Lot No. 380
Retromobile by Artcurial Motorcars | Paris, 07 February

1931 Bentley 8 Litre
Coupe Sportsman by Gurney-Nutting

Summary
Chassis No. YR5088
Interior colour: Blue
Number of doors: 2
Number of seats: 2
Drive: RHD
Location: France
Gearbox: Manual
Drivetrain: 2wd
Fuel type: Petrol

Description
Chassis No: YR5088
Estimate: EUR 2 500 000 - 3 000 000

- Exceptional in every way
- Continuous history
- The last " big " Bentley
- Aesthetic masterpiece
- Impeccable presentation
- Best Coachwork Award in 1932 at the RAC Rally - Best of Show at the Louis Vuitton Concours in 1999 - Extensive number of Awards at Bentley's meetings

With victories to its name in the Le Mans 24 Hours, Bentley had definitely proved itself in competition. To knock Rolls-Royce off the top spot for British luxury automobiles however, it was necessary to go one step further. And so, at the 1930 London Motor Show, the marque presented the 8-Litre. Employing the engineering of the imposing 6.5-litre, this car called for all the superlatives. The in-line six-cylinder engine had a single overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder and with 7,983cc, it produced 220 bhp at 3,500 rpm. In other words, it was exceptionally versatile and was reported as such in period road tests, such as The Autocar of 1930 : " While offering the performance of a sports car (....), this car can be driven in top gear, as slowly as a man walks, and can accelerate without snatch and without difficulty. " Right through to a top speed of 160 km/h ! This was a higher number than Rolls-Royces were capable of, even though the 8-litre chassis was longer than the longest comparable Rolls-Royce. However, despite these indisputable qualities, and along with many of its rivals, the Bentley 8-Litre suffered from the Great Depression that followed the 1929 Crash and just 100 examples were built, making it a particularly rare model. Naturally, a technical masterpiece such as this attracted the most reputable coachbuilders, who exercised all their talent on creating bodies for the car. It was Gurney-Nutting, one of Bentley's most trusted coachbuilders along with Vanden Plas, who was responsible for the Sportsman coupé, a marvel of design with perfect balance for a chassis of this size. Its beauty was recognised immediately, and the car won the 1932 " Best Coachwork " Trophy at the RAC Rally.

At this time, our 8-Litre was in the hands of its first owner, an extraordinary character, by the name of Captain John Moller. Moller was a pilot and a photo taken at the 1932 RAC Rally, shows the car displaying the mascot of a Gipsy Moth that was associated with him. In a letter from 1999, Lord Monro of Langholm recalls having been present when the new car was delivered, and notes that his sister appears in one of the black and white photos that come with the car. He also indicated that it was in this 8-Litre car that he first drove at 180 km/h, and that when John Moller parted with his car, he sold it to Sir Edmund Findlay, a newspaper proprietor from Scotland. The maintenance documents show that in 1938 the car was regularly driven and maintained. In 1955 it was registered in the name of D.A. Dale and a document from 1964 shows that it had been taken off the road for some time while retaining its original registration, SM 8794. The subsequent owner was Mr John A MacQueen of Deansfield House, Stafford, and it was him who sold the car to Charles Teall during the 1970s. This splendid Gurney-Nutting coupé still had all its original components and Teall decided to restore it completely, with breathtaking results. The provenance, quality and condition of this Bentley 8-Litre won it numerous awards : " Best of Show " at the Louis Vuitton Classic at the Hurlingham Club in 1999 and second in class at the 2001 Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance. It is perhaps more important to note the prizes awarded by Bentley Driver's Club, whose judges share an unrivalled knowledge of this type of car : in 1937 " Best Vintage Saloon ", then " Best 8-Litre " and more recently, the meeting's " Best Vintage Bentley ". These trophies and awards highlight the recognition given to this important automobile, which is not surprising: the Gurney-Nutting coachwork has a rare beauty and succeeds in giving this substantial chassis a light, sporting appearance. The relatively short wings, the streamlined running boards that double up as storage space, the covered wheel hubcaps, the narrow and discreet bumpers and the roomy trunk shaped to fit in with the rear styling all come together to give a dynamic and balanced whole. At the front, the high chrome radiator grille, surmounted by a mascot of a winged female torso, and framed by three headlamps, is a perfect representation of this type of model.

