that can do finer restoration work and they have the concours and touring credentials to prove it.
On arrival, the Bentley was completely disassembled. Their standards were higher that mine and although I thought I had done fine, the hands of a skilled craftsman are always better that an amateur. When the engine was taken apart there were painful comments and a complete rebuild was in order. Having a mechanic who has rebuilt hundreds of Vintage Bentleys and who has all the right tools, parts and knowledge makes all the difference in the world for performance, reliability and endurance. I do not remember saying that costs was not a consideration but that seemed to be assumed. Consequently, I received the best possible restoration by the worlds best Vintage Bentley restorer. As good or better than it was when it was built by W. O. himself.
For those curious as to what all was done, David itemized it all into a comprehensive report.
Every part of the car was completely disassembled. The following photos present the progress of the restoration from beginning to the end.
The chassis assembled and with new paint
The chassis assembled and with new paint
Chassis about to receive the body
Body joins the chassis and fitted with battery and tool box.
More progress
The polished aluminum dash board was a rare option that was a special Vanden Plas order.
The completed rebuilt engine in place
The completed rebuilt engine in place
From arrival to completion, the photos tell the story
RobBea receives identity
The dashboard now fully functional
Tool box for proper tools
The proper tools
Complete with new car smell
It is as comfortable as it looks
Ready to come home
For those of you that follow my VintageBentleys.org web site, you will have seen a newsletter article regarding the trip Bea and I took to England in July of 2016 to see Jim and David along with Susan Culleton, the great-niece of former owner, Mrs. Mary E. Bruce and Sue's husband Merlin. Combined with our trip to Silverstone and a few days in London and a wonderful time in Horsham with Sue, Merlin and her mother Ruth, Bea had a memorable vacation. On seeing the car at the shop, we asked Jim and David to paint "RobBea" on the bonnet. When I was a child, my nickname was Robbie so combining "Rob" and "Bea" seemed fitting.
David and Jim
Jim gives the restoration his approval.
The restoration staff
Jim and David Pearce
Waiting on the shipping transport
The Bentley arrived from England and the car was transported to our house in an enclosed car carrier on December 8, 2016. After a close examination and familiarizing myself with the car after so many years, we took it on our first drive. With the Winter weather not always cooperating, we take it out as often as possible and have now accumulated about 1000 miles. The big adventure will the our first tour with the Texas Regional of the Rolls-Royce Owners Club. Seven days and over 1000 miles from Houston to the Texas Hill County and back. That will be an another article in the making. Our goal is now to drive the car more than anyone else ever has. Considering the low original mileage, we will exceed that very quickly.
VIDEOS
Robert C. McLellan
www.VintageBentleys.org
March
2017
