Formerly the Property of Arthur H. Cocks and Stanley Mann

1930 Bentley 4½ Litre Tourer
Coachwork in the Style of Vanden Plas
CHASSIS NO. PB3549; ENGINE NO. PB3539; Registration No. ES 1101

- Event-Proven and Highly Regarded W.O. Bentley
- Matching-Numbers Chassis, Engine and Driveline
- Extensively Documented
- Sensibly Fitted with Desirable Upgrades
- An Ideal Entry for International Driving Events

- 4,398 CC SOHC Inline 4-Cylinder Engine
- 4 Valves per Cylinder
- Dual SU Carburetors
- Approximately 110 HP
- 4-Speed Manual C-Type Gearbox
- 4-Wheel Mechanical Drum Brakes
- Front and Rear Solid Axle, Semi-Elliptical Leaf-Spring Suspension with Friction Plate Shock Absorbers

PB3549 was delivered new on April 14, 1930, to Sir James Wilson Bart of Callander, Perthshire, Scotland. Coachbuilders A.C. Penman & Co. fitted the coachwork to this new 4 1/2 Litre which represented the sole W.O. Bentley to be clothed by the Dumfries-based company. The body was referred to as a Saloon but is believed to have had a bolt-on top section which, when removed, formed an open tourer. PB3549 was specified with chromium-plated hardware, a C-Type gearbox and double-spoked wheels.

In the stewardship of Sir James, the Bentley saw a great deal of use, and factory records indicate that the car was regularly serviced and repaired throughout the 1930s. According to copies of PB3549’s registration logbooks, Sir James continued ownership through 1945, when Alexander Archibald became the car’s second registered owner. Mr. Archibald kept the W.O. Bentley for a couple of years before selling it to Ivor McAdam, who sold the car to Leonard Potter in 1948.

In 1950, PB3549 was purchased by Londoner J.B. Chadwick. A number of work orders from various London-based Bentley specialists finely document a great deal of work performed on the aging 4 1/2 Litre during Mr. Chadwick’s ownership. The work varied from attention to mechanical items such as the clutch and rear axle, to the installation of a sportier fold-down windshield. Mr. Chadwick kept the car until 1972 when Arthur H. Cocks of Cornwall, England, acquired the car.

As described in the August 1977 BDC article by Mr. Cocks himself, by the early 1970s, PB3549 was beginning to show its age and, in particular, the A.C. Penman coachwork was in need of attention. As A.C. Penman & Co. had ceased business and no drawings or specifications were available as a guide for rebuilding the coachwork, Mr. Cocks decided to build a new body in the style of a period Tourer by Vanden Plas.

The work was carried out by a group of carefully selected Bentley specialists and Mr. Cocks himself. Restoration specialists Richard C. Moss and H & H Coachbuilding carefully crafted the bodywork to original Vanden Plas drawings and fitted a new interior. James Pearce constructed the windshield. A great deal of mechanical work was also performed during that time. Mr. Cocks further describes PB3549 as having been a very original and well-preserved 4 1/2 when he acquired it.

In 1982, the Bentley was sold to Mr. R. Cutler of Staffordshire, England, who kept it for just a couple of years before passing it on to renowned Bentley dealer Stanley Mann of Edgware, England, in 1985. The following year, the Bentley journeyed across the Atlantic to settle in New England with Armand Zildjian, president of the Zildjian Cymbal Company. Mr. Zildjian upgraded the Bentley with Le Mans-type cycle fenders, installed a pair of Brooklands-style aeroscreens and re-trimmed the interior. He then took great pride in showing PB3549 at occasional BDC and RROC events throughout his ownership.

In 2002, the Bentley was acquired by its current owner, a renowned Florida-based Rolls-Royce and Bentley collector. He has since cherished this great W.O. Bentley and used it as was intended, on BDC Rallies and Tours.

Accompanying the sale of PB3549 is a CD containing an extraordinary amount of historical documentation. The CD contains scans of the original UK Registration logbooks and titles from new until now, copies of the factory build sheets and service records, an abundance of receipts from work performed in the past 50-plus years and many period and contemporary photos of the car. Research by the W.O. Bentley Memorial Foundation and the Rolls-Royce Foundation is also enclosed in the car’s file.

PB3549 is a fine example of the classic 4½ Litre, carefully upgraded to the renowned and hard-to-obtain open Vanden Plas Tourer body. Still intact with its original chassis, engine and drivetrain, PB3549 is a very important and highly-regarded W.O. Bentley that offers its next owner an ideal entry for touring and vintage rallies.

This car is for sale as of July 20, 2012.

"This car sold at Gooding & Co.'s 2012 Amelia auction, 665k, including premium."