Superlatives abound for the interior as well, with the doors opening up to a passenger compartment with blue leather seats and door-linings that display a light and flawless patina. The whole interior is inviting and comfortable. The driver's seat has a carefully designed cut away section to allow easy use of the gear and brake levers, and the blue carpet is immaculate. Wood lines the dashboard, door panels and courtesy equipment for the rear passengers, and the roof opens up over the front seats, transforming the drive into a sunny and airy experience. The dashboard displays a selection of superbly presented instruments and the centre of the steering wheel sports the traditional controls for advance, choke and hand throttle.

A glance under the bonnet reveals what this 8-litre Bentley is capable of : its enormous engine fills the available space, in a stunning blend of simplicity and sophistication. The car as a whole is impeccable and if it shows some general signs of wear, this represents normal use and meticulous maintenance.

Previous owners have not hesitated to use this fantastic Bentley 8-Litre on long journeys and it is ready to offer the same pleasure to whoever seizes the opportunity this auction sale provides.

A true aesthetic and technical achievement, a centrepiece of Bentley's history, a testament to the top-level rivalry between the finest marques, this 8-Litre Bentley is far more than an automobile : it is a work of art encapsulating the heritage of the most prestigious automobiles in the world.

1931 Bentley 8-Litre Sportsman Coupe Gurney-Nutting

"This 1931 Bentley 8-Liter Sportsman Coupe has coachwork by J. Gurney-Nutting. It has won the 1932 RAC Best Coachwork Award, and the 1999 Best in Show of the Louis Vuitton Classic at the Hurlingham Club. In addition, it has won a number of BDC Awards and a Second in Class at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2001. It is powered by a 7983 cc, overhead camshaft inline six-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder, dual carburetors, and capable of producing 220 horsepower at 3500 rpm. A four-speed manual gearbox sends power to the rear wheels while the four-wheel servo assisted drum brakes provide the stopping power. It sits atop a 156 inch wheelbase and suspended in place by semi-elliptic leaf springs in both the front and the rear.

The Bentley 8-Liter was first shown to the public at the 1930 London Motor Show. It was impressive in design, stature, and performance. It was capable of 100 mph, 10 mph faster than the comparable lightweight Rolls-Royce.

There were two platforms for the 8-Liter Bentley, a 144-inch and 156-inch wheelbase. The chassis on the 156-inch version weight 3700 pounds with the full-bodied versions tipping the scale at over two tones! The engineering of the 8-Liter was impressive, with its double-dropped frame and seven tubular cross members supporting the mammoth bodies. Aluminum was used throughout the bodies in an effort to reduce the weight.

Though the combination of beauty, power and prestige was enough to make the Bentley 8-Liter an instant success, the Great Depression was responsible for its low production figures, with only 100 examples being produced. Feeling the pressure of the Great Depression and slow sales, Bentley's chief financier, Woolf Barnato, severed his ties with Bentley and sending them spiraling into financial difficulty. Rolls-Royce intervened, saving the troubled company from receivership. They revamped the Bentley model line, brining their designs and mechanics inline with the Rolls-Royce family. The Bentley's now served as the entry-level cars into the ultra luxury department.

The 8-liters were adorned in stylish coachwork provided by reputable coachbuilders such as J. Gurney Nutting and Vanden Plas. Most of the bodies were graceful saloons and fixed head coupes.

This example has a blue leather interior. There is a sliding sunroof and ample space for luggage in the rear custom built compartment."

