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June
29, 2012: Sold at Bonhams
for £471,900
inc. premium
The Ex-Maharajah of Bhavnagar:
1929 Bentley 4½-Litre Four-Seat
Tourer; Coachwork by Vanden Plas
Registration no. EL 1112, Chassis
no. NX 3452, Engine no. NX 3454
Bonhams auction date: June
29, 2012
George Daniels absolutely adored his
Bentleys. He added this beautifully
presented 1929 4½-Litre to
his Collection as recently as 2003.
Now offered here as a low mileage
example of its renowned type, direct
from the Daniels Collection, this
4½-Litre Bentley spent the
first 35 years of its long life in
the ownership of a most prominent
and highly-regarded Indian nobleman,
the Maharajah of Bhavnagar.
Reigning from 1919-1965, Commodore
His Highness Maharaja Raol Shri Sir
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavsinhji Sahib,
Maharaja of Bhavnagar, KCSI was more
simply known either by his brief title,
or as Kumarsinhji. He came to be regarded
as a most enlightened Indian aristocrat
and he ruled his city domain in the
north-western Indian State of Gujarat
for no fewer than 46 years, spanning
both the prominent period of the British
Raj in the 1920s and Indian independence.
Kumarsinhji had been born at the Darbargadh
Palace, Bhavnagar, on 19th May 1912,
and educated at Rajkumar College,
Rajkot, Brayar's Prep School, and
at Harrow School, in England. Aged
only seven, he succeeded upon the
death of his father on16th July 1919,
ascended the gadi at the Darbargadh
Palace, Bhavnagar, on 17th July 1919
and then reigned under a Council of
Administration until he came of age
and was invested with full ruling
powers on the 18th April 1931.
As Maharajah of Bhavnagar, Kumarsinhji
continued progressive reforms initiated
by his father and grandfather. He
reformed tax-collection methods in
his state, introduced village councils
and set up Bhavnagar's first legislature,
known as the Dharasabha.
His progressive achievements saw Kumarsinhji
knighted in 1938, but despite such
essentially Imperial honour he remained
quietly committed to the cause of
eventual Indian independence. Therefore,
upon Independence in 1947, Kumarsinhji
became among the first of the Indian
monarchs to accede to the Dominion
of India. Soon after, in 1948, he
merged Bhavnagar into the state of
Kathiawad. He ruled not only as the
last Maharajah of Bhavnagar from 1919
to 1948 but also served as the first
Indian Governor of Madras ? the modern-day
Chennai on the opposite coast of India
? from 1948 to 1952. He even played
first-class cricket ? albeit very
briefly ? for Madras, turning out
in just one match, in which he scored
four runs in one innings and five
in the other ? so first-class batting
total nine, first-class average 4.5...
rather apt.....
In 1952 he had also been made an Honorary
Commodore in the Royal Indian Navy,
while he served as Vice-Patron of
the Indian United Services Institution.
After reigning as Maharajah of Bhavnagar
for 46 years, he died in April 1965,
still aged only 52.
With the approval of his adminstrators,
Kumarsinhji had bought this imposing
Bentley 4½-Litre VDP Tourer
as new in 1929, while he was still
only 17 years old. He retained the
car for almost the rest of his life,
but by 1964 when purchased from Kumarsinhji's
family by a Mr A. Sparrow it only
had a mere 21,000 miles recorded upon
its odometer.
It was not returned to England until
1971 when it became one of the Cheddar
Motor Museum's most attractive exhibits.
When the Somerset museum was closed
in 1979, 'NX 3452' now offered here
was purchased by Mr L. Thomas. At
that time it had still covered only
some 30,000 miles and was highly regarded
in Bentley Drivers' Club circles,
though "ready for a rebuild".
Later in 1979 the car was consequently
stripped back to bare metal and resprayed
to match the original colour scheme,
while also being re-trimmed with a
new hood and side screens to original
pattern. It should be noted that when
new the VDP body would have been fabric
and it is not known when the car was
re-skinned in metal. It may have been
in 1979 but there is no documentary
evidence on file to say either way.
Most, if not all, of the tourer body
frame is original VDP. Not until 1982
was significant engine work noted,
with new pistons being installed at
that time.
In 1999 the car was acquired by Clive
Palmer, from whom it passed via Tim
Houlding in 2003 to George Daniels.
Within the Daniels Collection it became
a much loved, historic, comfortable
and versatile companion to the Birkin
Blower Single-Seater.
It is now offered here as a singularly
desirable 'Four-and-a-Half' with unimpeachable
provenance, the attractive history
of having spent the first 35 years
of its long life as a Maharajah's
favoured sporting tourer, then most
recently cherished preservation and
regular exercise within George Daniels'
connoisseur collection.
A document file accompanying the car
contains numerous annual tax discs
and Ministry of Transport vehicle
test certificates, and fine photo-copies
of its original chassis cards. The
file also contains The Bentley 4½-Litre
Instruction Book by Bentley Motors
Ltd and a photo-copied reproduction
of Technical Facts of the Vintage
Bentley. The car's original coachwork
order sheet is also on file ? confirming
it as having been Vanden Plas order
number 1555.
The car offered here proved to be
the last of George Daniels' long series
of ''Four-and-a-Halfs' about which
he wrote: "To me they represent
the best in motoring. They have speed,
reliability and room for people and
luggage. A 70 year old 4½-Litre
will cruise effortlessly at 80mph
for thousands of miles without any
attention other than servicing...".
Estimate:
£350,000 - 450,000
€440,000 - 560,000
US$ 550,000 - 700,000
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