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29 Jun 2012: Chichester,
Goodwood Collectors' Motor Cars
1929 Bentley 4½ litre Vanden
Plas style Tourer
Registration no. BF 6072 :: Chassis
no. RL3441 :: Engine no. 3444
Footnotes
RL3441 was supplied in February 1929
to a Captain K. Shennan who had ordered
Weymann-style saloon coachwork by
Freestone & Webb Ltd. Surviving
records suggest that by 1932 the car
had covered approximately 36,000 miles
quite a substantial annual mileage
in those days. Records do not survive
recording the car's history between
1932 and the 1960s when the car was
acquired, by then in a rather dilapidated
condition, by M.L. Murphy of Oxford,
England. Murphy suggests that the
reason the car had been placed in
storage had been the collapse of the
crosshaft gears. The fragility of
Weymann Patent lightweight coachwork
necessitated construction of new coachwork
in the 1960s and this work was entrusted
to Basset Down Farms Ltd., Engineering
Division, a company operated by Nigel
Arnold-Foster, a Past President of
the Vintage Sports-Car Club. Invoices
on file from Basset Down record significant
mechanical work undertaken in 1969
and labour charges of 30 shillings
per hour! Murphy records that the
chassis had been shot blasted, zinc
dipped and painted and the engine
completely re-built with new bearings
throughout; the block had been re-bored
and new pistons, valves, etc, fitted.
The front crosshaft gears had been
replaced and all components restored
by original manufacturers where possible.
The steering and gear boxes were found
to be in perfect condition. Sercks
rebuilt and nickel plated the radiator
and the Lucas Bullseye P100 headlamps
were rebuilt by the manufacturers
'at very considerable expense'. Murphy
further records that the replica coachwork
was 'superbly built by local craftsmen
whom I understand used to work for
the Vanden Plas factory'.
Having completed the restoration Murphy
offered the car to Richard A. Bartlett
Esq, M.D., of Bolton, Massachusetts,
advising him by letter that the reason
for sale 'is that the total cost of
the project has caused me a certain
amount of financial embarrassment'
and that at 30 shillings per hour.
Murphy had covered approximately 3,500
miles in his restored car before shipping
it in March 1970 to Bartlett in Massachusetts.
The car was shipped with very detailed
running instructions etc for Bartlett's
attention. Some 19 years later the
car arrived back in the U.K. and was
acquired by the present owner.
It could not have found a better home,
its new owner being an enthusiastic
driver of his exclusive collection
of veteran and vintage motor cars,
maintaining his cars to the highest
standards so that reliability on long
distance motor tours would be undoubted.
During this ownership RL3441 has participated
in Bentley Drivers' Club Tours to
South Africa (1990 and 1995), New
Zealand (1995), Spain (2000), France
(2004) and New Zealand (2006), as
well as many other motoring events
all with impeccable proven reliability.
Modifications, all reversible, to
enhance the driving experience include
an overdrive unit, the fitting of
an alternator, a Fram oil filter,
twin coils using the magnetos as distributors
and two Kenlowe radiator fans. A spare
half shaft is mounted alongside the
offside chassis rail and the original
prop shaft is offered with the car.
RL3441 is very smartly presented in
blue livery with that delightful patina
which is only acquired during long
and careful use. The coachwork is
upholstered in grey leather and furnished
with over carpets back and front and
is equipped with tonneau covers and
side-screens and hood. Driving equipment
includes Lucas P100 headlamps, Butlers
side lamps and Lucas auxiliary driving
lamps, together with flashing indicators
with side markers, so essential for
continental touring. Other essential
touring equipment includes twin side-mounted
spare wheels, fold-down windscreen
with side wind deflectors, luggage
rack with substantial luggage trunk,
matching rear-view mirrors, leather
spring gaiters and a GB plate. A toolbox
is fitted on the offside running board
and the car carries two fire extinguishers
and an Esso two-gallon spare fuel
can.
RL3441, well known in Bentley Drivers'
Club circles, comes with a good history
file recording its restoration, a
quantity of expired MoT certificates
and tax discs and is offered with
a Swansea V5C registration document,
current road fund licence and a recently
issued MoT certificate.
Sold for
£296,666 inc. premium
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