LOT 37
29 August 1999
Los Angeles

1931 Bentley 8 Litre Fixed-Head Coupe
Coachwork by Gurney Nutting of London

Chassis No. YR5088
Engine No. YR5088
Price: USD 442,500

Admiralty blue over black with black Everflex top and blue leather interior

Engine: six cylinder in-line, 4 valves per cylinder, 7983cc giving c220bhp at 3500rpm; Gearbox: four speed manual; Suspension: semi-elliptic springs front and rear, Bentley & Draper friction front, hydraulic rear shock absorbers; Brakes: four wheel drum, servo- assisted. Right hand drive.

Introduced to the public at the 1930 London Motor Show, the 8 Litre was the biggest-engined car made in Britain. It was also just about the fastest, fully capable of 100mph with closed coachwork; a legacy of its racing heritage, five wins in that toughest of endurance races, the Twenty-Four Hours du Mans. W. O. Bentley himself said 'I have wanted to produce a dead silent 100mph car, and now I think we have done it.'

The 8 Litre represents an evolutionary step in Bentley's thinking, taking the best features of the legendary Speed Six and adding to them the benefits of engineering advances. The 8 Litre engine bore was increased from 100mm to 110mm, to increase the capacity by 1400cc and to add 40bhp, giving steam turbine-like performance. A new, immensely rigid and much quieter gearbox was designed with dog-clutch engagement on 3rd and top, with a hypoid-bevel back axle. The chassis frame itself was double-dropped front and back to give the coachbuilders a low, rigid platform for formal coachwork. The deep channel pressed steel siderails are joined by no less than one pressed steel and seven tubular steel cross-members. The suspension was redesigned with the springs outside the chassis to increase stability, fitted with Bentley & Draper friction front and hydraulic rear shock absorbers. The steering was stiffened up and a host of detail improvements were incorporated, reflecting Bentley's experience with the Speed Six on and off the race-track.

The Autocar described the 8 Litre as 'Motoring in its very highest form', clocking W. O. Bentley's own 8 Litre saloon at 101.12mph over the 1/2 mile, fully laden. An exhaustive survey of The Autocar's test reports between 1930 and 1939 shows only one faster car - an 8C 2300 Alfa Romeo at 106.8mph. The 8 Litre remained the fastest production Bentley until 1953.

Only 100 of the magnificent machines were built in 1930/31; YR5088 is the 38th. The chassis was completed in January 1931, and despatched to Gurney Nutting to be bodied. Gurney Nutting were one of the very best of the London coachbuilding firms, and the fixed-head coupe body they built on this chassis represents the epitome of the coachbuilder's art. The body is a full four-seater with two large doors and semi-integral trunk, fitted with float-type running boards (after the style of Malcolm Campbell's 'Bluebird'). Gurney Nutting's trademark helmet wings lend lightness and elegance to the design. The interior is spacious, the driver and passenger seats giving a commanding view down the bonnet, the rear seats offering comfort and generous leg room.

Built for a wealthy Scotsman, John Moller, YR5088 was delivered in April 1931 via Rossleighs, Bentley's main Scottish dealer. The registration number SM 8794 was issued by Dumfries CC, the number still in use today. Moller entered YR5088 for the first RAC Rally in March 1932, a reliability trial that required entrants to cover 1000 miles at an average speed of 25mph, converging on Torquay from different start points around the UK. Starting from Edinburgh, Moller finished 92nd out of 232 in the over 1100cc class; doubtless keeping the Bentley down to an average of 25mph proved too much of a chore. Moller also entered the coachwork competition in Class 4b, occasional four-seaters and two-door sports saloons over 1100cc. The Bentley Service Records rather curtly note that the car was entered 'without permission' and cancelled the Five-Year Guarantee shortly afterwards.