1930 Bentley 4½ Litre VDP LeMans Tourer
British racing green exterior; green leather interior; well documented from new; has original 4 British log books, all following consecutive owners; original motor, chassis, carbs, intake manifolds, steering; 230 page of history & documentation; always an open touring bodied car; rebuilt in 1970s as VDP touring; matching number

Chassis: PB3549
Motor: PB3539
Registration Number: ES 1101

As supported by copies of original factory documentation, the car was originally was delivered to Sir James Wilson via Ross Leigh, Ltd of Glasgow. According to factory documents, PB3549's coachwork was done by A.C. Penman & Co. and was built with chrome plated parts, and double spoked wheels. PB3549 was built as an open, long-fendered touring car. This car was rebodied by Richard C. Moss in 1976-77 to original Vanden Plas designs by H. and M. Coachbuilders using as many original bits as possible. Car has been equipped with cycle-style fenders from Stanley Mann (U.K.) Vintage Bentley Dealer.

This car was then sold in the U.K a number of times. Included with this car are 4 original logbooks with documentation of each individual owner, as well as a 250 page book of documents, build sheets, owner information, maintenance records dating to 1951, letters from previous owners, records and receipts for re-body in 1976-77 by Richard C. Moss for owner Arthur Cocks (Cornwall, U.K.). Car has two United States owners, both of whom were avid Bentley enthusiasts and tourers, and experts.

Full Owner History w/ documentation
- Sir James Wilson (UK) 1930 sold to
- Ivor McAdam (UK) 1940 sold to
- Alexander Archibald Pollock (UK) 1945 sold to
- Leonard Potter 1948 (UK) sold to
- John Brian Chadwick 1950 (UK) sold to
- Mr. A.H. Cocks (Cornwall, UK) 1976 sold to
- Cutlers of Streetly Ltd. Sutton, UK 1982
- Stanley Mann (Edgeware, UK) 1985
- Brought to US in 1986 and sold to Armand Zildjan (Zildjian Cymbal Company)
- 2002 Sold by Vintage Motors of Sarasota to Dale Powers (Sarasota, FL)

PB3549 was a recipient of a 497 hour motor rebuild with a receipt from March of 1983 in U.K.

This automobile was then imported to the United States in 1985 for owner Armand Zildjian of Zildjian Cymbal Co. During Zildjian's ownership, the metal Le-Man style cycle fenders were installed.This Bentley was purchased from Vintage Motors of Sarasota by Rolls-Royce/ Bentley collector Dale Powers using his Bentley 4 ½ Litre VDP Tourer (SL3055) on trade in 2002.

The car is presented in very original condition, from its engine and body panels. The brightwork, the chrome plated radiator, as per original, is new. The covered headlamps, and fenders, and exterior leather are very presentable, as is the quality of the British Racing Green paint. Virtually every element is either original, or period correct or part of the car’s storied past. Signs of road use are apparent, although this is to be expected from an active Tourer such as this. This car is in spectacular condition, the body, the dark green interior leather is soft, and clean with no rips or tears.

This car is ready for your collection for showing, and touring. For more information concerning this wonderful piece of Bentley history, please contact Vintage Motors of Sarasota at (941) 355-6500 or
www.vintagemotorssarasota.com

SPECIFICATIONS
Although the Bentley 4½ Litre is heavy, weighing 1,625 kg (3,580 lb), and spacious, with a length of 4,380 mm (172 in) and a wheelbase of 3,302 mm (130.0 in), it remains well-balanced and steers nimbly. The manual transmission, however, demands control, as its four gears are unsynchronized.

The robustness of the 4½ Litre's latticed chassis, made of steel and reinforced with ties, was needed to support the heavy cast iron inline-four engine.

Together with two double carburetors and dual ignition with Bosch magnetos, this engine, with a displacement of 4,398 cc (268.4 cu in), with a 100 mm (3.9 in) bore and a 140 mm (5.5 in) stroke, was "resolutely modern" for the time. The engine also produces a high power output of 110 hp (82 kW) for the Touring model and 130 hp (97 kW) for the racing model. The engine speed is limited to 3,500 rpm. The valvetrain has four valves per cylinder, inclined at 30 degrees, and actuated by a single overhead camshaft. This was a technically advanced design at a time where most cars used only two valves per cylinder.

With motor racing as its main mission, the Bentley's radiator has a filler cap that does not unscrew but is easily removed with one stroke of the lever. This mechanism minimizes downtime during refueling stops and is used for the oil and gasoline tanks as well.

The 4½ also comes equipped with a canvas top stretched over a lightweight Weymann body. The structure is very light but still resistant to wind; the rules of the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1928 dictated a certain number of laps the hood needed to be closed. The steering wheel, measuring about 45 cm (18 in) in diameter, is itself a solid braided rope held tight for optimal operation.

By contrast, the brakes are not particularly innovative, consisting of classical and impressive 17-inch drum brakes, serrated for improved cooling and operated by cable. The front axle is held rigid and the rear drive axle is supported by semi-elliptic leaf springs.

This car is for sale as of October 17, 2011.

NAVBM - May 2010

These photographs were taken by Edward LaBounty.

NAVBM 2009.

St. Armand's Ferrari Show Florida, 2009.

These photographs were taken by Edward LaBounty during the 2008 NAVBM.

During the North American Vintage Bentley Meet 2008 in Stowe, Vermont.

These photographs were taken at Silverstone Race Track in England in August 1981.