In 1935, Moller sold the car to Sir Edmund Findlay, Bt, the proprietor of The Scotsman newspaper. The Bentley saw war service, registered to the Home Office in 1941, including use by the National Fire Service in Sunningdale to tow a trailer fire pump - the fastest fire engine in the south-east. The Bentley then went through a number of owners between 1946 and 1957, when she was bought by J.A. MacQueen. Fortunately the car escaped the fate of a number of 8 Litre Bentleys, of being cut down and used for club racing. YR5088 went into a gentle decline, a decline that proved to be largely benign. When bought by the present owner in 1977 from noted Rolls-Royce expert Barrie Price, on inspection the Bentley proved to be in remarkably original condition.

The 8 litre was then meticulously restored over a period of ten years, with detailed attention not just to the cosmetics, but also to the mechanics. The body has been reskinned and repainted and the wood framing fully restored. The original dashboard is fitted with all the original instruments. The dashboard itself is of burr walnut with walnut cross-banding, a style carried over into the door panels and vanity cases. The original seats and interior fittings were preserved, superbly reupholstered in Connolly hide, with a generous map pocket on each door. The interior is exquisitely detailed, with beautiful small ivory handles on each door-catch, carefully made silk hand-holds and elegant vanity cases set into the rear quarters. Each burr walnut double door opens to reveal an illuminated mirror. One contains a few extra items, such as a lady's powder compact. The rear armrests both lift up, one housing a pair of small cut-glass decanters and tumblers. For complete privacy while powdering your nose or taking a quick nip - a mechanism above the driver's door operates a blind for the rear window.

The roof, fitted with a Pytchley sunroof, was recovered in Everflex, and the boot was similarly treated. With an eye to practical, long-distance use, with a family, the owner decided to adapt the original trunk layout. The original, with a rather impractical opening not much bigger that a letter-box, was restyled, using the trunk on W.O. Bentley's own 8 Litre saloon as a pattern. The addition of six over-centre catches, two with concealed locks, gives a final high-quality touch. The float-type running boards have also been fully restored and painstakingly fitted with pull-out tool trays, each item nestling in its own bed of burgundy baize, an almost complete set of original tools in the left hand box, the jack and greaser in the right hand box. With the Bentley come an original 8 Litre handbook and a boxed 1932 RAC Rally plaque.

On the engineering side, the engine was completly rebuilt with a new crankshaft and set of connecting rods made by that master craftsman, Roger Cook, using shell bearings. A new crankcase and sump have been fitted. Bentley Motors, at the forefront of innovation, started using magnesium alloy (Elektron) early in 1930, using this material for most of the engine castings. Unfortunately the early pattern Elektron crankcase used in the first 49 eight litre engines proved too weak, tending to crack near the front of the castings. New aluminum castings were first commissioned by Stanley Sedgwick some thirty years ago, and many owners have prudently incorporated these into their engines. YR5088 has such a new crankcase and sump; the original Elektron items are present with the car. The crankshaft is fitted with the desirable late-pattern damper.

The top end of the engine has also been fully rebuilt, with a new Phoenix camshaft and needle-roller bearing rockers. All the original electrical equipment has been rebuilt, as well as the brakes, steering, and all the chassis fittings. At present the Bentley is fitted with non-standard rear shock absorbers, but a pair of Bentley & Draper hydraulic units are being rebuilt ready to fit.

The reward for this painstaking and thorough work was first in Classes C and I and the award for 'Best Vintage Bentley' at the Bentley Drivers' Club's Kensington Gardens Concours in 1987. Since then YR5088 has been carefully used and serviced, and recently carried home all of the top prizes at the Louis Vuitton Grand Prix at London's Hurlingham Club which included winning its class, the Ashe Park Trophy for pre-war closed cars and the much-coveted 'Best of Show' award. At the Bentley Drivers' Club Annual Concours at Charlecote Park also this June, the Bentley proved its class again, taking the Best of Show award. YR5088 is undoubtedly one of the most handsome of the surviving 8 Litre Bentleys, and represents a rare opportunity to buy an original car in exceptional order, both mechanically and cosmetically.